Welcome, Fall!

As usual, I have been keeping busy and another week has flown by.  Now we flip the page to autumn.  We had a cooler morning recently (mid 60's after my thermometer consistently has read 77 for months first thing!).   I had some hope that we were headed to some cooler weather but by afternoon, back up in the low 90's.  I'm ready!  You see some hint of the leaves changing, some are already dropping but I think that is more of a stressed out and drought summer more than anything.  We are about 10 inches behind our annual rainfall totals and it is affecting the lake levels which supply hydro-power.  The yard is all dried out as well.

The yard being dried out and dead might be a good thing after something that happened here in the neighborhood yesterday.  I was not home when this happened, thankfully, but there was a police chase.  Robert was outside working on his deck and saw part of the action and asked the officer he knew at the scene what was going on.   They had to drive right through my yard, around the neighbor's house where they hit a spot they could not get through (tree, shed, trampoline, etc).  There was a foot chase and they apprehended the guy at the end of the lane.  It is amazing that they didn't just go sailing down off the ledge to the road below---it is up at least 10-12 feet, just guessing.

The Police Department explained what happened on their Facebook post this morning.  Quoting the Lt. of our local PD.

"Yesterday a man decided to steal a truck in Anniston. He fled to our humble town of (_______) in this stolen truck, then fled on foot when he was confronted by the truck owner who tracked him on GPS. When PD officers arrived, a search was conducted and we spotted the criminal who decided to play a game of hide and seek.   A foot chase ensued and the suspect was apprehended. The suspect told us that during the foot chase he swallowed a large amount of meth and then began spazzing out. We escorted an ambulance that took him to the hospital for detox, and then we gave him another ride in our cruiser to adult time out at the County Bed & Breakfast facility where he can look forward to some new roomies and a scrumptious oatmeal breakfast."

My other neighbor 2 houses down whose yard was involved said two Police Departments, Sheriff's Deputies and an unmarked car were all down there and then of course, the ambulance too.  Quite the commotion!  Bob also said that there had been a rash of vehicle thefts recently so this may have been another in that string.  Anyway, it won't really hurt the dried up cow pasture I call a yard much to have those vehicles driving on it.

Where was I when all this was going on?  I had one of those sleepless nights but the version where I wake at some early hour and more or less, bail.  I pressed two quilts worth of binding and then started sewing on this block.  Then I had to run into town to have my thyroid tests repeated ahead of my appointment time next week.  From there I went over to our meeting place to pin my challenge quilt since I would already be halfway there.  I was gone from about 11 to 2 by the time I circled back to pick up a script.  Not sure what time this all happened.

This block Circle of Squares is one that I needed to make for the Fall Retreat I will be attending next month.  The hosting guild requested 12 inch finished QOV blocks for donation to be used in their ongoing QOV projects.  I am supposed to be making fall blocks too but they changed the format to a "bring however many, pull out however many".  I don't think I want a fall quilt when I still have a pass around round robin one I could finish.    You can see it HERE---that last border has got to be reworked.  I'm sorry but the super dark poly cotton has got to go along with the things in the corner (is that supposed to be a stylized leaf??) That has explained why this has sat so long in the closet.

Okay, I said my challenge top was done.  I finished that up Monday---one block to make, the joining seams.  I had planned to sew the backing, binding and prep the batting from sections of previously used rolls BUT that night I could not get to sleep in the first place so got up and did all that.  Then because I was so worn out, I did get to sleep.

Friday I had lunch out with a friend and we visited for awhile back at my house till he said he needed to go.  He was supposed to be meeting his daughter-in-law and the grandkids in town and they were all going to the circus being held near here that evening about 4 pm.  I think he was going to catch up with our mutual friend Paul while he was in town and had an errand to run as well.   He had been gone about 45 minutes when he called and asked if I would want to go with them, LOL.  I wasn't doing anything pressing and said "sure" having met the family members a few weeks prior to that.  It was fun though the venue was hotter than the dickens.  Everybody was thirsty especially after eating that salty popcorn.  It was nice to get to know Charlie a bit better than just watching the Bama games.

Saturday I was off early with the pals from the Tuesday evening group heading to the AQS show up in Chattanooga.  This is the last year they are going to have a fall show in TN and are moving it back to Paducah for both spring and fall, I had heard.  Margarita had rented a van so 7 of us could ride up together instead of taking a couple cars. It was a fun day.  We knew we could not keep up with each other and just said "be out front at 12 pm Bama time" and we would go on to lunch.

A vendor from Franklin, TN had this cool Scrap Box Chevron pattern which I did buy but was out of the Puzzled Nine Patch one.  Slick technique.  I also got some Deb Tucker Studio 180 rulers and ran into Lois over there---no surprise, LOL.

Friends of Donna had suggested the Terminal Brewhouse near the Chattanooga Choo-Choo downtown and it was not far from the Convention Center but the Garmin Lady had to straighten us out in getting there as several streets were blockaded.  Food was good and so was the company.  I think I got home around 3??   I only took two pictures as silly me, forgot to put my phone on the charger so it was red lining by the time I took those two.

I had asked Charlie to text me if anything good happened in the Bama game which started at 2:30.   At least 4 of us 7 are Bama fans but I doubted anyone would want to listen to the entire game.   At one point knowing my phone was next thing to dead, I asked Margarita to turn on the radio or Stacy to pull up the score on her phone.  UGH 24-3 late in the 2nd quarter meaning Aline's husband was not going to be a happy camper when he picked us at the rendezvous spot.  As I was driving back to my house, Bama did score a TD so it was 24-10 with like a minute to go.  I didn't dial up the radio figuring it was just going to be the half time yapping.  Charlie texted it was 24-17 as one of the Bama guys had a long punt return TD.  I had something to do here at home so texted back saying I might get brave and go over to watch the game once I was done with that.   When I arrived, I told the gang that they could send me home if I didn't bring them any luck with a win.  Fortunately, that was not needed.

