another finish/birthday dinner story

Another finish 8-10-2012 Friday p.m.  By the time we left for our supper at Outback Steakhouse I only had the last long side to go.  Looks pretty good on that Button Up base, doesn't it?

Funny story about our meal out.  Part of my reason for picking Outback for my birthday dinner was because we had some of the money left on a gift card that DJ's son and his family had given us for Christmas.  Well, that and the coconut shrimp, LOL.  I had encouraged him to take a trip down there for a good meal when I was on vacation but he didn't go.  I figured the remaining monies would pay for one of us and less money out of his pocket.  Tracy's birthday is just 5 days earlier than mine so between the two of us, the checkbook takes a hit.

I spotted a new addition to the menu---the coconut shrimp was offered with a sirloin steak of varying sizes along with two sides.  I proposed that we order that item, split the baked potato and let him pick the 2nd side (vegetable medley) and I would get a house salad.  I would eat the shrimp and he could have the 6 oz. steak which he felt would be plenty and give me a bite.  Tab would be around 17 bucks and add on the tax and tip, water with lemon was fine too. ( There was 17 bucks left on the card.  Cheap date!)

Well, fairly quickly someone came from the kitchen with a steak and baked potato and a plate of ahi tuna. In retrospect, too quickly really.  Not our waitress though.  UH, not our order---we asked for the sirloin steak with coconut shrimp combination.  He left the steak plate and took the tuna away.   DJ assumed he was supposed to have it.  It didn't occur to us that it was bigger than it should have been and half the meal was missing.  Yep, you got it.  It belonged to a couple sitting behind us.  DJ had already cut into it when the waitress announced the error.

Out came my salad.  He shared a couple bites of steak, we split the baked potato.  At some point out comes our original order.  All of it---another baked potato, the smaller sirloin, the vegetable medley and my shrimp. I guess we know what DJ will eat for lunch tomorrow now!  Two whole meals then for the cost of tax and a more generous than usual tip.  DJ said he felt bad about the waitress getting gypped out of tip for a 2nd meal because we had shared a plate.  As you get older you often don't have as much of an appetite so no doubt other couples do that or take half of it home.

I have guild today so will check back in a couple days-----------hope you are having a good weekend in whatever you chose to do.

How did this happen?

In a blink of an eye, it would seem I went from this---------

Age 2, maybe 3??

Age 6 in my paternal grandparents kitchen  

And this past October 2011 about to enter round number territory.  Hair is a bit longer but just as gray.  

My brother who will be passing this same threshhold in 16 months  asked me if I was going to celebrate this one or just let it go by.   I think maybe I am coming to terms with the fact that I am getting older----key word is maybe.  I didn't used to feel old---these days Mother Nature is making it abundantly clear that I am getting there, LOL, in spite of my wanting to will away the inevitable.  Happens to all of us, right?  

I don't want to hear any of that stuff about "any day above ground is a good day" or "better than the alternative" or "age is mind over matter---if you don't mind, it doesn't matter".  Just quit, okay?  Let me wallow in it a bit.  I'll give myself a talking to/pep talk later.  When I turned 30 I was almost despondent.  I wasn't married, had no children and I was sure it would have happened before then.   Double that number now and I am resigned to it.  I married too late to have kids---my life may or may not have turned out as I planned but it is the hand I was dealt.

I just received word last week that my old 7th grade crush was killed in as a result of injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash.  Mike was a good guy --- maybe he got to 60 and maybe he didn't.  Other friends have wrestled with serious illness and come out on the other side.  I have been fortunate not to have had near those problems.  What could I possibly be bellyaching about?   That is what I told my mom a few days ago.

Here is what else I decided is okay about birthdays.  I like birthday cake as long as I don't have to make it.  I like dinner out at a more upscale restaurant with my husband.  I like having a bit more spending money to support my quilting habit.  So yeah, I'll be the queen for a day because that is the only time I get away with being so self centered.   Happy Birthday to me!

