Wow, do I have a lot of fabric!

I've been refolding all of my fabric in the way I learned how to do it in my book about designing your perfect sewing space. I now have 7 (Count 'em, seven) large tubs (60 quart snap-top Rubbermaid) of folded fabric, and I am not even half finished. Gulp! It looked like a lot in my closet, but now that I've come OUT of the closet, I realize how much I really have! Also, my shoulders are getting really tired. I do a couple of tubs a day and then do other things. It is all going in tubs getting ready to move my sewing room downstairs... when it is finished. I am keeping out things to work on, and believe me I will have plenty to do without cutting up new fabric. I can see what is in the tubs though, if I need to find something. They are blue, but translucent.

Our new carpeting for the first bedroom I painted will be put in on Thursday. Today I emptied the rest of the closet. As soon as that carpeting is in I can start storing things in there. I talked to DH about the basement... and he said he is going to get it to the point of the flooring in by the time my quilt machine comes. So, it won't be totally done, but at least a majority of it will be done. I should go pick out flooring and have them come to measure for it soon so that it can be put in as soon as he is ready. It is taking three weeks for the carpeting to come in, so I wonder if the flooring will be the same. I also should have them measure this room for carpeting. I'm trying to get everything out of it for that before I go back to school. I need to paint it, too. Well, if I don't get it finished this summer I will do it on teacher convention days. We have to do so much other inservice that I don't go to the fall convention much. I usually go to the one day one in spring; it's right here in Green Bay.

Today I am feeling rather "bummed" about how long everything is taking and how little I feel like I am accomplishing with my time off from school. (You HAD to remind me, Susan!?!) In Wisconsin, school can't start for students until after Labor Day (Business people got that one through because of the tourism... they need students to work until then). I do have two meetings I have to go to on Aug. 22 and Aug. 24; one for curriculum writing and one for data analysis (looking at test scores and using them to set goals). These are both things I have to do because of being Social Studies Dept. Head at my school, but at least I will get paid for those days. We have two work days the week before Labor Day, plus an inservice day. So, I have four weeks left, with one of those having two meeting days, and then the week after that I have 3 days. I have done a bit of what I have to do to for school, but I have to spend a good day of work at home where I can spread things out. I'll put that off until closer to going back so I get in the mood. I hate to go back when there is so much I want to do. Boo! =-(

We were up at our camper trailer this weekend, but it was soooo hot that I barely went outside. I worked on a couple 0f DJ blocks that I had started awhile ago. I hate starting one and then not finishing it right away because I forget what I was thinking when I started it and I have to figure it all out again. But at least they are done now. I think I have about 60 squares left to do. Plus 40 triangles and four corners. Most of the squares are relatively simple, but I just need the time to do them. That's one thing I am leaving out to work on. Today the heat index is 109 degrees. I was only out for a couple of minutes and that was the end of that. I just can't take the heat any more. One more hot day, and then it is going to cool off. We may have a severe storm again before that happens. All of our rain storms this year have been extremely violent. Scary! Me no like!

I am also emptying out my huge 5 drawer large filing cabinet so it can be moved. I've got that half empty, too. The house looks a mess... cluttered, not dirty... and will look like that until all is rearranged. It drives me slightly bonkers. So what else is new, huh?

Angel

Well, I did it!

I ordered the Fun Quilter! If I bought both the machine and the table I got $700 off. It will take 6-8 weeks to get here. In addition to the machine and table (12 feet) I also get a bobbin winder, thread samples. needles, oil, set-up, 2 hours training and shipping and crating. It comes in three colors, so I picked purple. =-)

I also had my oil changed, in my car (my own oil wasn't changed, so I still squeak), stopped and bought a two plate hanger for on the wall in the guest room, and met with my friend for 3 hours (we did a lot of extra talking!) I had some things to pick up at the store, so I did that, and when I got home I realized I had forgotten to go to Steins (Garden Center) to get the plants for my fairy garden! Tomorrow...

I was just thinking that you used to be able to buy houseplants all over the place. When we first got married my job was at a Sears Store in the "Toy, Garden, and Pets Department." We had a huge house plant section. I can remember a lot of places that did that. Now the only place you can get houseplants around here is at a garden center. You used to be able to get sewing things in department stores, too, and that has gone the way of the home ec classes! Around here--- not much left. Well, at least I can still buy what I want! And I couldn't do without my Quilt Stores! When I first started quilting, there were no quilt stores. I got my fabric at JoAnn's or another fabric store. Things I made back then are faded terribly, even without being in the sun. Some of my navy blues are now gray. And the fabric!!! Every year I think it can't get any better, but it does.

I learned how to add links today, so I have links to my fellow QuiltChicks pages now. Baby steps. =-)

While I was writing, I decided to finish supper and I put some rice in a pan on the stove. I totally forgot about it! I ran in and all of the water was boiled away and it was burning on the bottom. I was just going to get it to a boil, and then turn it down and cover it, but because I forgot, I ended up putting it all in the garbage. Then I started more rice. This time I stayed until it was boiling, and turned it down and put the cover on it. Not the worst thing I ever did though! Once I let a candle burn down into the candle holder... which was wood... and it started on fire. Luckily one of my friends was here and saw it and told me and I carried it to the sink and put it out. Trouble seems to follow me. I don't know why! But I must have a good guardian angel, cuz I am still alive. 0=-)

I had a GREAT day!

