check-in

It has been a busy week and not entirely a quilting/sewing drought.

•  I got the blocks done for the retreat and turned them in to the retreat organizer yesterday at the JOY meeting. I'll share pictures of those AFTER the retreat.   
• I drew up my Quatrefoil quilt idea in EQ and then with the print out to visualing aid me mapped out my cutting directions in a document.
• When I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep for over an hour early Tuesday morning, I got up and cut the quilt out, sashing, cornerstones, binding the whole deal.   Then I went back to bed at 6 and slept till 8 or so.  Read: till Skyler insisted I get up to feed him.

• Connecting Threads still had some of the Symphony of Blue fabric left and at a reduced rate though not quite the same shade as what I used to back this little valence I made for the master bedroom.  I had been hanging a couple of towels off the tension rod to block the across the road neighbor's constantly on garage flood lights.  One light is hidden behind a too fall foundation evergreen but the other shines right through the cord holes of the mini blind right in your face.  I thought I could do a little better than that for the nights I sleep in there or it is used as the guest room.  The fabric arrived on Wednesday and I got to work that afternoon.  It is not my best sewing though it does lay a little better than this picture makes it look.  I put quilter's dream poly batting in there which is like a thermolam weight and tried to "birth it"  That has NEVER been a good technique for me but hey!  The light is blocked and it is color coordinated!  Easily taken down and put back up in the evening

• Tuesday afternoon I went over to the little sewing group at the church near me and marked all 96 of the little squares for doing flippy corners on the pointy section of the Quatrefoil quilt.  Have I been able to sit down and sew on them?  No, but I had other fish to fry or I would have.

I totally forgot that it was the end of the month and I still have to do the newsletter for just a couple more months.  You see, everyone was at their retreat at Shocco Springs when I should have sent out the reminder.  I thought I better wait till after their 3 days away.  But no one sent a reminder to ME that hey, it is due around the first of the month!   I had been piddling around with that off and on for 3 days and just sent it along.

Then there is doing this update on one computer and that backup on another.  I am still trying to figure out how to connect up this notebook with the desktop in homegroup but obviously have left a step out or it is the difference in the two platforms between 10 and Vista.  I'll keep emailing and attaching myself what needs to be printed, I guess, till I figure it out.   Both HP products so you would think it would be possible.

It has been damp and occasionally raining or that annoying spitting stuff.  I walked in it yesterday and didn't get too wet but ugh, the humidity.  This morning it was outright raining and I stayed home.  Little measurable rainfall in the gauge though.  I guess there is a cold front coming in across the Plains as we are expecting some lows in the 50's for a few nights but there is some impact of Hurricane Joaquin too.  Whatever, it has kept it overcast and moist all week, in the 70's.  The temps dropped down to about 72 in the house last night and the air is off as it was not running set as high as I set it.  Nice!  It is a little early to see much change in the trees and shrubs though it is subtly coming in.  The dogwood leaves are dully in color,  The ones that shed early on the lane are doing so.  The kudzu is definitely done or slowed down. 

And there are the usual household chores, critter responsibilities, walking, errands etc that keep me hopping.  I'm always washing something or somebody!   I am more of  a mind to cook or bake, you know the heartier winter type fare like beef stew or chili?  

Some month end paperwork needs a bit of attention so I'll move along now.  That and Oscar keeps coming back in the kitchen, planting himself at my feet like he wants my attention and whimpering because I am not taking the bait.   Not raining now so maybe we just need to walk.

THX for stopping by--------

an idea, maybe

I think this might work.

These fabrics from the last post and what I am calling my "Ellen Challenge" using WTIL donated fabric from Fabric Traditions.  Others have received other fabric bundles from what their group posts have said.  I look forward to seeing what they come up with.

So I'm thinking that the Quatrefoil block from Missouri Star Quilt Company will work just fine though I have yardage instead of pre-cuts.  I think that is preferable as there will be less waste with what I have available.

Ellen sent about 2 yards of the floral and approximately a yard of the two contrasting prints.  I'll need one or two more colors for contrast and a bunch of background.  This is do-able.   I'll do it up in EQ in a minute to get it Wrap 'Em target sized or larger.  Kids DO come in all sizes.  This will verify how many 4 patch strips to cut and just how many background strips to cut for the 4 patches.  Jennie said 9 but not sure if that covered 8 flippy corners per block.

Okay, I think I have come to a decision and am NOT waffling and changing my mind looking for the next "squirrel" to distract my attention, LOL.  Trust me, it happens----a lot.  I may not be sewing much lately but I do think about it, a lot, too much.

Oscar logged about 4 hours of outside time yesterday afternoon and I got most of the two deadline blocks completed.  You'll have to take my word for this as I cannot share any pictures of them until after the retreat next month.  The 6 inch fall (not Halloween) block is done.  The 12 inch Quilt of Valor block is almost done, just have to join the sections (4 short seams).  I chose to foundation piece both of them for accuracy but the QOV choice was mostly because of the odd sizes I would have had to cut the components.  9 divisions does not divided evenly into the requested 12 inch finished.  If I were to ever make one of these again, I would go with 1 1/2 inch strips and let it finish at 13.5.  Far easier than so many 16th's of any inch, right?

 I'll carve out a little sewing time after Oscar goes to bed or heads outside for awhile.  It looks like it might rain any minute so I doubt he is heading out anytime soon.  Besides, he is conked out on the floor near my feet here on the couch.  Meanwhile, Skyler is napping up the pass through up high.  In the evening, his go to spot is the end of the coffee table since I put down the fall leaf table runner on it.  There or the couch arm by "my" spot.

