Getting ready for a quilt show

Every three years the quilt group I helped start in Two Rivers, the Ladies of the Lake, has a members only non-judged quilt show at the Rahr-West Museum and Art Gallery.  This year it's our turn, again, to have a show there in December.  Last night I was working on finishing a challenge quilt, and also measuring the quilts I will be showing so I could get the information to the liaison in the group who will give the information to the Rahr. This is always an exciting time.  The Art Gallery hires a quilt related speaker for the opening, and it is pretty cool to be one of the people involved.  I could drive down to meetings now that I am retired, but just can't seem to get the energy to do it. I'm always invited to show as a charter member.  Since I've been working on UFOs, I have a number of things I will be putting in the show. Now I just have to get hanging sleeves on the ones that don't have one! 

Trying to get my act together

It seems that these days I am constantly jumping from one thing to another and not really getting anything done.  The same thing happens with my brain.  I start thinking about something and never really get it thought through before my mind jumps to something new. Today, for example, I felted two sweaters to make mittens from, read a magazine, fixed a hook on granddaughter's skirt, looked in my files to see what was in there, looked at a book about printing fabric, got the green tomatoes spread out between newspapers in the basement, put away some fabric, looked at some stuff on 'you tube', made the bed, read my e-mail, played solitaire on the computer, did a crossword puzzle, posted on my other blog (quiltscrapsangel.blogspot.com), picked up my granddaughter after school, started supper, and now this.  I did a few other things in between there, too, like ate breakfast and lunch.  Now, my mind has been jumping all over in between, thinking about things that had nothing to do with what I did today.  Thinking about my garden, and what I need to change next year, thinking about calling my parents, thinking about a book I read and all of my confused thoughts about religion, thinking about how tired I am, and who will be off of DWTS tonight, and what I should do next.  But I really didn't get a whole lot done at all, so then I feel like I'm wasting my time, and thinking about how I should get more organized, and how I should be taking better care of my body, exercise, etc.  I think about journaling and how I'm afraid to get started on my art quilt background fabric.  I just need to get back to my old mottos. "Just Do It," "Do It Now," "Do It Scared," "Do One Thing At a Time."  But then I feel like I wanna go take a nap.  Sigh.  Will I ever learn? Guess I'll play another game on the computer.

Still On My Back

OK, get your mind out of the gutter!  I just mean that I'm off my feet still because of the wart treatment. Sure hope it works. I'm bored.  Guess I'll go read. See, that's why I don't post a lot.  I am so boring.

Ugh, I had some warts on the bottom of my foot "needled" today.  Hope it works- I've been dinking around with it since last fall.  Really hurts.  No sewing today- I have to keep my foot up. I don't know when I'll get to making my pirate costume.

Trying again?

Last year I said I was going to start posting again, and posted exactly once.  I'm gonna try this again, because I have friends who followed this who are asking me about it.  I don't have a lot of time today, because I am going out for lunch soon, but quickly: love retirement, DJ center blocks completed along with 34 out of the 52 triangles for the border, Eric doing OK still with chemo, working a lot in my garden. I Facebook and tweet, so you can also find me there.  I am going to keep up on this instead of playing solitaire, free cell and mahjong! At least I think I can... it's kind of addicting.

I'll try again...

to keep up a blog. Life takes its ups and downs and twists and turns. Going through Colon Cancer with our older son. What a roller coaster ride that has been. He has just started on maintenance again since the second time cancer was found in his lung. Right now there is no activity on the PET scan. Hopefully this time it will stay away.

I am finished with my emeritus hours and so this year takes an entirely new turn. As far as traveling is concerned, all is up in the air, however, as we wait and watch what will happen with the cancer.

I've been working on my quilt UFOs and have gotten a lot done this past year. Will have to take photos. Also on pair number 6 for socks. Working on Dear Jane again. Have now completed row H. I have some in each of the final rows to complete, but some rows only have a few more to do. That's been higher on the priority list though. So exciting to be doing it again.

