Boxy squares

This is the quilt top I made for my Grandson, Talon's high school graduation in May. His only request was outdoor theme. It doesn't show up too well, but the prints are all deer, ducks, trees, bear and the outside border is deer antlers on the black. It was a really fun, fast quilt to make. I cut way too many strips so I have enough to make another one. It's flannel so HRH may like one too. By the way, my hubby is holding it so it looks crooked. It is square though. We will get to go to the graduation in Montana  and also see my sister in law and her family as well. The great niece is the one with the redwork quilt in a prior post. I am also working on three doll quilts for the little girls when we visit. I don't send Christmas gifts to them but about midway in the year, I send or take a box with whatever I have decided through the year. I found three dolls at a garage sale that were like new, they are the porcelain ones with cloth bodies and that is why the doll quilts. I wish I had family closer. I need grand kid hugs more often than I get them.

Car Shopping

Well, my car was totaled and believe me you don't win anything dealing with insurance companies. I have been treated so badly by them and I have been telling everyone to switch over to Hartford as they have such good rates. NOT! I am debating on a Toyota Camry Hybrid and am just about sold. I haven't driven it yet as I'm still not wanting to get behind a wheel if I don't have to and it has been raining cats and dogs here for the past few days. SO.. do any of you have any experience with this car??? Consumer reports list is well so we'll see. I sure do not like car shopping, especially since the insurance company gives me 3 days to settle, big of them, isn't it.

Tomorrow, I am calling the insurance commissioner and talking things over, it may help, it may not. I won't bore you with the whole story, it's not pretty.

On a quilty note, I'm still folding and cutting scraps and almost have enough scraps for the Blue Ridge Beauty of Bonnie's, I think there are over 2200 pieces without counting borders and that's just the blue. I love it though and it hurts to sit or lay down so I stand at the counter and cut! Have a great Thursday, I have the day off.

Obviously, no Pictures of this one!

I recently visited with a friend who told me that she was having problems with her young son and his "aim" if you know what I mean. Well, this brought to mind a story my aunt told me many years ago, see, she was a first grade teacher and had a little freckled, red headed boy as the story goes, the little boy was making real messes in the bathroom and it was assumed that he was trying to see just how far up the wall he could hit, or whatever boys do in the bathroom to make such messes, the janitor spoke to him with no appreciable results as did the male principal. They then suggested that the teacher, my aunt, have a go at it and see if she could stop him from his new "hobby". She took the bull by the horns and after sternly addressing the boy, she looked at him and his lip was quivering and he said Mrs. Robinson, have you ever tried to aim one of those things (thangs) (insert Texas accent here). Well, she said, you've got me there and let him go. I guess he wasn't trying for the bathroom olympics afterall. Don't ask me why I think of these things. Sometimes I think my mind malfunctions rather than functions but I thought I'd give you a smile for the day. !

Happy Sunday

One of the facilities I work in (I work in 4) is upscale independent living and they have the best events of any I've been to. Well, last Wednesday we had a luncheon and the theme was the Ladies of the Whitehouse or First Ladies luncheon, I can't remember but  all the recipes were from different first ladies and were excellent. Our chef used to be the chef on a cruse ship and she's GOOD! We served a dessert that was orange cake with raisins and creme cheese/orange frosting. It was to die for. Well, we couldn't have people go home empty handed so we sent them home with a little bundt cake of the same recipe and the presentation was so cute. It was on a gold plate (actually a coaster) with a doily and then put in a cellophane bag and tied with a pretty plaid ribbon and to go with it a tea bag was tied to the ribbon. Isn't this cute. I think this idea would be so clever to take to a sick friend or just to cheer someone up, don't you?

As to the accident.... I didn't sleep much last night because I feel like the heavy weight champion boxer beat me up. If I lay on one side, my hip hurt, if I lay on the other my neck hurt, I  tossed and turned all night and can't sit for more than a few minutes so wasn't able to go to church and sit on the pews for over an hour.  HRH went though and it doesn't hurt if I stand or sit in a recliner, so I will fold some fabric and get this mess FINISHED! I have been folding all week and only have one neat shelf to show for it. Mind you, it's a walk in closet so I've got a way to go. Have a great day!

What a week!

I'm sorry my posts have dropped off so drastically. This has been a week to remember, or rather one I'd rather forget. I had calls from two dear friends, one lost her mother who I was very fond of and the other a friend of HRH, woke up to find his wife had passed away in the night. She was in her 50's and had undergone gastric bypass about two years prior and was having one problem after another as a result, she had been back in the hospital on average once a month, so this death was determined to be a result. I have heard from the nurses I work with that the mortality rate from that surgery is very high. I feel so bad for these people as I know how it feels to lose someone you love so suddenly.

Then, as if this wasn't enough bad news, I was driving to work yesterday and got broadsided by a big 4X4 pickup, it hit on the passenger side, which was fortunate for me, but hit so hard that it knocked my shoes (yes, shoes) off and glasses and boy am I bruised from the seat belt. I am so glad I always wear it though. I woke this morning and I hurt everywhere more than anywhere else. What really woke me up was the bottoms of my feet hurting, strange, I've never had that one before. The sad part is that they will probably total my 1998 Lexus and with HRH being out of work most of the year, we really can't afford another car. My Lexie was all paid for and didn't have a trouble in the world, she ran like a top and as long as I have had it, I had Zero problems. We aren't sure what we are going to do, right now, I'm driving a horrible little rental that I really can't see out of adequately. Oh Well, I have much to be thankful for, I didn't get hurt too badly and life goes on in our house while for many it doesn't. 