None of us got a whole lot of sleep last night though I logged about 4 hours early on. Oscar woke me up around 3 whimpering in his bed.  Thinking he needed to potty or didn't feel well, I let him go out.  He cleaned up what was left in his food bowl, drank a bunch of water, may or may not have done his business.  I was out with Oscar on the patio in my pjs  Actually it was kinda nice out there.  Cooler than in the house, breeze blowing.  We tried again.  He didn't go back to sleep, Skyle rwas roaming around  because I was roaming around. I did not get back to sleep though trust me, I tried. By then it  was about 4:15.  Whimpering and whining, again or still?  Repeat all the above but minus the food and water.  This trip, he was barking out there and I will not have him disturbing the neighborhood.   I still couldn't back to sleep and had switched to the master bedroom trying to drown out the LOUD cricket chirping sounds from outside, in the crawl space and the front bushes.  The air return sort of accentuates the noise and it is right outside my bedroom.  In spite of a closed door and window, the noise is in stereo.  Meanwhile, Skyler managed to worm himself into the master bedroom and commences to scratch, lick, groom himself.   Not conducive to sleep.  I bailed again for my own bed though this time Oscar was back to sleep and Skyler got the master bed all to himself.  It is 5:30 by then.  THX to some Motrin and exhaustion, I finally awakened at 10:15 having achieved the elusive "cool, dark and quiet" in spite of those darned crickets.  How cold does it have to get to kill off this year's crop of crickets anyway???

Worse still is this has not been an isolated incident.  I've strung a couple of "can't get to sleep in the first place" night together lately.  Friday night it was whining dog, those darned crickets and topped off by the low battery beeping of the carbon monoxide/gas detector thing. I had no idea that there was a battery even in there as DJ put the thing up on the advice of someone who came to service the furnace and ducts.   I only knock the thing off on the floor periodically when vacuuming in the hallway.  Always says "O" but that is a good thing, LOL.  Anyway, I'm thinking that the noise from notification beeps is what woke Oscar in the first place as it hurt his ears.  Hurt mine and humans are no where near the hearing capabilities of dogs and cats.  I unplugged it and took the battery out till I could hunt for a new one come light of day.  I hope we all have an easier night of it tonight.  SIGH

I see some reading ahead as a book is available now from a camellia dot (net) hold the Joanne Fluke Christmas bundle of Sugar Cookie Murder, Candy Cane Murder, Plum Pudding Murder and Ginger Cookie Murder.   I finished Catherine Lloyd's Death Comes to the Village yesterday which the librarian had recommended.  There is one other book on epub that I get for only a week more and a half finished library book to read as well.   Good thing I read fast, LOL?

Hope you are enjoying your weekend----thx for stopping by.

this and that

It has been raining fairly steadily today, not hard or stormy but enough to keep Oscar and I inside a good bit. It is also staying cool enough to shut off the a/c and open some windows though I had to check periodically that it was not raining IN. I finally was able to walk him about an hour ago though I had taken him out on the leash to try to get him to do his business a couple of times.  All he wants to do is sniff for whatever dog, cat or varmit might have been in the front bushes and head back in the muddy ground back by the bedrooms--like a blood hound!  A laid back day here.


I had hoped to be sewing on the required retreat blocks that I must get done by the end of the month! With Oscar IN the house I should have gotten started yesterday, in retrospect.  What stopped me?  Well, I had some things to tend to in the kitchen for one and that took longer than anticipated, mostly due to critter interference. 

 True to form, the minute I am busy in the kitchen and my back is turned, my naughty dog kept heading over to the gate and trying to get it open with his nose.  I told you it does not latch properly due to installation error so I bungee cord it closed.  He managed to get his entire head stuck in the gate but was not barking or crying yet when I caught him.  I got a heavy duty cord out and stuck the first one down lower and I don't think he'll be able to do that again

The 2nd deterrent, these fabrics (above) arrived in the mail.  Ellen our Wrap Them in Love leader had gotten some donation fabrics and scraps from  Fabric Traditions for our use in making quilts for kids.  Ellen offered them to our yahoo group if we wanted to participate and accept this challenge.  I figure I need something to light my fire plus I do have to have something to work on at the upcoming quilt retreat and/or quilt meetings or sew with the small group on Tuesday afternoon.  When I first saw it, my mind went to a possibility of an e-pattern I know I had bought.  I may have printed it up but maybe not so I was looking for the file.  That got to be far more involved than it should.  I've got the notebook backed up with the files from the desktop, or so I thought, but a few must have slipped through the cracks.  The desktop is so danged slow or has so much stuff running in the background all the time that you do well to turn it on and come back in a hour if you expect to use it---or print.  UGH!   I've got to look into a wireless printer some day.  Eventually with a different search of the pattern name, I was able to track down an old email and the designer did allow the file to be downloaded up to three times from the email link.   I may not use it now but it was my first gut reaction of an idea when I first looked the fabrics.  I even spotted a few fabrics that go with it as we are allowed to add whatever we want to it to make up something.  Ellen said she will quilt the top and they sort of set a deadline of November 1st so pictures of what we made can be sent on the the fabric company as a "thank you" for their generosity.  I have a couple other thoughts, LOL,,,,,and will get started AFTER those blocks are done.