Also been working on the house. New sun room, and painted kitchen. More painting to come in the living room and halls and my bathroom. Have the paint purchased for those. Also have to work on our son's house as he has decided to sell it. Lots to do! I am going to try to get myself on a sort of schedule to keep up with the computer and exercising, and meditation. I want to, so I will do it. Otherwise I just drift along with the flow, and don't choose how to spend my time. Wish me luck!

Holy Moly...

life sure has been crazy! Highlights:

-closed up the camper after weekends in September
-went to a quiltchicks retreat and completed the bookcase quilt top
-went to a medieval feast with our friends who are in SCA
-already have first report cards and parent/teacher conferences done
-quilted Chainsaw Massacre (finally) this weekend
-getting ready for the Rahr Art Gallery show which is Dec. I should have 5 things in it if I can get them done (a good thing to have a deadline)
- have read a couple of books
-going to Yoga
-going to the chiropractor for pay in my neck and TMJ
-still not getting enough sleep
-DH had his 61st birthday and is now counting months until retirement
-DGD is in 6th grade this year!
-slowly am getting things done around the house; today I was cleaning in my studio. closets are done, drawers are done. I am learning to get rid of things. have to make another visit to donate at St. Vinnie's.
-cats are doing great. Daisy loves to cuddle and Darwin acts like a dog. woof
-have a new phone- a blackberry, or crackberry as I call it.

that's it for now!
Angel

I fell asleep...

after supper and now I am awake late! We had a work day today for school and I was exhausted when I came home. So I let myself sleep. I thought I'd be able to fall asleep again at the regular time because I took a muscle relaxer about 4 hours ago. That's from my trip to the oral surgeon yesterday. He says I have muscle spasms in my jaw muscles. the good news is that I don't have wearing bones or arthritis in my jaw. We are trying a month of muscle relaxers, wearing my splint at night (which I always do), heat application and soft food. Hopefully that will calm my perpetual jaw muscle spasms! It was easy to get back into the grind at school, and I am looking forward to meeting my new students next Tuesday. Now I just need to figure out when I am going to exercise. I want to keep up with yoga, and walking. Tomorrow DH and I are going out for breakfast and then taking a trip up to Door County. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see some of our former camping buddies.

And so it begins...

another school year. I fell asleep right away and woke up at 2:00 to go to the bathroom. Then Daisy comes and cuddles and I don't fall back to sleep. Lots of stuff on my mind. We had inservice today (yesterday??? it is almost 3 AM). It was all about data and what the data team did in June. I had my department in my room later, and it was a big waste of time. Today we go to hear the superintendent talk and then back to school for more. I have no idea what we'll be doing today.

After school I took the cats to the vet for their annual check ups and shots.

After leftovers for supper I painted a second coat of paint on the bench for the front porch, and two shelves. I did the first coat on Tuesday. Nothing like waiting till the last moment to do something that's from my list of things to do this summer!

I still haven't been able to get the thread I need to quilt Chainsaw Massacre.

Is it June yet?

It's a start...

I have the quilt, "De Pere Chainsaw Massacre" on my machine. This is in reference to the unfortunate and untimely death of some baby squirrels when my DH was cutting down a tree in our front yard at our last house. My DH and I love squirrels and feed them so they will come play in our yard. We name them by what they look like, examples, White Ears, Scruffy Tail, etc. One we had was One Eye. Poor One Eye must have had a run in with another animal or man made contraption, and had lost an eye. It was a small squirrel and we discovered, too late, a female. She had made a nest in a dead tree in our yard, but we didn't know it. When DH went at it with his chainsaw, at the point of cutting down part of the trunk, we heard a horrible screaming and blood flew everywhere. Oh, the horror! DH felt TERRIBLE! We found he had gone through a nest of baby squirrels. Later, One Eye would go sit on the tree stump for long periods of time. More guilt on DH's part. So, like the good wife I am, I decided to commemorate it with a quilt. The center was made with my friends group, Seamster's Union. We all bought two fabrics and then traded squares and made crazy nine patches. It looked to me like a chainsaw had at the fabric. I put a border around it with leaves. That part looks like an peaceful beautiful scene and then the chain saw comes along. I have a squirrel applique in each corner. It's for DH, of course. So, finally, after all these years, I am going to finish it. I got it on the machine yesterday (with some help from my cats) and am going to go start quilting it right now. I'll keep you posted.