_______________

So how am I spending my day so far?  About like any other so far.

I finished the long side of binding that remained from yesterday's binding binge.  I still want to hand quilt around the watermelon seeds but I need to get some black quilting thread and WM had everything but.

I baked another sheet cake----this time my old TNT Tex-Mex version.  (Yesterday was Peanut Butter Sheet Cake---new to me recipe).  Aline, Jane and I are the refreshment girls at Friendship Quilter's Guild tomorrow.  I baked the two cakes and prepped a veggie tray as my part of the deal.

This afternoon---more binding on the other wall hanging but DJ is taking me out to Outback Steakhouse.  I want some coconut shrimp though I think he will probably go for steak.  

I am going to go see if this "not a birthday" cake has cooled enough for me to put it up and er. test for quaility control purposes.    THX for stopping by

WIP Weds/check-in

What is a blog without pictures?  I've got a couple, LOL.

I quilted up the August Button Up on Monday afternoon and started on the "Faux Button Up" row quilt right after that but only got the first two rows and a little bit of the third one done before I hung it up for the night.  "The Closer" was on, after all and this next Monday is the series finale!    The binding still needs to be done on both wall hangings.  You still see pins in August because I am considering hand quilting around the melon seeds.

Tuesday, I finished up the row quilt, bound and labeled them both.   I realized that I did not have near enough information in my head to complete the label but was not entirely sure where I had put the journal notes that were passed around with it.  I knew all about the top three rows----I did the stars, Lauri from MD the flag,  Diane W from IN (who has since passed away) did the kitty, bowtie and log cabin blocks.  Cher did the butterfly and veggies row---my OR FAB pal of many years.   BUT it was not clear to me which row Jacquie from WA had done and who had done the 6th one??  What year was this anyway?  I should say that the piece was inspired by the Summer wall hanging in the Country Threads book from that patchwork place Quilt Shop Series way back in 1992.  Thankfully the girls did not slavishly follow the one in the book as I think their choices made it much more unique.  I didn't like parts of that piece anyway!

After throwing  picture up on Facebook, Jacquie posted that she thought it was from 2000 and she believed she had done the watermelons as she is not an applique aficionado.  Right on both counts!  I found the journal notes in the file cabinet along with the signature squares.  Off came the label that I had applied to it that had the wrong information and cross outs on it!  WOW, it is about time that this row robin get completed.  Of course I am thrilled that the piece is the same size as my other button ups so it can be used on the base just like the others.  I will not have to do up the June Button Up unless I want to----it is picket fence with tall flowers.   Meh.   Do the May basket, skip June, the July one is done.  Sounds good to me!

Here is the proper text with the sig squares pinned to it (the fan was blowing them away, LOL)  The green and white print is the reverse coloration of the backing I used.  These strips look like white on green while the backing was green on white. Blend-y though not a match.  I will piece the squares together to make a special label for the piece.  That is on today's "list"  Cutting fabric was as far as it got this morning as DJ needed me to go up to the license tag division at the Country Administration building and a few other errands along the way.

The other pile is the prototype for DJ's nighttime neck "brace" deal.  Coincidentally this yardage is what I used on the back of August.  I have plenty of fabrics but nothing I cared to cut into for this project.  Wrong color, floral or juvenile, headed to another project---you get the picture.  That job is also on today's "list" though I know I need to get some wide velcro on the next store run to finish the piece.

Before putting away my good and faithful servant Erik the Red I gave him a thorough cleaning inside and out the best I could anyway.  I re-positioned the sewing table and got out Brother Man though left him unplugged. I vacuumed up my stringy mess and even cleaned off the ceiling fan.  It is amazing how quickly a white fan can get dusty looking!  Yeah, I know---quir looking up!