I DID finally come to a decision of what to make for the 12 inch QOV themed block and the 6 inch fall themed block.  The patterns are printed up.  Some of the fabric is pulled but not rough cut.  I'll foundation piece them for size accuracy and I like the technique.  I even found one that Lois might like to do and printed it up for her from EQ.   I had taken the notebook with me to Belles earlier in the week and was still trying to come to a decision and was sharing some options I found in my files.  If not for her QOV, then maybe down the line as we were supposed to try to keep our blocks a secret.    See, you will have to take my word for it when I tell you I finished them.  I can't share pictures of them till AFTER the retreat!

There were only three of us at Belles.  We didn't stay too long since we knew the others would not be coming but it was nice to visit with Lois and Bev anyway.  Yes, I remembered which day I was supposed to show up, LOL.  I will never live down missing it earlier in the month.    Bev made this little chatelaine for me as a late birthday gift.  Cute, huh?  It has all the cute Bev touches too with the ribbon roses.  I don't know if the little pocket for a thimble showed up in this shot or not.

Lois, meanwhile, had recently returned from a trip to the Midwest and while gone, she and her husband visited Hamilton, MO and Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I think she was on sensory overload with all the lovely things in stock.  All that stuff and she didn't find anything for herself but she picked up some charm packs of things she knew her quilting buddies would love.  I had my choice of two 30's packs and picked the "Walk in the Park" from Maywood Studios, that you see above,  Marilyn got the other one as we both love 30's prints and she is making the Emily's Wedding Quilt from Fons and Porter with 30's repros.  You can download the "Aunt Gracie's Garden" pdf file there as I don't want to direct link it from here.

I love iced coffee and recently found an article in the Parade "Community Table" newsletter on how to make an easy cold brew coffee using a French Press.  They were inexpensive so I ordered one through walmart.com.  You can make up to 4 cups of hot coffee in this one as well as brew tea.   I'm going to ditch the coffeemaker and the iced tea maker and lessen up the counter space grab.  Shown is the cocoa attachment in place and before I tried using it.  I've done the cold brew and made a yummy sugar free pumpkin spice latte so far but will wait to try that frother thing for the cocoa till it is cooler outside.  The link will take you to Christy Jordan's recipe and video for making this delicious fall themed taste treat.  No electricity or batteries required either.  No filters required either.

The "new to me" recipe I tried this week was Two Peas and Their Pods "Cilantro Lime Rice" which was quite good.  I know some people cannot do cilantro because it tastes like soap to them but regular parsley would also work.  They suggest making it in a saucepan but I used my rice steamer and should have cut a tad on the liquid as I had to drain off the extra broth-water mix.  I then did a layered rice bowl deal as I had some fire roasted corn and black beans I had leftover from another use.  I shared one with my neighbor Miss Katherine as I had to get an onion from here when I found my only one on hand was bad.  Cook so little lately.  However, the cooler weather makes me want to be out in the kitchen more.  I see some loaves of zucchini  bread on my horizon, LOL.

Not much else going on.  The usual really:  walking, laundry and other household tasks.   Dortha had suggested the "tea shop mysteries" by Laura Childs and it looks like the Anniston Public Library has the whole series.  I checked out the first three and have read two and am half way through the third.  THX Dortha!  The librarian had a few other suggestions and I've got them all written up in a document so I can track them--whether the library has copies or go through camellia.net or Kindle. To break up my Monday, I had a doctor's appointment the other day but that was just followup from the colonscopy I had clear back in early July.  Yeah, I'm fine.   Come back in 5 years.   Oh, goodie!  The days go quickly and the next thing I know, it is time to go to bed though I am having problems getting to sleep lately.   I don't know which is worse--waking up the middle and staying awake for a few hours or not getting to sleep in the first place.  Frustrating.

THX for stopping by to see me----------hope you have a good weekend ahead.

Creeping up on Fall

 Does it seem possible that this could be the 17th of September already?  Month is half over and the next thing you know it will be officially Fall.  The computer tells me that the Autumnal Equinox is in one week. September 23rd.  We have been flirting with the idea of Fall a bit with a few recent nights down in the 50's.  Believe it or not, but I put a cotton blanket on the bed and even pulled the quilt up by morning!  Part of that was because the over head fan was on but still!  I was enjoying the huddling up under the quilt and not having to hit the deck quite so early to go walk my laps.

Now however, my new indoor/outdoor thermometer says it is 86 out.  My weather app on the phone says it is 82.  Who knows?  The old one was stuck in centigrade mode on the receiver outside but my BC pal Norma said to just double it and add 30 degrees and roughly that is Fahrenheit.  I'll take her word on that one!  All I can tell you is that I had to use a chart like everyone else in the old nurse days when we were forced to use a Centigrade electronic thermometer with those disposable sheaths.  37.0 was 98.6 and 39.0 C meant someone had a fever of 102!!

Well, even with brand new batteries in it the receiver in the living room was stalled on straight lines.  I could go outside and do the conversion thing but why?  I even took it apart thinking maybe it too had a battery but no.  All that happened is the buttons on the back fell out.  I priced them on the next trip to the store and I'm back in business.  At least the new unit is larger, heavier and less likely to hit the deck like the last one we had for umpteen years.

So the critters are obviously sun bathing a bit.  Skyler got first dibs as well, it IS his house and Oscar was the "Johnny Come Lately" as he had been up on the couch napping next to me.