Only a week left...

until I go back to school. It goes too darn fast!!! I've been in a cleaning frenzy- cleaning out cupboards and drawers and closets. I've made three trips to St. Vincent de Paul with donations so far. I've wanted to do that for a couple of years, I think. My best friend at school, Kathy, spent almost her whole summer with her sister who died recently from kidney cancer. I helped her clean out her sister's closets, and then came home and started doing my own. I have some more to do in the kitchen and the closet in the laundry room, but got a lot finished. Of course, that means other things didn't get done and I haven't been getting a lot of quilting done. I did finish my Christmas blocks, and did my blocks for a mystery quilt with my former quilting group in Two Rivers. We got three fabrics from someone and had to make a quilt with those, adding other fabrics, too, if we wanted. I made flower blocks, and have to get them together and quilted before November. Today I am going to finally get a quilt on my quilting machine and start quilting! I have a number of others that I want to quilt. Maybe I can get on a roll. More soon!

Some Photos of quilt tops...

The first picture is a lap size quilt top I made during "Scrap Therapy" at Silver Thimble Quilt Shoppe. We take leftover scraps, cut them into 5", 3.5", and 2" squares. We get two patterns every two months that use these sizes.


The second picture is a quilt top for a baby quilt that I used the leftover pieces from making Ana's Crib Bumpers. I just cut 6"strips out of the already sewed together strips, sewed them together and added the borders.

The third picture is a rail fence baby quilt top. I made two of these. The first like this is quilted and given away. This one I finally added borders to.



Lots of bright fabrics! Not my palette for my house, but I like the brights for baby/toddler quilts. That is what each of these will be. Now I need to get QUILTING!!!

My body is screaming...

with using it so much lately! I've finally been home and right now I ache all over with all I have been doing.

I sewed two days ago and put borders on two quilts. Yesterday I started Gentle Yoga. Yesterday and today I worked in the garden. Today I also finally went to the Chiropractor about my neck pain. I actually have some degeneration in between two vertebrae. He is working on some things with me, though and also I had a treatment to try to get the inflammation down. I have exercises to work on the strengthen the muscles in my neck that hold up the head.

I put a few more perennials in the garden and have been weeding, cleaning up and trimming plants. I didn't get into the garden much until now and have to make up for it. Very pretty. I love my flowers. I bought plants that will bloom now, as that is what is needed in a few different areas.

I've had a couple of emotional days. My friend Kathy's sister died and I went to the funeral on Monday. Right now Kathy is in Missouri where Carla is being buried near her father. Next week Kathy and I are going to go to Wyoming. More about that later.

I am going to take some quilt photos and post them soon. I pinned the scrap one up on the wall to photograph it.

Off to do some more fun stuff!

Middle of July???!!!???

Oh- my- gosh- my summer is half over and I have not been home at all until this week. I don't know what to do first! I sew for awhile and then go weed in the garden and then take a walk and then read and then clean something, and then I start all over again. I feel like I am running in circles. I need to be able to slow down and actually live in the moment! It isn't that I haven't had fun, but just am waaaaaaaay too busy.

I bought a new phone today. One I can use to e-mail, etc. I will have to play with it and read the book and look at the CD they included with it to figure out how to use it.

I joined "Scrap Therapy" at Silver Thimble. I cut fabric into 5", 3.5", and 2" squares. Then they give you patterns to use them with. One each time (bi-monthly) we get a commercial pattern and our wonderful teacher does at least one more that she writes up directions for herself. It is fun. I made one quilt top, but am not going to do the July one because I need to FINISH some of my "aged" quilt projects. I want to get my Nolting machine going again and get some tops quilted. I will continue cutting up scraps along the way. It's good to do when watching TV (not that I do that much!).

Although I HAVE been watching some of the movies I buy all of the time. I love movies!

I'm going to try to do this more often (write) and if I do that it will be shorter and it won't take much time. How's that for a plan? I want to post more photos, too! My photo download program doesn't work for Vista, so I have to do it on the computer that has XP on it., and put it on a jump drive and transfer it to another computer. I've been using my laptop a lot more, but still need to put the printer software on it or network it to this computer. I really do love new technology. I just wish I had more time to figure it all out!