I'll try to be a better blogger, maybe that brings me good carma.

Happy Valentine's Day

Well, as I'm folding red fabric today, still on my neatness quest and this is probably as close to celebrating Valentine's day as I will get so I got my mind all wrapped around Valentine's days of the past, you know, when we were in grade school and decorated boxes to  put on our desk and made sure nobody was left out when we addressed and passed around the cards. I had a boyfriend then named Leonard and he asked me to go to the movies with him on Valentine's day Saturday. My first date of sorts. I will never forget his mom driving, and him coming to the front door. My sisters, who were in high school, my parents all sitting around making fun of the day and teasing me. Anyway, he showed up at the door and had his hair so slicked down with something good smelling and oily. I do remember a cowlick that was no longer visible, so it must have worked. My sisters were laughing and then I noticed that the stuff was running down  his forehead an sides of his face. I have never forgotten that and it's been a hundred years ago. He opened the car door for me and we sat in the back seat as his mom chauffeured us to the movie, she then went in and sat at the back while we sat up front. I think I remember him trying to put his arm around me, but I will never forget that stuff running down his face. It has all been downhill from there. THAT was one romantic Valentine's day!

DD almost finished

How many quilters worked on the double delight by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville? I wish we would do a poll. I finished mine and sent it today to the LA quilter, Kay Olsen, in Longview, WA. I can't wait to get it back. I did tell her that I am in no hurry, I know I won't be giving it away soon, so didn't want her to feel pressed but I am anxious to see how it turns out. It is such a busy quilt, with so many pieces (2976 to be exact), I didn't think anything too fussy would be seen so I'm just getting an all over pattern, I told her to use her judgement. I'm sure she does more than I do and knows best. The one time I chose what I thought was best, I didn't like it when it was finished.

Let me know if you are doing or have finished the DD quilt. I will post a picture when it returns!

Merry Christmas in February

Are we a mixed up family or what! Don't answer that! During December, we had snow so deep that we couldn't get around. Remember, we are in Vancouver, Washington where we must own one snowplow and it only gets used every 5 years so none of the roads were passable. My son lives 45 miles South of here and lives in the country, again, no plows and to top it off, he had a couple of trees come down on his house so had to work on Christmas (the real Christmas) day to cut the tree up and keep it from doing more damage. so, long story, short... we had our Christmas celebration yesterday. We had a nice day, little one here wasn't feeling too well, he had been in the hospital two nights before with an asthma attack and the meds were making him pretty  sleepy. He looks like he's been into the grog, but really, we only drank milk and water. I sure was tired last night from all the cooking but I love to do that. I also baked 5 dozen Snickerdoodle cookies to send home with my son for his birthday.

refolding stash

A few weeks ago, someone posted a video (sorry I didn't save the link) of a nifty way to fold your stash so everything is the same width and stores neatly. Well, today I was in  the mood to tackle it so I started. I worked for 5 hours and didn't even make a dent in things. This is going to take a while, I can tell. While I was at it, I cut the small pieces into 3.5" bricks, 2.5" strips and squares and 2" strips and squares. Of course I had a pile of crumbs as well. Last few times I had a batch of them, I sent them out to people on quiltville chat who requested them, but the last box was over $8.00 and I can't afford that so I may just dump them, not sure yet. I'm sure as soon as they get tossed, I will find something I want to use them in. Anyway, a productive day. I will post pics when I finish.  Hey, I even found a UFO I didn't remember having. I wonder what else I'll find in that closet.

Our wild scouts

My hubby and I are Weblo's leaders for our church scout pack and we meet on Wednesday evenings. Believe me, I'm too old for this. There are only four little boys 10 and 11 years old, but they are the wildest bunch. We have no control over them most of the time. they even get the dog so riled up she eats her "babies", just plain eviscerates them, stuffing everywhere.  Last night one little guy was so disruptive, I just quit what I was doing and sat and looked at him. He went on for 15 minutes and when it didn't look like he was going to quit before midnight. I stopped him and told him that he could lead the group next week and I would expect a real lesson. When my kids were that age they didn't run through someone's house like wild men and disrupt everything. They waited until they left home to be wild. (not always a good thing, I'll admit). We did get through the lesson, Talked about 1 room school houses and the times teachers used switches to punish (OH, for one of those now!) played some games pertaining to the lesson on education. Then I sat them by the door, told them to put shoes on and wait for their moms. This was one of the longest 90 minutes in my life and today I'm beat, just want a nap. I'm sure glad I didn't have to work.  I'm not sure where to go from here, perhaps ask our leaders to find someone younger. HRH doesn't have a clue either and the dog doesn't have many of her stuffed "babies" left. AAARRRGG.

Taxes

I just love this time of year, don't you? Tax time. I am very organized and throughout the year, I keep everything in one place, neatly sorted. Well, I am just steaming because HRH, had one transaction, ONE, where he cashed in a small 401K (well, it was small by the time he cashed it in) anyway, he has NO record whatsoever of that transaction, he vaguely remembers about the approximate value, time he thinks he cashed it in. Get the words, vague, approximate, thinks. How am I supposed to deal with this one. I know we can claim a loss but finding out the amount is another thing. In the mean time. I'm looking through everything and he is relaxing with the cat on his lap and watching TV. Do "they" ever get excited about anything like this. I guess as long as "she" gets the taxes done, "he" doesn't have to do a thing. What is wrong with this picture?

I think I'm grouchy mainly because I worked yesterday and today and came home to "him" on the couch in front of the TV, waiting for dinner. AAARRG! Believe me, dinner wasn't anything to write home about. Should have been arsenic soup!