 Skyler is sort of back to tracking the sun in the house though he is still not using his perch in the back of the house.  I was able to shut off the a/c a few days ago and he spent hours up on the bedroom perch in front of the opened window.   Mornings would still find him him on the "top rack" on Oscar's padded top crate.

I caught him stetching in this one.  Cats are hard to get to hold still and take a picture!  Oscar is too for that matter, as he is always wanting to nose in and see what you are doing.

Oscar is being a good boy since the new gate went up.  However, twice now when I have been in the kitchen the little booger has apparently been trying to get the gate open with that nose.  I can hear it clanging a bit but the bungee cord will only allow it to budge an inch or so, not enough for him to squeeze through.  He really watches as I go in and out or if I open the cat door for Skyler watching to be sure that he doesn't come running while I'm doing it.  Skyler jumps over it with ease but sometimes I am standing there and he's giving me the password "MEOW".

It has been a little busier week for me since I last posted.  I did the town Heritage Day as I planned.  Jane, Aline and I went to our friend's home for the visitation the same day.  Sunday afternoon we went to see the matinee performance of "Anything Goes" as we planned.  What fun there!  Pure escape-- quite entertaining.

Tuesday afternoon I attempted to sew.  I may have told you this but some of my quilting friends and some of their friends have been going to a church near here to sew on Tuesday afternoons.  Aline and Jane had invited me and I just pulled something off the shelf to sew some strip sets for a "Twin Sisters" donation quilt.  I first found the technique in one of the Eleanor Burns books---Still Stripping After 25 Years I think??  Kind of neat in that you get a two block deal about the strip set, positive coloration and a negative one.  Lois has made a lot of these with 2 1/2 inch scrappy strips and the blocks finish smallish at 5 inches maybe?   I had kitted up some brightly colored  3 1/2 inch strips and the two blocks I had done in the kit finished at 8 inches.  Bigger blocks, bigger quilt or less blocks to hit the target range though they WILL be sashed.  The technique leaves you with bias edges on the outside of the blocks if you use the book or follow the sort of tutorial on THIS POST from Vrooman Quilts.

However, sewing did not go so well.  First, even though I had brought my Jem accessories I had gone off without my quarter inch foot.  I don't live far from where we were sewing so I ran home to get it off the New Home that is set up on the sewing table.  BUT the Jem was not sewing well and had big time tension issues.  I sewed a total of two half WOF strips in effect and had to re-sew them.  I kept stitching moving up and down the tension dial and never did get a nice balanced stitch.  Get the bobbin thread right and the top looked awful and the top would get passable and then the bobbin threads were looping.  Aline said her Jem was at about 5 but no good on mine.  I came home after about an hour and half of frustration.  I have other machines, of course and the New Home is similar to the Jem.  Normally it rides in my car with the strip plugs, thread stand so I could sew anywhere I go away from home.  I even have a bag packed up that I can just grab with the thread catcher, sewing tools and machine needles.  Grab a tote and I'm ready.  One assumes the machine will cooperate though.  Color me sad.

Soon I have got to make a 12 inch red/white/blue Quilt of Valor block and a 6 inch fall (not Halloween) block for that retreat.  The organizer wants them by the first JOY meeting on October 1st.  To that end I did spend some time looking at possible fall things in my quilt software.  That looking led to renaming an entire file folder of downloaded projects to a uniform naming system (all over the map!)  so I could find things a bit easier, plus name them something besides "2015_09" and what the project might be.  If you spot, "2015_09 Fall Frolic" then it is possible to see your theme a tad easier than just opening the file, the old way.  I printed off something I think might work and it might be a bit different than what the others might use.

The QOV though??  The plan is that eventually they will be able to be combined in one or more quilts and then donated.  I bet most people will do some sort of star. I still need to track down something I had seen on craftsy or etsy that I had thought might be a possibility--and is most definitely NOT a star.  Not that I have anything against stars, I do like them but I like other blocks better.  We are already being limited by the color choices and theme does lend itself to stars, patriotic things.  I'm going to see what BlockBase has that might work.  Maybe this weekend I can squeeze in some sewing time.

The rest of the time it is has been housework, laundry, errands, walking (up to 2.48 and 2.8 miles now) and still reading.  I just got done reading an e-loan Joanne Fluke book and got recipes from the library book Fluke book I had checked out  entered in my quilting software.  The e-books I can do a screen snap shot.  Amazingly, I found Blackberry Pie Murder online at any-read dot net.  (there may be something you are looking for there so pop on over.)  This helped in getting the recipes over to the software or at least a bit less typing when it came to the directions part though I had to do a lot of editing with the spacing on the website.  I found it was easier to just enter and type the ingredients part using the library book for reference rather than copy/paste the whole deal.  Mastercook is good in that you only have to type a few letters and you can usually pull it from the menu and then it is just the amount and a letter or two for the measurement  like "te--teaspoon"  " ta--tablespoon" and c for cup.   That kept me busy for a couple of afternoons!  I finally got my on hold request for Carrot Cake Murder so reading that one now.  I think once I do the 4 listed Christmas themed ones (i'm next in line there) I will have read the entire Hannah Swensen series of Fluke books with Wedding Cake Murder due out in early 2016.  Which books next or back to the M.Z. Kelly Hollywood Alphabet mysteries??