Well, that's it for tonight. Daisy is on my lap and arm and half on the keyboard!

Where did the last three months go?

Christmas, then going to California and then being very SICK. Yesterday and today Rich and I took down the Christmas decorations... finally. I came downstairs to get the Swiffer electric broom and instead read my e-mail. So soon I will take that up and clean the kitchen floor and then I'll get my Scooba going to wash it. Really, we are getting a lot done and finally it won't be overwhelming me!

California was more fun than I thought it would be. Going with school kids wasn't my idea of a good time, but since I didn't have to pay for the trip, I decided to "go with the flow." The USS Green Bay was awesome, and the commissioning ceremony was fantastic. We went on Thursday to do the "Geography Bowl" on the ship and our students performed for the crew and then we all had tours. What a great experience. The actual commissioning was on Saturday, and when they were finished and the sailors all ran up the stairs to go on board and they all lined up along the rail of the top deck and saluted it gave me shivers.

We also went to Disneyland on Friday and the show choir and jazz band preformed there. That was fun except it rained most of the day. I was lucky that I was a chaperone with another teacher and a mom for 8 girls who were really good. No problems with them. We also saw the Getty Art Museum (mostly outdoor gardens because it was the first day we arrived and the kids needed to run around), ate at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. and went to Hollywood and Venice Beach (but both of those were too quick for me- we didn't get to stay long enough!) The flights went well.

A lot of the kids got a cold, and I got it when we got home. I ended up staying home from school Thursday and Friday. Then over the weekend I got the stomach flu to boot! The ugh awful kind where you are sitting on the toilet holding a bucket to barf in...

So now I am finally feeling better and can catch up a bit here. I haven't caught up at school with correcting. I missed a total of 5 days with the trip and then being sick, and I just keep plugging away at it for correcting. Grades are in a couple of weeks, so I will be ready for that, I hope!

DH and I are driving to FL for spring break. We'll stop in Chattannooga on the way down, to see my sister. We will spend a few days with our DS there and then come back taking our time. We are planning to go to Universal Studios Park. Haven't been there yet. DS is coming with us there.

Can't wait to see DS. He is finally feeling happier. Things are going better for him. I got a text one day; "Life's good!" =-)

Better get back to work!

Today is DH's 60th birthday...

but we are celebrating tomorrow. I have to go buy his present yet, and "Over the Hill" stuff that DGD wants to have tomorrow. He is helping his brother cut up wood right now.

School has been soooo busy. The kids are mostly good; a few kids who can't keep their mouths shut. That bugs me. It is so disruptive for the other kids. I have some detention slips handy because I need to get them in line.

I like teaching, but I am getting so sick of all of the testing and all of the stress that comes with it. People talk about "merit pay" for "good" teachers, but when my students are tested, it is based on what they have learned previously to being my student, so how that that say anything about me? It is so high stakes that we have incentive prizes as a raffle. They get one ticket for taking the test (if they are "minimal"), two tickets for basic, three for proficient and four for advanced. We have a separate incentive program just for 8th grade science and social studies because they only take those test in 8th grade, not 6th and 7th. You have to bribe kids to do their best on the tests, because many are lazy and don't care how they do on the tests. But somehow it is the teachers' fault. That is the part I am sick of. Can I retire this year?????

Enough feeling negative! I just have to keep at it. I can't believe how fast this first part of school has gone, because we have already had our first 6 week grade period report cards and Parent/Teacher Conferences. I still have one night of PT conferences this coming week. I didn't have too many people sign up. (OK by me!!!)

I have been cleaning up in my studio so I can get sewing again. I have a lot of things here to file. I love going to the trailer in the summer, but I don't get much done at home once school starts, and we are still gone every weekend.