Next up in the pictures for today----some more of my bday present.  Yeah, it isn't for a couple of days but who knew it would get here so quickly?  Boy, that DJ sure knows how to "shop", LOL.    Half yards of a bit more of the Vintage Modern for my Farmer's Wife Sampler.   Love, love that aqua and red combo.   I had ordered some half yards of a few selected pieces last month but my quilt will not be make entirely of the fabric line as I want a scrappy look in my 111 block sampler.  I may not have taken a picture of that stash acquisition when it came in.  Don't remember.   I am thinking that a stop for another snap lid stackable tote is going to take care of the remainder of my spend down, LOL.

My other selection----set M of Marti Michell's Perfect Patchwork Templates which is sized for a 12 inch finished block 5 x 5 grid.  I am pretty well set now and will use these on the Farmer's Wife Sampler.  Also since I love her 1 and 2 inch finished log cabin ruler so much I got the next smaller strip sized on which finishes at 3/4 inch and 1 1/2 inches.  

Here is the longer range plan----

• Finish up Popsicle Sticks ---roughly half done at this point.   Then I can raid whatever fabrics and strips that I want from that container.  It has not seen the machine since mid-Feb 2012 meaning it is fairly new UFO
• Start cutting for Farmer's Wife Sampler at least the first 10 blocks in whatever sequence I finally settle on---numerically by the book or by the conversion chart or how they are laid out in MY version.  
• Quit talking about it and get started on those blocks, will ya?!
• Finish up the Prairie Stroll top at the next Bama Belles meeting(s)---the blocks are done, after all.

Just noticed that is time for lunch and I have to pop it in the oven---best get off the computer and into the kitchen!  THX for stopping by.

blogging break? yes but vacation too

Looks like I took about a two week blogging break but it was for a very good reason! You see my mother was coming up on a milestone birthday, a round numbered one---she is a Flag Day baby.   This past Sunday was Father's Day as well.   I was going to get to be there for both but shhhhhh it was a secret.  There had been a lot of phone calls back and forth between my two sisters and I over the last month. One minute my sister Janet who lives in near Denver, Colorado was thinking about driving down to Alabama to see me with our mother---"what did I think?"   A few hours later my other sister Diane was calling to ask what I had planned for the 13th of June to the 19th!  She was getting me a ticket and I would be Mom's birthday present.  The return date was pushed back a day to get an earlier flight back to Atlanta but I was going to see my family.

Of course, I could not say ANYTHING about that on my blog---Mom reads it.  Janet swore Dad to secrecy but she would need him to make some excuse to pick her up at the airport on the Monday evening (the 11th).  It was his turn to keep that birthday celebration a surprise!  All kinds of truth bending going on once the plans were made.  The thing is that Mom had been asking me to come up for about two months now and even offered to help with the gas money.  She had been given quite a bit of fabric from a friend who was making room for some family to move it and the scraps were mounting again.  

Unfortunately someone back in Colorado kind of spilled the beans and called my parent's home looking for Janet.  Dad had already left for the airport so he could not beat her to the phone.  My two youngest nieces were playing ball at the Lexington field so Mom went up to see them play but the whole time had her eyes peeled for Janet and Dad as well as my sister-in-law.  One daughter home!

Then came Wednesday the 13th.  I swore the Belles to secrecy---say nothing on Facebook about have a good trip!!!  DJ and I left for Hartsfield fairly early in the morning and by 1 p.m. I was in Bloomington (BMI)  Janet and Diane had concocted a story about meeting for lunch at Avanti's when really she was to pick me up.  I told them I didn't care what story they made up but I WAS going to have a Gondola---we took some back for our supper, LOL.  After running a couple errands, ordering a birthday cake at Sam's etc we went on up to my folks.  Janet pulled over about two blocks from their home just in case Mom was looking out the window---she would see only one driver and in I would walk.  Mom was napping by the time we got there.  Just about the time I was going to go to her room and ask if she was going to sleep the whole day away she entered the living room where Dad, Jan and I were visiting.  She was speechless and started crying.  2nd surprise for the week!