I went to see my sister's new house today. It is really nice, and just perfect for them. After my tour we went to Cedarburg, which is a nice little tourist town. One of our favorite stores to buy things for our house is there, so we bought a few things there first. We went to the old mill which is all shops now, and found a few more things. So I am happppppeeeeeee about what I found. We are both making a "Fairy Garden" with some miniatures we found. You make it in a pot with some small house plants. I brought some moss back from her house to use in it. We have little gardening tools, wheelbarrow and watering can, and then a love seat, and two chairs (metal, look sort of like twig furniture) and also a little upside down terra cotta flower pot with a tiny tea set on it. We also have an arbor. I bought a sprig of stars to put on it, but then you plant something that will grow over it. Oh, and I also have a gazing ball on a pedestal! The stuff is just so darn CUTE! You can put it outside in the shade. I am looking forward to putting it together. I think I will stop tomorrow and get the pot and plants.

I have four things to do tomorrow, and one is to go buy my Nolting Fun Quilter and table! I get $700 off if I buy it before the 27th is over. It's a sale. I've been holding back since I won't have the space for it until the basement room is ready... and that will be awhile. It takes 6-8 weeks to get here, so I have that leeway, but if DH doesn't start working a bit faster it won't be ready by then. We shall see how it all pans out. I am excited to get the quilter so I can do all of those quilt tops I have sitting here in a tub.

I am getting together with my best friend from school tomorrow for coffee and discussion of a book we are reading together- _The Purpose Driven Life_. I am having some problems with the book, but plugging away at it anyway. At least I am trying.

I started going through my quilting files tonight. I am going to get rid of a lot. I have patterns from 1980 that I won't make. If I haven't made it by now, there are probably four more patterns I want to make more than the old ones. I'm organizing, but it is also so I can move the filing cabinet (It is 3.5 feet wide, five drawers tall. It's a product made by the company my DH works for. It is a second because of a dent, and it was inexpensive. A new one is quite expensive. It will be moved into my quilt studio when it is ready. For now I need to empty it so when the new carpeting is in the guest room I can move it in there to store temporarily. I have to get this room emptied so I can paint it and get it recarpeted. Don't worry, I will always have my sewing table set up somewhere!

I am soooo hot today! The humidity is awful. Life seems to be hot for me all the time lately. I'm hot. Well, I've always been HOT, but now I'm hot. 0=-) Of course, that beer I had didn't help much! TTYL Angel

Has it really been that long????

Since I posted??? Well, three people have mentioned something to me, so I guess I had better get at this!! School, at the end of the year, was so very busy. I had a student teacher and she needed a lot of guidance, or maybe I should say, encouragement. She came to me after an experience where two guys had basically blasted her and took away all of her confidence. She did well with me, but was not confident. She got better at the end. Student teachers always don't discipline enough. They students would see me in the library or halls and ask when I was coming back. They missed me. I had a lot of good comments from students at the end of the year. I was surprised by whom some of the comments were from. A boy who didn't do much all year, for example, told me that I was his favorite teacher. Gee, I wonder if he does anything for the teachers who WEREN'T his favorite! LOL At any rate, I was exhausted at the end of the year and needed to sleep a lot. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh, sorry, I still doze off sometimes!

I went to a quilt retreat the week after school let out. I actually went to bed EARLY most nights, and also slept in. My body was just tired. I worked on a couple of UFOs, but didn't finsih anything. I did relax though, and enjoyed the people. They said I was very quiet this year, and asked if I was OK. Guess that tells you what I am usually like! (wink, wink) Actually, I think it was because of where I was sitting, and the people around me. They were quiet people. Can't get into too much trouble that way. =-)

DH and I spent 11 days in a row at our camper trailer at the Jellystone Campground. We didn't "go" as much this time, but enjoyed the trailer. It rained almost every day, at least for awhile, and the storms were short but rather violent. It kept us from taking the boat out on the Bay, and also from hiking or biking any distance. Hopefully it will be better the next loner time we will be up there. We go often on weekends, and have so much fun with the other seasonal campers. They got me beading last summer, and I have done quite a lot with that. I'll have to see if I can take a photo of some things to post.

I've been cleaning, and I painted a bedroom. I am waiting for the carpeting to be installed. We are making that room a guest room, but it will be stuffed with things until my new studio is finished. Then we will make this room into a TV/exercise room. I hate waiting for things. Too much of my summer will be gone before I get to the next step. I wish I could hurry my DH along on the studio. He always has an excuse. Yesterday he did say something about taking a few days off of work to work on the studio. That would be great. I'd even help him. A little. Maybe. =-)

Speaking of my DH, he just called that he was going to go donate blood. We both have the same rare blood type (B negative), and they need it. He started donating blood when I suggested that "we" should do it. He's donated gallons, and guess what chicken has never gone and donated even once?? Buck..buck... begock! (That's me making a chicken noise... use your imagination!)

I have been working out in the garden. I am making notes about what I will be moving next spring, to make the gardens bloom more evenly. And, of course, there is always the weeding to do. I actually am going to add two areas. Eventually we'll have a 3-season room on the back of the house and then we will walk out on to a patio I will make and then the flowers around that will blend with the other flower beds, leaving an opening where we will have an arbor with seats. I found someone at the botanical fair who makes them out of metal that looks so cool when weathered. Rich liked it, too. I got so good at DIGGING last summer at the archaeological dig that I figure I can remove sod for the flower beds, and later I will also do that for the patio. Rich doesn't want the work of doing a patio so I am going to do it myself. It'll be cool to be able to say that I made it myself. But... first things first. There are other things I need to avoid doing first. LOL

I have this big long list of things to do, and I am being really good at ignoring it today. I was going to do it tomorrow until I got a phone call a little while ago. Now, instead, tomorrow I am going to go see my sister's new house and then we are going shopping at our favorite place to buy our primitive house decorations. My other favorite shop went out of business. Not because the owner wasn't doing well, but to spend more time with family. It was closed before I even heard there was a possibility of it closing. Boo!

Yes, I definitely am into avoidance today. Can I go take a nap now?