Speaking of camping, we have moved our camper to a different campground. We moved along with 36 other families who were fed up with how the seasonals were being treated. We are the only ones who moved where we are. The rest went to four other campgrounds. The people we are mostly friends with moved to a campground together, but it is farther away and we don't want to have to drive so far. We will miss our friends, but still get together in the winter, and also we figure that we didn't know any of them 5 years ago, and we will make new friends at the new campground, too. I am actually excited about the new place and starting over, in a way. It wasn't as much fun this past summer with everybody complaining and being negative. DH did the move with a friend of ours whom we paid to pull the camper (he has a bigger truck). DH will have to rebuild the deck next spring, but we will be able to use the wood from our other deck which he pulled apart and we took with us.

DH will also be buiding a deck at our house next spring. I will be digging up sod and be putting a brick or stone patio next to the deck and for flower beds around the deck, too. I have a plan in my head. Lots of work, but I like doing it. I'll be redoing our shade garden next spring, too. DH just threw stuff in it and it looks like it. I want it to look more landscaped. This past summer I really worked in the flower beds and moved a lot and cleaned up a lot. I spent a lot of time doing it, but it is gorgeous. I still have more to do... I just keep getting new ideas!

Time to get going so I can go shop. Hugs to you!

First Day of School...

and I am exhausted!!! It was a boring day and short and long at the same time. My brain felt so fried I couldn't think what to do next. I'll just keep plugging away at it, but my energy level is low. Every year I am a year older and the kids are the same age! LOL

I was "declawed" 2 weeks ago. I had my right big toe nail taken off. The Dr. killed the root, so it won't grow back. It will still look like there is a nail (indentations) with hard skin. It is still healing, so I am wearing sandals. I am having the same done on the other big toe in 3 weeks. The Dr. said my toenails have been traumatized all my life because my toes bend up where they are not supposed to bend. So I keep injuring them. He told me that it will actually look better with no toenail than with the ones I have/had. Now I know what my cats felt like!

Speaking of cats. We are just enjoying ours soooo much! They are just a joy to have around and to play with and to cuddle with. Darwin just relaxes in your arms and purrs. Daisy cuddles up to me, even in the middle of the night. She tends to come to me over Richard, and I think he's a bit hurt! Poor guy!

I have to go now. DGD is sewing and ran out of bobbin thread and needs help!

Workin'

hard here. I just finished washing the second half of my studio floor. I had to do it the "old fashioned" way, with a bucket and sponge mop! My robot has a broken part, and I am currently woring on getting that fixed. Poor little Scooba! Any time I do any physical labor I just start dripping sweat... oops, I mean I start to "glisten." (I'm a lady, after all!) My Principal called me yesterday and I was like, "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" After all, I have a whole week off yet. Except I don't. I have to prepare something for the staff development day. I will work with Penny and we'll get paid. It'll be easy, too. BUT... it cuts into my TIME! Next week is looking pretty busy, with Dr. appts., a trip to Sheboygan to see an Aunt and Uncle here from Arizona, an adventure with my friend, and now this work. Won't give me much time to sew. I have lists and more lists. Floor is dry. Better get back to work!

Here are the photos!

No, no, no,

it's not August already!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to have to remind myself to "be in the present" and enjoy every moment I have. I will have to start working on school stuff though, so I am ready to start the year with our new curriculum.

DH and I are going to go on vacation. He's at work today and then we start for 9 whole days. Most will be at our camper. I will bring my Dear Jane things along and sew when we are there, and not gallivanting around. I also need to make sure I exercise. I'm not secure in that yet.

I was quilting my last of the crazy nine patch baby quilts (FINALLY) the other day and sewed through the side of my left index finger. Ow. The quilt was hung up on the table and then let loose and my hand flew by the needle. I hate quilting on my sewing machine!! I couldn't do it on the Nolting (I tried!) so I've been putting it off, and now this. I did manange to work on it another day, and have it about half done. Meanwhile my finger is slowly starting to heal. It is very sensitive right now and still bled yesterday when I took off the bandage. Ow.

Our kitties are doing well. They follow us around and sleep with us when they finally stop playing. Even DH has been very patient with them. I think he has mellowed as he has gotten older. He keeps saying, "They are a 'hoot'!" They really are fun to watch. And both are affectionate. Just what we wanted. =-) I am going to add some photos today! I finally have them to add. Enjoy!