Janet had been knitting a baby blanket----remember that one that she had asked me to help figure out the pattern a few months back, shown HERE?   Somewhere along the line after viewing some of Mom's donation quilts she mentioned something about making a boy quilt just in case.  Well, you don't have to ask Mom and I twice!    That is a bit like waving a flag in front of a bull, LOL.  Janet sews and has made a few small pieces but she would need our guidance.  We were off digging in the fabric bins, shopping Elsie's Quilt Shop and once she settled on a focus fabric the other go-with's fell into place.  Janet cut it out and we had three machines going-- like Elsie's Sweat Shop---by 10 pm we had a Naptime top done minus borders. 

I thought I had a picture of the finished up all the way open but here is Jan quilting up her boy quilt a few days later.  I had gotten her started by threading up the machine, winding bobbins and doing/demo'ing a few lines but she did all the rest.  Mom and I had said we would finish up what she did not get done but a few hours before her flight left on Monday she was trimming it up.   I should also tell you that Jan and Mom had teamed up before I got there and had the bindings machine stitched down on 7 or 8 donation quilts.  She also had a pile of tops to pin,  We did those over the next few days including of course, Janet's quilt.  8 or 9 of them.

Thursday, her actual birthday was fairly low key.  My dad had a long planned meeting about a hour away so we girls took off for the Peace Meal site for lunch. I made a lemon icebox cake for her since she loves lemon desserts--no true birthday cake yet.  My mom used to be the site coordinator and Dad does the home delivered meals and helps fill in for the coordinator so they both support the program.   They gave her a lovely Knockout rose bush!   Janet had dinner plans with some friends who also live in Lexington.  Mom and I went up to the quilt group meeting at the Community Center.  Some of the gals who were in the group when I was still living in IL are still members.  They were sewing Christmas stockings for the military that evening.  I sat down to talk to one of the gals and told mom that I should have brought her Jem up to help instead of working on my basket stitchery.  Mom ran back to the house to get it.  Eloyce and I sewed our way through all the cut out fleece cuffs that will be applied to them.  Once done they go to State Farm to be filled and shipped out.  Eloyce was going to give me a lift back to the house since Mom was going to go on home but I turned around and she was chatting with someone else.  See?  Even on vacation, I am stitching!!

Friday we had told Mom we were going out for Girl's Day Out at the tea room in Clinton where my sister Diane lives.  What she did not know was others in the family were coming as well!   Here is the La Tea Da!  The parking was behind the building and the others were waiting as we approached.  We got her again---hugs all around.  We had told her earlier that her boys would be coming on Saturday.  By that time we were getting a good bit of "is it true that________?"  Who could you trust with all the whoppers or sins of omission we had been committing?

And here is the whole gang------thanks to our waitress who took the picture.  Note the birthday girl's tiara?

Seated from left,  Kristine, her mother/my sister Diane, me, my niece Allison, my twin nieces Elizabeth and Laura, Mom.   Standing behind us my sister Janet and my sister-in-law Jen.

Diane had made a lovely raspberry white chocolate cheesecake for dessert so we had gone back to her house.  Even her little long hair chihuahua pup Izzie was dressed for the occasion in her party dress!

Laura with Izzie and Elizabeth with her sister and litter mate Lexie--minus clothing at that point.  Even Kristine's puppy Sydney was getting into the dress-up deal with a sun dress on, LOL.

This was a busy weekend for Kristine and her husband as they had just closed on their first home on Thursday evening---and the occupant was still in the house at 9 p.m!!  Short sale 7 months in the making.  They had to be out of their apartment by Sunday night.  Lots of work to be done.

We went home to make a few dishes for the meal at Jen and Phil's lovely home for Saturday and picked up the cake on the way back from Clinton.    My brother Phil was away at Boy Scout camp in Canada with my nephew John, his last time since he will soon be turning 18.  John recently made Eagle Scout!   Diane had given Mom a new digital camera since she was still using my old sony that used floppy discs---some of these were taken with new camera.  Lessons ensued over coming days in how to use it and get at the contents.  Janet was working with Dad on scanning some of the older family pictures that will eventually be made up into discs for the siblings.  Some computer help was given by both Janet and I. 

