Monday, February 27, 2012

Memory and Movies

Saturday I arrived at the grocery store without my list (not a totally uncommon problem) and I was frustrated because I really didn't want to go back home and get it but I didn't want to come back again because I forgot something.  SO I decided to try and remember the list of items since it really wasn't that long and I just made the list before coming to the store.  I proceeded to do my shopping and was pleasantly surprised when I arrived home, found the list and discovered that I HAD remembered everything on the list.  I guess that my mind hasn't gone to "pot" too much since retirement.  It must be all that problem solving I do while making my quilts that keeps my mind sharp.

Sunday evening I decided that I wasn't going to watch the Oscar Awards since I really wasn't impressed with the movies this past year.  We rented Money Ball on Saturday and that was the final movie on the list of 10 that we hadn't seen yet.  It is a rare year that we have watched all the movies before the awards especially since they expanded the list to 10 movies.  We really didn't have a favorite and thought the list was kind of 'lack luster' without any 'stars'.  However, I did get sucked in to watching the last about 45 minutes of the show and once again I was disappointed.  The best picture category winner was about my least favorite movie on the list with only The Tree of Life below it.  I thought the Help was a much better movie as was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close if you were looking for a 'message' movie.  I rarely agree with The Academy  anyway.

On another note: I SURE WILL BE GLAD WHEN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PRIMARIES ARE OVER.

Friday, February 24, 2012

IF

IF I were tall
IF I were short
IF I were thinner
IF I had straight hair
IF I had curly hair
IF I were rich
IF I were younger
IF I were older....

Sometimes we live our life full of IFs instead of LIVING our lives.
There have been a lot of changes in my life the last few years.  I am constantly trying to keep the IFs out of my life (especially number three)  I have a very blessed life. Many of my blessings come from YOU, my family and friends.

IF you would indulge me for this moment and give me the opportunity.  I would like to thank you.  You enrich my life in so many ways and I am so thankful.

On a funny/silly note, MAYBE this will excuse me for not sending out Thank You cards at Christmas.  SO... on a late note, I am thankful for all the blessings and gifts you bestowed on me this past holiday.  The time we had together, the material gifts which I have enjoyed and the laughter we shared either in person or over the phone or through Skype.  (It isn't too late to be thankful for Christmas since we still have our tree up on the deck waiting for a snow free weekend.)

Enjoy the blessings of the moment, day, week and year.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

They are engaged

We had lunch with Bud's family on Saturday
 Brittany and John announced their engagement recently and were up looking at places to hold their reception the summer of 2013.  They make a beautiful  couple.
 Sue and Charlotte looked great too.  It was a family affair,out looking for wedding locations.
Sonja joined us in Sutton's Bay for lunch.
Just a few of our weekend activities.  We went to see 'The Artist' on Saturday night.  This is a strange year for us in regards to movies.  We have seen all except 1 of the Oscar nominated movies.  I'm not sure which one I want to win.  I really didn't think any of they looked great.
I hope you had a great weekend and had some exciting news in your life.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Projects completed

I have a couple of new quilts that I just completed. 
 This one is VERY colorful.  I made it last summer when I was trying to use up my scraps.  I did manage to whittle down my stash a bit but like all good quilters, it is growing again.  I didn't realize I had so many bright colors until I started on this quilt.  The pieces of fabric were bought for many different projects and really didn't go together but that was the point of this quilt, nothing really matches.  I didn't worry about what goes good next to another piece when putting this together.  That was rather freeing.  It turned out fairly nice.  I think I would try the concept again in the future. 
I am giving this quilt to Molly at school.  She saw it on line and I took it to show her yesterday.  She likes the look.  I want to take it to my quilt group and show them and then will give it to Molly. Some of the fabrics also came from projects I made for her children.
 The quilting on this is especially beautiful.  I don't think you can see it in the picture but my quilter used red thread and made beautiful designs in the blocks. 
This quilt is the total opposite.  I made this with fabrics I had leftover too.  I bought many dotted fabrics a couple of years ago.  I really bought too much as usual.  I think this is the 4th quilt I have made from the dotted fabric.  I still have one more to take to my quilter then all the pastel dots will be gone. 
I made this for the family that bought the farmhouse in Coleman. They had a baby in November (a couple of days before Eva's birthday) and I have been working on this to send to them.  From our family to theirs.  I hope they have many happy years in that old farmhouse. 

Speaking about the farm in Coleman, I still have dreams about that house.  Just this last week I had a dream in which they were having a Garage Sale and I stopped by.  They gave me a tour of the house and their changes and while I was touring most of my relatives showed up and were touring the house too, kind of like the Open House we had at the farm when we put it on the market.  This was one of the first dreams that I have had that I didn't sneak into the house while the owners were gone.  I've had dreams where our whole family shows up and has a big Thanksgiving type dinner, staying in the house for the weekend and then sneaking out before they come home, making sure they don't know we were there.  I know that sounds very strange but at least I am progressing, now my dreams at least include an invitation to go in the house.  Maybe some day I will get that chance. 

More quilting projects await me in my sewing room.  I hope you have a great weekend.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dueling Holidays

YES, that is our Christmas tree.
 What can I say, the weather is too cold to go out and remove the lights and we just keep it lit up for no reason at all. 
However, we do have a nice dinner at home planned with a little champagne and maybe a fire in the fireplace.  I hope all of you have a great Valentine's Day and spend it with someone special or doing something special for yourself or someone else.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Weekend activities.

