Happy Camper.....

Yes, I am the happy camper this morning.......
You ask why?
SCHOOL IS OUT.......NO SCHOOL BUSES AND NO MOMMAS DRIVING THEIR LITTLE PRECIOUS DARLINGS TO SCHOOL!!!! That is one of my pet peeves. The little s%$^ should take the bus and cut down on the traffic. On the up side those people are spending money on expensive gas-go dopes!!!!

The other thing that makes me a happy camper this morning is that I finished step 3 of the orange crush mystery!!! Woot woot. Of course I had to unsew about a million times when I constructed the triangles. Now the next step of the project can be published-I am ready!

Bring on the Advil....

I have now completed 82 blocks of step 2 on the Orange Crush mystery quilt. 50 more blocks to go!! The worst part about this step is cutting out the smaller triangles. I am using the tool that Bonnie reccomends but my wrists are killing me. I am fighting a little arthritis in the wrists and thumbs. I checked it out with the OT's at work because my first thought was carpal tunnel but she did not think it was because of the mobility that I do have. So I just take the medication and don't cut very much at a time. I don't know how many more of the little pieces I am short. I still need 100 to finish this step and then 88 more for step 3.

I will never be caught up by the time the next step is published.....

Survived the "weather" last evening. The worst weather was in Cherokee and north Fulton. Sue called afterward. No damage there either thankfully. Sarah and Emma said it was very noisy (hail). I am ready for "tornado season" to be over!!

Yikes...tagged again....

Becky tagged me....problem is I don't know many people to tag..but here goes

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names. Then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they are tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person you tagged you know when you've posted your answer.
Here goes:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I had just moved to Ga from Ny. I was newly divorced and beginning the next chapter of my life. I had just purchased my own home and was waiting for it to be completed so I could move in. And I had just started a new job doing something I had never done before!

2.What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order.)Call the vet and see if I can board Bailey an additional day so I can be with my friend an additional day, work on step 2 of the orange crush mystery, do the work thing, see if I can contact the guy about the repair of the flashing on the house,...that is it and I probably won't get them completed either
3.Snacks I enjoy:chocolate ice cream, Drake's coffee cakes, my-t-fine chocolate pudding,chocolate milk, chocolate chip cookies

4.Things I would do if I were a billionaire
Quit my job and play all day!! Design and build a house to meet all of my needs. Give an endowment to my old church in NY. Travel and drag along some friends and provide for my granddaughters educations.

5.Peeps I want to know about
Cindi(knapsackquilts), Laurie, Becky hit all of the blogs I know, but I would like to know about my friend Kathy (don't kill me), Louise.

Back in the Groove...

After having a major brain fart, I think I have gotten back into the groove. I wanted to makes this bag that I saw at the shop. Saturday afternoon I could not figure out the directions. I made drawings and thought and thought and still screwed it up. Had to make a trip over to the shop and of course the fabric that I cut out was already gone. But the substitue is not bad. It was really easy once they explained it! Note to self, never read " read all directions first". The bag is nice although I do not know what I will do with it!

I needed to get back on track with the Orange Crush mystery quilt. Since I had had another brain fart with the cutting on step 2, I decided to proceed with step 4. I now am almost finished with step 4. I have 14 more blocks to sew-just the rows-the rows are already constructed. I also began cutting step 2. I have the larger half square triangles all cut as well as the 2 inch squares. I have to complete cutting the smaller triangles. There are 284 of these bad boys needed for this step! I did make one one the blocks and now I know what I am doing! Maybe I am not losing my mind afterall....

Now it is back to work. I am going to go to the Grayson guild meeting tonight

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

Last evening Sue, Kris and I went "ITP" to hear Chris in Decatur discussing his new book. We got there early (of course) and plopped ourselves right up front. All of the girls had read his most current column about his memories of their grandmother. Unfortunately my daughters do not have many memories at all of Irene-first because she was living in Fla and secondly she had dementia. But we did talk of her better times and the girls remembered a couple of times they were together with their older cousins. Isn't it amazing what strikes a cord in our memories. Chris and his older brother were always very funny. At any rate, I don't know where I was going with this but.......I guess I really am just so happy that Chris is successful and still a wonderful kid. His Nonnie would be so proud of him.

And now Sat. is here and I am determined do do something after I finish the usual mundane chores this weekend. I can't get into the orange crush mystery quilt. I tried cutting some of the triangles in step 2 and screwed them up. It may just have to wait until next month's sisters for a little help from Gretchen and Becky. Then there is the back of the Far East quilt-don't have a clue about how to proceed with that one either! I need to begin to think about the quilt for Kathy's new grandbaby but he is not due until Aug so I have time.... So what to do??? I have these 4 piles of the most current acquisitons sitting next to the computer in the livingroom-won't even discuss the condition of the sewing room. (That is probably what I should do). I think I'll have some coffee and mull on and fondle some of this yardage for some inspiration!

Nursing Home Week

The second week in May is designated as Nursing Home Week. It follows Nuses' day (week). So last week, everytime I turned around there was food. We were all even given a brand new stethescope! Now in my position, this is a pretty useless gift as I don't really do "hands on" care but the thought was nice. Besides it is my favorite color!
This week the activity department usually creates activites for the residents around a daily theme. Tuesday was "clown day". I did not go to work dressed as a clown. Yesterday was "50's day". I put on sneakers and rolled down socks and tried to look a little like that era. (Not with very much success!) Now I must say-I am really not into this dress up thing. One year though, there was "pajama day" and that was pretty neat. I have not got the slightest idea of what to wear today (Hawaiian Day). I don't have a grass skirt or a coconut bra! I often wonder what some of our more demented residents must be thinking.
Sometimes when I look at my residents, I reflect on my own future. Which one of these people will I be like? I sure hope I will be one of the nicer ones! Recently one of my "girls" died unexpectedly. I went in to work on Monday and she had died over the weekend. She was quite the old lady. She had a sharp wit and if you promised her something, you had better deliver. She was made a "greeter"-complete with her own badge and would sit close to the front in her wheelchair. She insisted on seeing pictures I had taken of Kris's wedding and my vacation last year and nagged me until I brought them in. I could not pass by her without giving her a hug. I miss her.
As some of the residents reach the end of their lives, I find myself hoping that they will die and be free of suffering. Lucille was not one of them. I guess I was not ready for her to die. I know she is in a far better place now.

I guess this whole thought process has been brought on by my nephew, Chris Bohjalian. He has a column in the Burlington, Vt newspaper and this week it was about his grandmother. She as kind of like Lucille although at the end of her life was an empty shell of a woman. My memories of my mother are different than Chris's but she was a character as well!
Chris will be in Atlanta tomorrow for a reading of his new book. Sue, Kris and I plan to go to see him. I have not seen him in many years. Talk about a dysfunctional family.

2008-12

12 quilts finished this year!!! Actually I have finished an additional 2 more that I am not counting in the overall picture (the 2 quilts I made for Sue to give to her teachers aide and student teacher).
This quilt is an early "pinhead" project. It is called Crossed Paths-can't remember the book that it was in. It is another one that has been sitting for a long time. I love the quilting pattern on this one. It really fills up those big open spaces!

I have to get back to thinking about the back of the Far East quilt for Laur. also there is the orange mystery quilt that I am way behind on progress. Maybe this afternoon I will dive into step 2 or maybe not.....