Front row:  sister Janet, Mom and Dad, the hostess with the mostest my sister-in-law Jen
Back row: my BIL Rick standing next to my sister Diane his wife. Me, my brother Steve.  (Wife Jan was dog sitting her two dogs and her bosses dog so stayed in TN)  My sister-in law Ann with my brother Dave

 grandparents with the grands who were present
Mom and Dad surrounded by Laura, Beth, Rose, Ted, Allison and Elizabeth. (We were missing 6 of the grands)

By Sunday afternoon Phil and John were back from Canada.  Jen invited us back over and her parents were there as well to celebrate Father's Day.   Monday evening Janet was boarding the plane back for Colorado and Allison picked me up to take me to Schooner's for burgers and onion rings----yummo!  And we pinned that pile of quilts on Monday and Tuesday.  Jan quilted,  Mom and I pinned.

Here is what followed me home though Diane is mailing a box of blacks and abandoned blocks-------

This combo is straight out of the boxes Mom has on the table in the family room-----I am going to cut out and kit a couple of Prairie Stroll tops for us, one for me and one for her.

And this stuff should work for my Farmer's Wife Sampler------

---------------------
Since I have been home and unpacked there was the usual laundry and errands to run, paperwork and mail to deal with.  I also was shuffling my fabric containers around, replacing about 6 of them with 4 snap lock 20 qt models.  I had to make some room for the recent acquisitions and re-organized some of the mess in the closet as well.   I filled two of them right back up----one for the paint chip challenge and the other, the Farmer's Wife stuff.  I also re-arranged the design wall but I'll post that later.  I finished the egg basket stitchery that I had been working on intermittently but more on vacation.  Read two books too.

DJ and I had to take my 606 New Balance shoes back to Kohl's for exchange as they were already wearing out in the same spot on both shoes, right worse than the left.  I had kept up my walking while I was back and bumped up the distance---till I got another blister on the left heel.  I figured I only had about 18-20 hours use of them. DJ was discouraging me from getting another pair just like it but those things are comfortable on my foot, if you discount the blisters.  Part of that may have been for walking out in the woods with rubbing sandals when John took us out to see his primitive campsite setup that was his Eagle Scout project. 

While I was away he had started to try to replace my drippy bathroom faucet but with the long water lines complications, he called in Lowe's to finish the job.  I think this will be a lot easier to keep clean since it had the single lever and no faucets with grooves.   He also got himself fitted for a hearing aid that we picked up on Friday while on our errands.  Hopefully this will help the decibel level of the TV that drives me bats.  He had picked up his new glasses post cataract surgery but those were transition lenses and he decided bifocals would be a better option.  Lastly, the dishwasher repair guy was back out to replace that danged gasket which keeps falling out.  He and Skyler held down the fort.  He is still caulking some siding cracks, priming and painting in the back of the house---ongoing project. 

Yesterday I was essentially down in bed----it started with a scratchy throat on Friday and I knew I was probably going to be in trouble.  That how it always starts.  Yep, I got a head cold, cough, drippy nose--bad headache.  Same thing happened that last time I flew------hmmmmm.  At least I have remained upright today and feel some better.  The closest I got to anything quilty the last few days is just some drawing in EQ and filing away some patterns. 

I guess that is about it for this post----------thanks again to Diane for getting me the ticket home and to my parents for putting Janet and I up at the house.  Love you guys.

FAB--ulous Bday

I tell you, I have some FAB-ulous friends, local ones and long distant ones. Truly a blessing to me in more ways than you will ever know.

This year we 5 FAB friends are taking turns celebrating our birthdays with one another in a virtual format. Probably the hardest part is gathering 5 busy women in one spot long enough. Since we also planned to sew, Saturday was best. But first I got to open those presents that had been arriving at my house all week. Wanna see what these talented pals made for me? These did not post in the order that I opened them but that's okay, I guess.