I think one more walk is in order for Mr. Oscar since it is now about 6:30 pm and then I'll consider what I can scare up for dinner.  THX for stopping by----

blogging break?

yeah, yeah, yeah---should have posted before now but there is seriously not a whole lot going on around here. That point was driven home last weekend when I was chatting with two of my FAB pals. They were off here and there or had friends and family to spend time with AND both were finding time to sew and/or finish up binding and organize their sewing rooms in some manner. Wore me out just reading the conversation! Then one pal asked what I had planned. Plans?? what are those? It might have been a holiday weekend but it was more like any other day of the week to me. Laundry, walk, read, straighten up the housem unload/reload the dishwasher. That last fun filled activity took a whole 5 minutes of my day. Seems like I am always washing something---me, the clothes, the dishes and sometimes even the dog.

I am NOT sewing and don't much feel like it either. However, Jane reminded me that I have a 12 inch finished QOV theme block and a 6 inch fall themed block that will have to be turned in on the 1st of October. We are going to a 3 day sew-in thing up in the next county in October and the organizer wants it turned in ahead of time along with a baby picture. I guess this all goes with some activities they have planned. I will have to give this some effort and thought--soon. I guess some of the girls have been sewing together one afternoon a week at a church near me and they invited me to come join them. I may just do it if I cannot seem to carve out any sewing time here at home. Thing is, we are supposed to NOT show our blocks to our buddies and that is the very thing I should be working on. HMMM

I have been reading a good bit---going through the Joanne Fluke Hannah Swensen series of books which contain some good sounding recipes. Some I have done on Kindle and just used the snipping tool to get the recipe in my files. One is an audio book and others I borrowed through the Alabama camellia dot net library system. I bought a couple in the series too, for Kindle. I'm on the waiting list for two of the books. Actually I plan on making one of the recipes tomorrow as I need to take some cookies out to a visitation on Saturday. I am entering some of the recipes into my cooking software and have found them online. The Pineapple Right Side Up Cookie Bars I plan to making was one of them.  The submitter attributes it to Fluke's Fudge Cupcake Murder but it is in Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, the former being one I have on hold and the latter one I had already enjoyed.   I am probably going to make another bar cookie while I'm at it---Christy at Southern Plate posted a recipe for Quick & Easy Carmelitas today.  I have to turn on the oven and heat up the house anyway,   I picked up what I needed at the store on the way home from a quick bite out tonight.  On they way home I ran by Lowe's for ant killer, took the stuff to the recycle bins at McClellan and found where we will need to be on Sunday when Aline, Jane and I go to see the CAST performance of "Anything Goes".  That should be fun!

When I got out of the car to verify the address two women were sitting outside apparently waiting for others in their party or waiting to go in.  By this time it was about 6:45 and it was to start at 7:30.  Yes, I was in the right spot and people parked along the horseshoe shaped drive or in a lot across the street.  We got to talking and one woman asked where I was from originally--"central IL but we moved South in 97."  My Yankee accent must have been a tip-of, as usual.  Turns out she worked for State Farm in California but had been to Corporate for classes over her career but has lived in this area for 23 yrs, 5 more than me.  Then she asked if I bowled.  Seems she is the secretary for a women's bowling league and they are needing some subs and full time members.  I was on a bowling league in the late 80's/early 90's when I worked at the podiatry clinic and had served as the treasurer.   I'm not that good but I might consider it.  They invited me to come visit.  Maybe I'll go.

This has been sort of an odd week for me anyway.  With Monday a holiday, you get confused about what day it is to begin with.  Then I get a text from one of the Belles saying she forgot it was Belles day Tuesday,  I'm thinking "no, it's not!" and go check the calendar.  Yeah, it was.  I had marked the calendar correctly to start with.  Then looked at it thinking "that's not write and marked off the other two Tuesdays.  I had it in my head that is was NEXT week.  I cancelled it, made a few calls to fix my goof up.  Turns out about 5 of us were unavailable anyway.  First time I had done that in 15 years!   I had taken the day off from walking and had errands and such to run anyway.

Yesterday Jane, Aline and I went over to the Friendship Quilters small group meeting.  I had to get that quilt I had bound over to them and Jane and Aline needed to pay the balance of the retreat fees.  None of us were going to go to the meeting on Saturday as we are going to the visitation then.   Also my little map dot town is having their Heritage Days festival---70 years as a town.  I'll go for a bit but will have to walk on the trail instead of  my laps in the park as that's where they are setting up the music, vendors and food.   Meanwhile, they have not done a thing to the Community Center building on the edge of the park since the roofing went on about 3 weeks ago.  It is all closed in with windows and doors and outside brickwork laid but they must be waiting on the electrician and/or drywall crew to come in next.   I don't know if the town has ever said a projected date.

now the critter report:
Oscar had drug his pad down to the floor today for some odd reason.   Here he is with his squeaky Froggie, tug-o-war sock and somewhere on their his rawhide bone or what's left of it.

His new gate came in on Friday but I didn't get around to trying to put it up till Monday.  It is placed a bit crookedly in the hall and probably not entirely even heightwise.  I struggled trying to do this by myself.   it is a tight squeeze and  I had already scratched up the drywall doing it.  I was not going to try to take it down and do it over.

The thing will not latch  BUT hey, a bungee cord works just fine!  Unless Oscar develops opposable thumbs he is not going up the hall.  He DOES watch me going in quite closely maybe thinking he could squeeze in the doorway past me??   Skyler has a bit higher of a jump and it is placed back further in the hallwat so I can access the utility closet.  He can't take a flying leap off the couch anymore.  Or I don't think so anyway.   Oscar will go through the cat door so leaving that open for Skyler is out.   I got Oscar to come out by rattling a bag in the fridge so he did not enjoy his trip for long.  The prospect of chicken fingers lured him out, LOL.   String cheese didn't do it before as he just poked out his snout and grabbed the goodie and stayed under the bed.  Bad boy!