Stacy had asked me to bring one of my portfolio of patterns to the next meeting so she could "pick out her next quilt".  She's working on the borders of her Chevron quilt now and looking for inspiration for her fabric stacks specifically a Kaffe Fassett layer cake.  Sunday I did a bit of re-organizing of the two I planned to take.  These were some of the more recent magazine clippings, internet printouts, purchased patterns or given to me patterns, etc.  Several years back I did a thing where I took everything out of all my notebooks---and there is a bunch from over the years---and separated them all out by categories.  One notebook might be kid/donation quilt ideas, another bags/totes and accessories.  Others were by technique---4 patch, 9 patch, baskets, curved designs, embroidery, applique, Log Cabins, strip piecing, etc etc etc.   The other stuff was just a hodge podge and still kind of is but I know it is the "newer" stuff though some dates back 5 yrs, LOL.

By the time I left I think she might have narrowed things down a bit.  One I had suggested for the large bold Fassett stuff was " Sweet Life" in Simply Retro so those could remain intact but we will have to re-size the block to use her squares.  The pattern in the book calls for fat quarters to make 18 inch finished blocks and layer cakes are not big enough.  13.5 inch finished will work as I was fiddling in EQ that evening when I got home.  It is one I have considered doing myself and she was able to pull it up on the phone to see the block.  Donna had been working with the girls to learn some basic blocks and techniques.  So far they have done a log cabin block and friendship star.  I think she said the next one was flying geese and she planned to do quarter square triangles, applique and foundation piecing as well.  "Sweet Life" has flying geese all right.

We had two guests that evening and at that point no one had their machine going but we were talking quilt and paging through the notebooks.  Actually that worked out well for Donna as I had a foundation pieced star block with a flag at center printed off that I had considered making for the retreat last fall and since I didn't make it, the printouts were just filed.  She said it was exactly what she had been looking for but could not figure out the math for the flag part.  I said to go ahead and take it.  I was going to do something else this year too, LOL.

I set up the sewing machine yesterday afternoon/evening to put the binding on the guild Charming Boxes.  Margarita had gotten a new custom fit to her finger thimble at the quilt show and told me I needed to save her some binding.  She's between projects that require it right now, I guess but took care of that last night.  I just need to hand it off to her at some point and I am happy that I won't have to worry about it especially since I still need to finish my own on Prairie Stix, LOL.

I had considered leaving the forward and side tables up around the sewing table to go ahead and start the quilting on the challenge quilt.  I've got to get started at some point BUT there is a possibility that I will have some visitors in the next few days or so.  A friend from high school who is a Facebook friend messaged me recently to say that he and another classmate were thinking about coming down to Chattanooga and meeting up with a 3rd classmate who lives in Hendersonville, NC.   What was there to do in Alabama?  Depends on what you want to do, said I.  You bike, like music, want to hike?  Like the mountains or the coast better?

They might come down, they might not and I am not sure which day. Frank is supposed to call me.  I've not seen any of these guys since the mid 70's.  Bill went to my dad's church and even dated one of my roommates.  Steve, I don't know as I don't think we had any classes together and I only went to Lexington Community High School my senior year in the first place.   I know they planned on camping a few days anyway at Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA.  BUT we are currently experiencing some gas shortages due to a leak at a major trunk line from Houston through Alabama and on to Jersey.  They are doing a diversionary line but just how soon the work will be done and all stations back up to full delivery schedules is not clear.  He talked to me about this on Sunday or Monday evening as Steve had reported outages in Hendersonville already and it might change their plans.  Turns out we had some as well but we don't get a paper on Monday anymore and I was not aware.  There is a distribution center in Oxford just south of Anniston but they are obligated to deliver to the big vendors first and maybe not all grades of fuel either.

There is also the Lick Skillet Quilt show locally on Friday and Saturday.  Or I could go up to the Collinsville Quilt Walk if I had a mind to.  Bama plays Kent State but really early--not sure if I am going over to Paul's or not.  So far I've not been invited or he just figures I don't need an invite, just show up.  (Last week both he and Charlie asked if I was going.)  Sunday I could go to the Chamber music concert at one of the local churches.  Who knows what I might be doing?  I also lost that same crown that I had to have re-cemented in June.  I've got a call into the dentist and waiting for a call back.  I am not fond of waiting for the phone to ring, I am finding, and having all my plans up in the air!

I changed out the quilts on Monday to the fall variety.  Still need to hang that blind in my bedroom but not happening today.  Today I cleaned up all my thread mess and vacuumed up all the floors and spot mopped in the kitchen.  Did the laundry, ran the dishwasher, etc.   Poor Oscar was despairing if I was ever going to walk him this morning since I was working in my pj's and headed to the shower after I was done cleaning.  We went but it was noon before we did!  This afternoon I am just enjoying my reasonably cleaned up house and trying not to make a mess.   I'll either drag out my binding or read.  The bookmobile is next Tuesday and I am still not done with the first of three books!

And that is how my crazy life is going lately.  Old friends from high school popping up, old roommate going to my parents to get in touch with me on the phone, I may be possibly "dating" somebody but not sure how I feel about that---just nuts!