Here we have a bag made by Pam out of my (our) beloved 30's prints. The pattern is in a past issue of "Quilts and More". I know this because I had plans to make one and have the magazine. I had admired one that she made one before---she called it a diaper bag, LOL. This is the back side. Tons of interior pockets in there!

Pam suggested that I put something in the bottom to stiffen it up a bit. I have just the thing----a piece of acrylic she had cut for us some time back for another purse project. It is the perfect width. It is cut about a half inch short but once a slip cover is made for it, it will be fine! I have some of the Connecting Threads "Mama's Cotton" yardage so I can probably even match the flavor of the purse.

And look at this cutie front! Itty bitty prairie points, dimensional yo-yo's and cool buttons! She made a matching wonder wallet as well.

Cher sent the cute kitty card with some "seed money" for a trip back to the PNW. Sister's maybe and/or we all go up to BC to see our pal Norma?? Life happenings got in the way of a homemade gift and time ran out but she sent something for me to open anyway. What a sweetie!

Look what Pat made for me! She had told me earlier this summer that she was considering making me a button-up wall hanging to go with the ones I am making and asked which ones I liked. I forget what I said other than maybe August's and I liked the "My Cat" one. Source: Joined at the Hip and then scroll down to BU #25. I love that she personalized it to make the cat look like my tuxedo kitty Skyler. The groups of 5 fish is significant too along with some of the fabrics.

You might be wondering "what's with those clips at the top?" I had suggested if she made a button up to just leave the top edge open and let me put in the loops so they would match up with my button placement. I just pinned it on the base so I could see how it was going to look.

That explains the little bag of goodies in this next shot. Unfortunately I didn't see the note to open it last of the three wrapped packages but it all made sense once I did what I was told. Open the long skinny one instead, LOL

Pat sent the yardage to make the loops for the Skyler hanging as she was not sure if I preferred them to be turned loops or how you do purse straps. I got the leftover thread and buttons along with the leftover cutie blue 30's print that she made to cover the thermos bottle she sent. Going green with a thermos bottle instead of more plastic for the landfill. Notice the lovely hand made cards as well.

And here are my goodies from Norma! She made me a mug pinafore to organize the sewing tools---from 30's prints. Designed by a Canadian designer and I think she said a pattern distributed at a shop hop.

Next to it, you see a mug carrier, also in 30's blue. Again, a "go-green" idea for quilt guild meetings where you use your own mugs instead of plastic or stryofoam cups. There are pockets all around it too so I put some single serving drink mix packets in there along with stirring spoon, a packet of gum. Norma said she also sticks her guild name tag in hers so she is never without it at the meeting. Good idea! She found the pattern in a Australian quilting magazine.

The other goodies----yummo, coffee crisp bites. Love 'em and as far as I know you cannot get them in the States. The birthday card also contains a violet applique wall hanging pattern. She sent me a few novelties for my long term "I-Spy" project along with a Quiltmaker CD with some quilting patterns. The yardage has three kinds of candy on it---jelly beans, dots and another Canadian favorite candy Allsorts. Basically it is black licorice with other flavors added to it-----that I can find at one of the local Rite Aids, surprisingly.

From there we moved on to the sewing portion of the party. . Pam was also working in a patriotic theme for hers alternating red and blue strips---her top is completely done as of last evening and I saw the picture of it. Norma was working in a fall theme and has told me she is close to done. Pop on over to her spot and she may have it posted. Cher was working with yellow strips we sent her for her granddaughter's "yellow quilt " but making it more her quilt than the pattern shown. Pat had tried the pattern once and didn't care for it so I told her she didn't have to make one like this. She re-purposed her strips into an Amish Stripe instead. She shows her starts of the blocks on her blog a couple posts back---see link above.

Pictured of course is mine. At that point I had all but the last 8 strips at last joined in pairs and laid out on the bed. I have since finished up the pairs and some of them are joined---"twosies to foursies". The lower 1/3 of the quilt is sitting on my pressing/cutting table. It shouldn't take too long to finish up as those seams only took me about 30 minutes including pressing.