Not to be left out, Skyler in his latest favorite spot.   He gave up on the kitchen chairs a long time ago though will hop on any chair that I vacate. On the dog crate or up high is where you'll find him.  Neither of his perches interests him anymore.  I am not entirely sure that he doesn't sleep on there a bit at night too.   He'll come to bed with me occasionally but does not stay long.   Because it is late and I'm writing this on the chromebook seated on the bed, he wants to either sit on it or on/near me but it won't last.  Some nights I let him settle in and then go to the opposite bed we were on just so I can get some sleep.  The licking and scratching drives me nuts when I am trying to go to sleep.   Still, I love the cuddle time!   He has never been a lap kitty or would sit on DJ's and not mine but mostly they just shared the recliner.  Lately though he is wanting to climb on my chest or lap in the evenings or on the arm of the couch to my right.   Taking his turn near me, I guess.

I best be getting ready to turn in.   It is still warm enough in the mornings that I need to get out to walk fairly early.   I hear we might be down in the 50's by the weekend but it has still been in the high to mid 60s and humid.  I'm more than ready for fall!

THX for stopping by------

this and that

Here I am! Before the search party comes looking for me, LOL. I'm still here plugging away, keeping busy with I am not entirely sure what. It seems like one minute I am out walking laps and the next winding down to go to bed. This week I had Bama Belles, two sides of a queen sized quilt to finish binding and the guild newsletter to get out in addition to the usual household stuff. Well, the kitchen floor still needs mopped. I even snaked the bathroom drain this week and wondered why I didn't do it weeks ago.  Yuck but man, does that water drain out well now!

That is the quilt that I was binding, or actually one just like it.  Sorry I have no clue about the pattern source or pattern name.  I was not asked to make any blocks or do any of the applique or might be privy to that information.  Some were sewing the blocks at one of the sew-in's but it was obvious they had it well in hand without MY assistance.

The one pictured is the guild opportunity quilt but they made a 2nd one just like it to be given away at the guild Christmas party.  Anyone that helped work on this is eligible for the drawing.  The opportunity quilt might be hand quilted?? and this one I had was machine quilted.   Being the opportunity quilt it is one of the guild fund raisers at the quilt show come June 11, 2016.  I was piddling with the binding at the last two quilt meetings we had but did not get very far with it.  Aline had put it on the quilt and hand finished two sides and turned it over to me---yeah, me who hates doing it but does a good job.  Just to get it finished up I drug it back out Wednesday afternoon, put Oscar outside and set up at the kitchen table.  The backing was a dark background floral with burgundy colored binding and not the easiest thing to see but I kept plugging.   I told myself I would work on it till 7 pm and would quit regardless of how much was left then.  Woohoo,  the whole thing was done by 6:30 so Oscar and I headed out for last walkies of the day.  Closest I've been to doing something quilt.

I don't have any quilt pictures from our meeting the other day.  Several of us had been out of town (not that I personally was working on anything, LOL) and we were doing hand work-- Beverly, Lois and I were all doing binding while Bev was working on her yo-yo throw. Lois didn't have tops to pin either though Jane was prepared to help her out if she had.  Mildred came a bit later and we all went out to lunch at McAlister's Deli out near our mall.

This past Wednesday was National Dog Appreciation Day.  Well, mine spent his literally in the dog house.  Naughty boy kept banging into the hallway gate and running under the bed, first the master bedroom, then my room and so on.   I don't want him up the hall or why put the gate up??

Skyler rats him out though, standing guard at whichever one Oscar has chosen.  I walked in my room after yet another escape and Sky was on the blanket chest with his tail puffed up like a bottle brush---dead give away.

I have been quite frustrated with him.  He won't come out.  Growls and snaps if I make some attempt to force him out.  He waits till I go outside or into the kitchen to try to go to----sneaky! However, he has been  brazen about it too.  Glynda suggested I try her First Alert Bark Genie thing with a loud NO and see if that would be a deterrent.  It works IF I catch him but sends Skyler leaping over the gate to get away from it.   A facebook pal suggested a food enticement.  We tried that---he poked his head out long enough to get the bite of string cheese but not long enough to grab his collar.  Eventually he comes out and does that cute act "flop and pet my belly" though I am not falling for it.  Outside he goes for awhile.

I was debating about replacing his gate with something he won't be able to barrel through but thought I would try this first.  I had his old gate in the closet so I used it to reforce the first as the bars are touching on the side he goes through.  It worked well last evening though I was mostly in the living room once I got done with the newsletter.  I had been working at the kitchen table but Oscar was logging some outdoor time till I was done.  He has gone near it once that I know of.  Normally when I go off to the desk or sewing room,  shower whatever he waits for me on the loveseat as you see him pictured or on the floor in front of the gate.  I may still replace his gate with something I can walk through as this gives me a double chance of tripping over it.  My niece has a Carlson extra wide walk through gate that has extensions on it that might work for us.  This setup just gives me a double chance of tripping over it.  Stepping over just one gate has led to two falls and several near misses.

Skyler was helping me re-load and recharge my Ipod for walking.  The dude said I had a "low battery" after I finished up my morning 2.2 miles.

