Back to Primitive Garden

I finally finished Block 6 of the Primitive Garden. I had all the applique done a couple of weeks ago, so today I finally added the stem in the crow's beak. I have started Block 7 and did one birdhouse on it today. It shouldn't take too long, it's mostly different birdhouses on a wire. So, I haven't forgotten this quilt and I still love it, so I do plan on finishing it ...someday!

I spent four days this week working on the longarm doing quilting for other people. I still have one more to finish this week in between getting the house cleaned and the laundry done.
One of the dogs had some kind of accident (I think it was Pita and I think he's beginning to deteriorate). Anyway, it was like a flood and I don't think there's that much fluid in all of JR. We cleaned it up and both dogs seem okay, so we're just watching them for now. Needless to say though, I've done a couple of loads of throw rugs (it happened in the kitchen on the hardwood floor) and have another to do. Tomorrow I want to rescrub the floors in the kitchen and in the clutter room where we track everything in. I need to start getting things scrubbed for Thanksgiving anyway. We will be doing turkey day on the Sunday before again this year, so I need to get ready ahead of time.

Plus on the 8th our church is having a turkey dinner that I have volunteered to help at -- I get to peel potatoes (yippee! - not!) and help set up the tables and anything else that needs to be done.
Steph and Aaron and the boys are coming down that day and we'll meet them at the church for dinner. (I'm pretty sure Bill will be turkeyed out by the time the season is over! vbg)

Gratitudes:
Getting a little paperwork caught up this week and sending in our applications for insurance for next year -- we both had to make decisions on our new insurance as his company has changed everything this time. I'm glad the decisions are made and the paperwork has been signed and sent!
Finding some applique time today.

Mail Call

Primitive Pieces by Lynda has just published her first book. And I got my copy in the mail late yesterday afternoon. This is really a nice book for being self-published. It has patterns for quilts she named after childhood games, "Hopscotch", "jacks", etc. Fun, cute and I think probably quick patterns. I love the book -- just don't have time right now to make one of the quilts, but I like the book as well as Bonnie's new book!

I delivered a quilt today, picked up another quilt to machine quilt last night and have one on the frame right now. I kinda like doing a few quilts for other people -- it's helping me learn everything I need to know about my machine and it's testing my abilities and therefore helping me improve (I hope!). I hope to finish two this week and start a third. And then maybe I can spend some time piecing the quilt Kris and I have picked from Bonnie's book.

Gratitudes:
A warm fire in the kitchen in the morning.
Lunch with a friend.
Gas at $2.81 (when did we become happy to pay less than $3 a gallon for gas?).

My Christmas Shopping is Finished!

Is this just the most adorable thing you've ever seen? It's a little bulldozer that Will can actually sit on and the scoop in the front raises and lowers with the handle there and it makes little engine sounds when you turn the key. Will is already all boy -- he loves climbing and sitting on things and he loves cars and trucks -- he already makes the car sounds himself when he runs a car across the floor! He's 15 months old!

The local Farm & Fleet advertises that their Toyland opens on this Saturday every year. They open the store at 7 am. I do not do frenzy shopping for anyone! But I saw this in their flyer and wanted to get it for Will. I left home at 8 am, arrived at 8:30 -- no big crowds at all -- quite a few shoppers, but no mania. Got two things for each grandchild -- all the stuff I hoped to find even, finished by 9 am and home by 9:30! And my Christmas shopping is finished! We decided this year to just buy for the grandkids. The adults may exchange homemade things if they feel the need. I'm so glad we decided that -- with the economy the way it is right now and the fact that I absolutely hate to shop -- it has turned out to be the best idea yet. And the kids wanted to do it last year, but I was the one that didn't want to, so I'm glad I really gave it some thought this year. All the pressure is off and I'm looking forward to Christmas!

When I got home today, I had breakfast and my coffee (yes, I even went shopping without coffee this morning!), read the paper and then got busy. I have managed to take down the screens, wash all the windows on the outside (I do the second floor windows by standing on the roof of the porches), cut back all the hydrangeas next to the house in the front, cleaned up the flower beds next to the house in the front and two of the three beds in the front yard. I need to wash windows on the inside, but I'm done for the day now. If I don't get to the big bed in the front yard this fall, at least I've gotten the rest of the flower beds done and I'm happy about that. It's supposed to be nice tomorrow afternoon, but I'm not making any promises. I "should" have power washed both porches before I washed the windows, but that'll wait til spring, too.

I haven't done much quilting lately. I guess I needed a break from it plus I've been busy doing other things, so haven't really missed it much. But last Wednesday Kris and I had another sewing day -- except we spent the time cutting fabrics instead. We're going to do one of the quilts from Bonnie's new book and we both cut two piles of fabrics and traded. I came home and cleaned off my sewing tables, so I hope to spend some time sewing some blocks soon. I also have a couple of quilts to quilt, so need to get that done too. And I'm still working on my Primitive Garden quilt -- a couple of weeks ago I finished the applique on block 6 and cut out the freezer paper templates for block 7. I want to get back to having something I can work on for an hour or so a day and now I have the applique project and a piecing project and I still have a bit more to do on my hand quilting project.

Gratitudes:
I got to spend time with Steve this week while driving him to and from Madison for his monthly lab work and chemo drug pickup.
I got to spend time with Steph and the boys this week because I drove up to visit on Thursday. Steph babysits for 3 other boys now also -- so 5 boys under the age of 4! Oh yes, it was a quiet drive home. vbg
Finishing my entire "to-do" list today.

October

Here we are at the beginning of October already. This year is flying by (or maybe it's because I'm getting older and all the years are on the downhill slide!) Last year Will was only two months old, so Steph dressed him in a skeleton outfit for Halloween.
And this morning we had our first frost out here in the boonies. A light one to be sure, but frost is frost. The house was cold this morning and I refuse to turn on the heat until I absolutely have to -- especially with the cost of propane gas this year! So, today was the first day of the season for a fire in the kitchen fireplace. It is still going this afternoon and I suspect Bill will start one in the living room fireplace after dinner.


I have managed to get a few fall decorations out -- a week or so ago. This is my antique treadmill (Okay -- this is actually a treadle, not treadmill!) that was my mother-in-law's that I keep in the kitchen on the opposite wall from the fireplace. The little quilt was made from lottery blocks I won a few years ago at guild. The pumpkin stitchery was done by my daughter -- I love it and wish she'd make me a dozen more! (hint, hint).

Today I managed to not only finish my guild's newsletter and get it sent out, but I also quilted a small quilt for a friend. And in the mail this afternoon I got two more books I ordered last week from Kimmy Brunner -- both are by Mary Nordeng and both are technique books for the longarm. Along with Bonnie's book, I have plenty to read tonight!

Gratitudes:
Steve heard back from Imerman's Angels and is anxiously awaiting being matched to another brain tumor patient - he as a survivor and the other as a fighter.
Bill finished painting the two shelf units we bought from a going-out-of-business video store. Now I can fill them with longarm stuff!
Finishing the newsletter - it's getting to be drudgery for some reason and I put it off til the last minute. Maybe because I'd rather be quilting!

It's Here, It's Here

My book is here! I pre-ordered Bonnie's book from Pickledish and it arrived yesterday afternoon! I'm savoring every page!
Bonnie is going to be at a guild about 30 minutes south of me in November and I've reserved a spot at her program. I'm going to have her sign my book then. I finally get to meet her in person!