We have some lightning rolling in so I may need to wait to power up the machine. First rain we have had around here for a while. Unfortunately DJ was doing a little raking out in the spare lot while there was some cloud cover and burning the stuff on the burn pile----yard waste, the old mail box post, the boards DJ just removed from the shrub area out front that we want to re-do. I think he got a little wet on the way back to the house.

And sew it goes around here-----thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday

Yep, another one has rolled around but I feel like I have been celebrating for a week, with more to come.

The quilting group met yesterday back in our usual location. My pal Marilyn was able to come to the meeting and I had offered to pick her up. She made me a birthday cake! It is easy for her to remember what day as her son and I share it but Ronnie was getting a cheesecake. I got chocolate cake with yummy icing and purple flowers! You will just have to imagine what it might have looked like since we cut into at the meeting and I told the girls to take some home if they wished.

The girls were also so sweet to give me some bday spending money. I feel funny being singled out this way since we don't celebrate every one else's bdays in the same manner even if I am the group leader. Still, it is kind of them to do this for me. I will have to give some thought to how I will use this gift.

I thought my friend Teresa might be joining us for lunch so we did a sandwich run and went back to eat at the church in case she made it. There are 8 of us with bdays spanning from May to September so next time, we will be off to Olive Garden to celebrate those summer bdays for sure! Not that we need much of an excuse to go to Olive Garden, LOL.

Monday, I had taken some small appliances over to the thrift store. You may remember my saying that I subscribe to the theory of "something in, something out"? 4 in 1 grill in so electric fry pan, etc out. I had to drive around to the back of the building for the guys to unload my car and I spotted their exercise equipment back there. DJ's exercise bike is missing a few teeth in the gears and is probably not long for this world so I told him I would check and see if they had some at the thrift store while there. Nothing, at this time that looked like a possibility.

BUT they had a little TV for $25 bucks that had a far better picture than mine. As you can see above, we didn't come home empty handed. Part of my bday on the "spend down" bday money plan. I can't have too big of a set in here as space is limited so this is perfect. We totally forgot to ask where its remote was but any universal remote would work if you can get a code to enter according to brand. Don't really have to have a remote for the set in any case but for set color, brightness, etc.

Bless the tech support at DISH for walking me through the set up! You just can't plop in another TV and expect it to run--- silly me! They needed to have me pull up an on screen menu, scroll left and right, up and down manually with the channel and volume buttons to auto program in some channels plus give me a code for the remote. I am back in business with a nice sharp clear picture. I am pretty sure now that the DVD player is what is causing the intermittent picture cut out, not the rest of the set up. I don't need the closed captioning but I cannot figure out how to shut it off. That option is grayed out on the DISH programming menus and I don't see it listed on the Magnavox menu screen options. Oh well! The old TV? To the thrift store or there is a chance Marilyn's mom might want it.

Saturday the FABs and I will have my virtual bday party gathering on IM so I can open the quilty gifts they have made me. Pam and Cher have had their turn. I'm in the middle. Pat and Norma both have fall birthdays. One tantalizing package is already here, waiting and the others are on their way. I should give the mail person a "heads up" as she is going to be pulling in the drive and honking a lot this week, LOL. THEN we are going to sew together! Project: Skinny Strips that I recently finished kitting up. Should be fun!

Now you can see why I said in the opening statement that I have been partying all week with more to come? DJ and I will go out for lunch in a bit at a place of my choosing---and eat more of that yummy chocolate cake.

I plan to sew a bit on my Disappearing 4 patch today. I made enough blocks last evening to finish out the 4th row--24 blocks, in other words and joined into rows. I am currently 1 block short of two rows (11 blocks) for the bottom two rows---the duplicate blocks that are pieced. LOL, if I had not been recording one program and wanting to watch the season finale of "White Collar" I would have kept sewing and might joined rows 3 and 4 and then joined them to rows 1-2. Neal and Peter won out!

And sew it goes around here---------

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.............