Yep, still walking most days.  Took Tuesday off for our quilt meeting but I still try to go 6 out of 7 days, weather permitting.  I was having some shoe issues one day and had to cut it short.  At least I hope that was the problem.  My left heel and ankle was giving me fits and had me wondering "heel spur?"  while I knew I was getting a blister on my right heel.   It seems to be better with some change in shoe padding and inserts and a change in socks.  Meanwhile,  the town is having its Heritage Days in a couple weeks and there is a run/walk 5 k.  I was half considering trying it.  I know I can walk 3 miles/day but usually that third mile is in 3 separate trips with Oscar on the lane.  Maybe not quite ready yet.

We had three mornings this week with the humidity down and cooler, that little hint of fall around the corner.  Up to the 80's by afternoon but even that is a blessing after all the 90's and super sticky ones we have had this summer.  They say it is supposed to warm up again this weekend and rain chances increase.  I'll whine and say "but, but I liked it like it waaaaaaaas"  I miss baking and making things that go in the "real" oven.  I mean, I LIKE salads and sandwiches but it is getting old.  I keep seeing recipes to Pin that DO require an oven, not a toaster oven, and I just have to wonder "where in the heck do YOU live that you think that will work for MY evening meal too?"   Yeah, maybe in October it would be great!   The closest I've come is Baked Oatmeal and I did use the toaster oven for that.  Or a little bread shell pizza.

Time for a veggie break and maybe make a low cal version of iced coffee.  I picked up a cup of senior coffee (yes, it has come to that!) from Jack's earlier today when I was out on errands and stowed it in the fridge so it might have cooled enough that the ice won't dilute it.  Got some Torani sugar free syrups for it too.

THX for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead------

Checking in

A year ago I was in Buena Vista, Colorado at my niece Amber and Greg's wedding having gone out to help my sister prepare the food for the reception and meals for the crowd we expected to feed.  Then on to spend a few days in Illinois with my parents.  Well I was off to Illinois again this year and not posting about it till after the fact.

Earlier this month,  two weeks ago to be exact, I piled into the car and drove up to my brother Steve and sister-in-law Jan's home near Nashville, TN.   Because they are downsizing their home, there is no guest room so I got to spend a bit of time with my friend Cindy and her husband John before bedding down for the night on two successive Sunday's.

Come Monday morning (the 3rd), the three of us were heading up to Illinois to see family and friends for a few days.  However, the true purpose of the trip was to help the third "kid" down the line celebrate a milestone birthday.   He knew he was having a party but NOT the entire guest list!  SSSSH.    While they went on to the Chicago area, I stayed with my parents.  Here is Mom to the left and my Dad holding Lily at the party, not happily it would appear.  (My nephew Drew is in the background and Lily is blocking his Uncle Mark.)

Mom and I didn't sew, cut or any of that stuff.  I supposed I could have taken something up to sew but I brought my embroidery along and didn't even touch it.  Not in the mood.  I was time to catch up, rest, read.  I did keep up my walking though while I was away.  I did 1.8 miles in laps but you have to walk to the park and back which I think added another mile to the proceedings, Dad said.  He walks daily, maybe even twice a day, but goes way early.  Definitely earlier than I can drag myself out of bed!

I borrowed the car on Wednesday to do the nostalgia tour past my previous home and apartments in Bloomington-Normal.  Before leaving their town, I stopped by the town cemetery to "talk" to my husband and see the headstone that had been placed last fall.  Once I left our B-N home site and a run by Miller Park, I stopped at Gene's for a vanilla cone as DJ and I would do occasionally on a summer night.  It was about 6-7 blocks from our house and we would walk over and sit on one of the benches.  We walked to Miller Park too for 4th of July celebrations lugging the lawn chairs.

In addition, I drove past the places I had worked.  I knew from the Pantagraph feed on Facebook that the old Mennonite Hospital where I worked in two separate 6 year stints was being torn down.  I may have mentioned this earlier?  What a gigantic mess of rubble!  The nursing school building is still standing as it has been used for some time now by Illinois Wesleyan University, the campus buildings are a block away as is my first apartment.  When I graduated from Mennonite School of Nursing in the early 70's, it was still a hospital based 3 yr. diploma school for registered nursing with some college courses taken at Illinois State University.  10 plus years later it became a baccalaureate program and based entirely at ISU as one of its colleges.  There is a remnant of the Long Term Care wing left where I had last worked and a three story section above the lobby.  I'm guessing they have to clear up the bricks and such before that can come down.  Sad for me to see---the hospital I trained and worked at was absorbed into BroMenn Healthcare merging with the old Brokaw Hospital shortly after we moved to Alabama.  It later changed hands and is now called Advocate BroMenn.  The school/dorm building still stands but is not "my" school.  Nothing stays the same, nor should it perhaps.

I had hoped to catch up with a friend and former co-worker while I was there but turned out she was vacationing in Florida.  She was between terms at ISU where she is an adjunct professor at yep, Mennonite College of Nursing.  We did have a good chat on the phone when she returned my call.  I also met up with an old friend Tom who was doing an afternoon of grandpa detail.  He and the kids picked me up on a street legal two seater golf cart type thing and we chatted while the kids played.  Later that evening I met Herb and Phyllis at Avanti's for supper.  GOT to have an Avanti's fix while I am home!  We stopped at Steak and Shake on the way back Sunday but I didn't make it to Schooner's this trip for beer batter onion rings and pork tenderloin (as big as a pizza pan--they ask how many buns you need).  My sister says we have a date next time I'm back!