We were blessed this weekend with a brief visit from Jessica.  She was in town with the wives of the rugby coaches on a 'girls weekend' while the coaches were in Las Vages at a tournament.  (They won all their games except the last one and that was a close good game too.  They won't be going to the nationals this year but they had a great season.)
 Jessica and I had lunch together.  It was great to see her.  We had a nice lunch downtown and walked around a bit before I returned her to the 'girls weekend' events. 
Our Saturday was finished off with an evening at the Williamsberg Dinner Theater.  It was a fund raising event for Habitat for Humanity.  We went with some friends and enjoyed a good meal, wonderful entertainment and just a great evening out. Being a 'dinner theater' there was a great show after dinner.  The music of the '60s 70s and '80s was featured.  They put on a great show.   We both wore red in honor of upcoming Valentine' Day.  That will probably be our celebration for that holiday.  It never makes a lot of sense to go out for that holiday because it is always so busy.
Everything else is quiet here.  I just talked to Leo and he said that he is working 6 days a week now.  That means that he doesn't even change to regular time from his 'midnights' schedule when he only has 1 day off on the weekend.  He was going to get ready for work tonight.  That little factory seems to be 'cranking out' the work.  He said that they are suppose to work 7 days a week starting in March. 
Winter came back the end of this week.  It started snowing again on Friday and we probably received 3-4 inches of snow.  The ground is covered again and it is cold.  No more 40-50 degree weather in the forecast for a while.   We still have that Christmas tree out on the deck.  Bud missed his opportunity to get it down last weekend when the weather was nice and warmer.  I don't know how long it will stay there now.  I isn't bothering us too much and the neighbors haven't left nasty notes on our door so until the weather warms up a little, the lights will continue to shine here. 
I hope a few lights are shining at your home too, even if they aren't Christmas lights.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

More projects

I have been working on completing my projects.  I started this quilt about a year ago.  It was my plan to use up the fabrics in my 'stash' and use this pinwheel pattern.  It is very receptive to using scraps.  I was surprised at how long it took to complete it.  I did finish many projects in between and it was just my project to 'go to' when I didn't have anything planned.  I worked on it a little at a time until I ran out of the white fabric.  That was my determining factor in how big it would be.  It is a good size quilt that would go on a queen size bed as a bedspread or a king size bed that you would need pillow shams to complete the look. 
 The blocks are really smaller than I thought.  If I had to do over, I might make them a little bigger and the quilt would go a little faster.  I like this quilt because I used leftover bits and pieces of various other quilts.  It is fun to look at the blocks and remember who I made something for and the pattern I used to make their treasure.  Quilts do tell stories and this one reminds me of other projects and people. 
This is a table runner that my friend Kathy gave me several years ago.  It was a kit that she gave me as a birthday present.  I put it together but never got to the quilting part.  She helped me get started on the quilting part a couple of years ago but I didn't have the confidence to actually do it.  After learning how to do the 'free motion' quilting a few weeks ago, I decided I would complete this project too.  I still have a lot to learn when it comes to 'free motion' quilting but I am getting better.  I still prefer to give my projects to my quilter and let her do that part but it is nice to have the confidence to do smaller projects. 

I hope you were able to get out of your 'comfort zone' and take on a new challenge some time or maybe learn from me and give something new a try this week. 

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Art at its best

When you don't have something new to share, it is good to find the work of someone else to share.
This is Jessica's landscape quilt.  She sent me a picture on Sunday after she finished it.  I think it looks terrific.  I like how hers is different from mine, her sky is more uniform, there is a small reflection in the water below the sunset, she has more and different trees and bushes.  This sure was a fun project to share with her.  She is a very creative lady.  I am glad that we took the class and both enjoyed our projects. 

I am working on the edging of a couple of larger quilts and working on another cute little baby quilt.  I might have some pictures to share soon.

Just for a quick movie review.  We went to see the movie Hugo this past weekend.  It was very good.  I didn't read the book but they did a great job with the movie.  I strongly recommend it for all ages. 

I also won $25 in a Super Bowl pool.  It must be my lucky week. I hope you have a little luck this week.  Maybe we bring our own luck????  I really didn't do anything to deserve the $25 winning, I didn't even put in the 'seed money' for the bet, but I did fill in the 'slots' for the betting so I got to keep the money.  

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Yes to laundry, No to toilets

Many of you know I have a great husband.  He does help around the house and always runs the vacuum cleaner.  Lately he has decided he likes to do the laundry.  It started when I would be gone on laundry weekend and he would start with the towels and the whites (all the whites are his anyway)  Now it has evolved into doing the rest of the laundry.  Now many of you would think, why in the world would she complain??  I'm not really complaining although I do have my own 'quirks' about my own laundry and how it is washed.  I never dry my underwear in the dryer, like to take some things out before they are dry (jeans), and I like to 'drape' my t-shirts out to finish drying not let them stay bunched up in the laundry basket after they come out of the dryer.  I also don't mind doing laundry.  It is a fairly easy and mindless household task.

We had a great laugh this past weekend as he started on the laundry again.  I tried to 'bargain' with him.  I told him I would continue to do the laundry but maybe he could clean the bathrooms, toilets and other more undesirable chores instead of doing the laundry, a chore that I really don't mind doing.  Of course, he declined to exchange laundry for toilets.  Anybody want to move in and do that chore for me???