Jan and Steve came back down to my folks on Friday.  After lunch, my niece Kristine came with Lily and Diane came from work.  Saturday was Dave's bday party.  His jaw dropped when he saw the long distant family.  My sister-in-law Ann and niece Allison did a great job getting things ready for the party and her sisters pitched in too.

I took my camera but didn't take any pictures.  My sister took these and I borrowed from Facebook which she wanted us to do anyway.  From left,  Jan, brother Steve, Lily and me and my sister Diane who is Lily's Nana

Sibling shot but missing our sister Janet.  The birthday boy is in the melon colored shirt which he wore to match Allison's dog Sophie's party dress, LOL.  On the end is our youngest brother Phil.  He came with his daughters.  His wife and the two boys were in Springfield, MO getting the oldest son John set up in his apartment at college.

We started the trip back to TN on Sunday the 9th with them dropping me off at Cindy's home where my car had sat.   Monday the 10th I drove on back to Alabama.  I was in Gadsden about 11 and stopped for an early lunch as I knew the cupboard was bare.  My friend Jane had given me her copy of Fannie Flagg's "All Girl Fililng Station Reunion" book on tape to listen to on  the drive and I was happy to have it.  It really helped to take my mind off the journey especially during the hilly windy part that has me clutching the steering  wheel a bit too tightly outside of Chattanooga.  I am not fond of driving in TN to begin with, as that was always DJ's leg of the trip back to IL.  I'd do KY, part of Southern IL and AL on the way home.  

Tuesday would be a return to the usual laundry and errands.  I had cancelled the Belles meeting for Tuesday as several of us were going to be gone around that time.  I  had packed for an extra day just in case I didn't come back till Tuesday.  The suitcase was stuffed with dirty laundry by the time I got home. 

Of course, I was happy to see my furry friends.  They seemed happy to see me too!  Skyler is still spending a good bit of his time up high atop the pass through.  Lately though he is, even sitting on the refrigerator which he would never do before as well as getting on top of Oscar's crate---bunk beds.  I was piddling on the notebook in the kitchen so both of them were in there with me when I took the picture.  A bit dark but Oscar IS in there amongst the camo bedding, LOL.  Can't find Skyler in any of those two spots?  Try MY chair in the kitchen where he seems to be hairing up another chair pad, LOL.

In the middle of all that, I had another birthday but no big deal there.   Dave's is the day before mine and someone asked me if we celebrated mine as well.  Nope!  It was all about him as it should have been.  I did that milestone three years ago, thank you very much!   Jane, Aline and I did go out for lunch on Friday but we all three have summer birthdays.  Jane's went by quietly and Aline will not be available on her day.

 However, I did get this lovely fabric bundle as a present to myself.  You know how much I love Bonnie and Camille fabric!    This is the "hello darling" line that was just released and I knew I wanted some of it when I saw it online.   Not entirely sure i it ends up in its own special project or appears with some of the bits of previous lines in a resumed Farmer's Wife Inspired Sampler that I set aside two or three years ago.




 BUT I should not buy any more fabric till I make some effort to sew something up from my existing stash.  I have really gotten out of the habit of sewing!  Oscar can start logging a couple hours outside and let me get back to what I love.   I miss my lovely sewing room.  Hold my feet to the fire.

Friday afternoon I discovered that the a/c was not working properly.  It is set at 77 usually and with a fan assist, it stays fairly comfortable in the house.   I set it there and it stays ON--not what DJ used to do and we constantly disagreed about.  It kept getting warmer and warmer till I realized it had hit 82 in the house!  I could not remember what firm DJ had used nor find it in his directory and called the neighbors for their recommendation.  The guy came out a few hours later but could not find anything wrong.  Whatever checking he did got it cooling again but he said that the bearings might be going out in the motor.  He was not going to change it out till it really crapped out, nor did he charge me for a service call.   He told me what to watch for and said to call if it acted up again down the line.

I was good until about 3 pm yesterday. Another power surge zap.  Temp back up to 82, blades not moving, casing hot to touch.  Shut it down, turn to fan, call him back.  There was a mix-up about the motor, it being Saturday afternoon and everything was closed.  It hit 85 in here and stayed there.  Once the sun went down I could put a fan in the bedroom window and by morning, it was 80 in the hallway, a little cooler in the bedroom. By 4:30 am the crickets and whatever else it is that buzzes were driving me nuts!  I shut the window but could not get back to sleep.  Actually it was not too horrible last night, thanks to a cooler night,  though I now have a sinus headache that does not want to quit from the fans hitting me right in the face.

He came out at 10 am today and had the motor replaced by 1030.  It was back to 82 by then but now back to cooling, slowly coming down currently at 79.   I'm going to finally head to the shower when it drops another degree!  No service fee or trip charge or a fee for it being the weekend which I appreciate.  Not money I necessarily wanted to spend but you HAVE to have a/c when it is in the 90's and 76 % humidity at one point today.  No time is a good time when something involving plumbing or electricity goes kaput on you.  Let's hope next week is dull as dishwater!

Happy to be home and not ready to take off till a few months down the line when I will go down to the Fort Myers, FL area to see DJ's son and daughter-in-law.   Woohoo!  Once I ran the proposed dates and flight times passed LuAnn she said "Book it!"  and I did, LOL.  There is a 3 day quilt retreat coming up too but not an overnight deal.  Things to look forward to.

Guess that's it for this installment.  THX for stopping by though I suspect some of you may have been checking to see if I updated.  Well, this time the stop was rewarded!