Slow motion

My body didn't really want to cooperate today, but I still had a productive planning meeting with my friend Annette to plan our Lughnassadh service for Sunday, and ate lots of cucumbers and melon while I was at it! Hurray!

Then I slept - lots. Friday nights DH Kevin teaches cardio kickboxing at the local Y, and then we watch the Sci Fi channel (Firefly, Stargates and then I go to bed while he watches the abomination that is the new Battlestar Gallactica), so I make dinner on Fri nights. He likes my jalfreezi, so coconut milk here I come! I guess I got intoxicated on the lovely aroma, because my counters, which didn't get full force treatment last week as originally planned, got it tonight. I'm pretty happy with the results!

Also, today is Friday, and my bills finally made it into their new home - the bill basket. I realized that I was never carrying them to where I *thought* the bill basket was going to be, so now it is on the kitchen table, where the bills invariably end up anyway. At least now they are contained and easily portable, while less likely to be catted off the table. Sounds like a plus to me!

My Day Off

Today was DH's day off work, so I took it off too - all work and no play makes Siggy a dull girl! (Siggy is DH's nickname for me - don't ask)

So - I went out to breakfast (gingerbread pancakes with VT maple syrup, crisy bacon, and buckets of tea!) with my dear friend Tracy and her twin girls, Kira (on the left) and Amelia (on the right). I'm the wrapped around their chubby little fingers thing in the middle! Today is their 11 month birthday, and I want to finish at least Kira's quilt for their birthday. Wish me luck!

After out outing, I came home and did a little bit of spinning (since it is cool enough to even *think* about handling wool, and I couldn't pass up the chance!), and set up new pool with DH Kevin. I'll show you pictures of it and our fabu landscaping tomorrow, but right now I am off to continue listening to Kevin read the new Harry Potter to me, and more spinning before CSI night. Enjoy!

Keep Swoops the *&$*#$ AWAY from my sewing machine!!!

ARGH!!!!

I am SO glad that I actually made a practice sandwich to work on today. My sewing machine worked *perfectly* yesterday. Today? I change threads and go to do *the exact same thing* - no changed settings or anything - just threads. And the bobbin tension was whacked. I changed it back *to the original threads* and it was STILL whacked. Unhappiness reigned.

I fiddled and changed, and fiddled and practiced and changed again, and finally got it working perfectly. Then I moved to a different part of the quilt. I didn't even change threads. Guess what? Whack City! ARGH! Add to this that I went to snip a thread while I was on the phone and took a 1/4 inch long chunk out of the edge of my almost finished quilt, and I am NOT happy with this progress.

I requested a temporary restraining order, and the 'quilt' is no longer allowed within five feet of my sewing machine. When it broke said restraining order and reappeared on my sewing table (I had NOTHING to do with that, mind you), I put it under house arrest on the design wall. It is being held there with straight pin restraints on all four corners so that it cannot escape and commit more heinous acts of whacked free motion quilting.

In the meantime, to console myself, I worked on my face for the QA mag challenge: and struck gold. I really enjoyed expressing my frustration with it, and I decided that the sample sandwich I had made and seen abused earlier being *precisely* 8.5 inches wide was an omen. Therefore, here is: "Seeing Red"
And you know what cinched it? I started quilting this with monofilament at the bottom, and it worked fine. Until I moved up to the nose, where it started making loop de loops again! As a result, only the tags and collar at the bottom are anything other than just fused down. C'est la vie. I quit!

'Couch' refers to furniture!!!

Wow. I have just been ON THE GO all day. I've taken off maybe 45 minutes since 6 AM, and here it is 4 PM. That might not sound huge to you, but with my body? Lol - that is a marathon day!

Couch from now on only refers to furniture; I have discovered the joys of bobbin work! OH MY HEAD - why I ****ever**** thought I'd couch the black lines in swoops, I have NO idea. This is FAR superior. I am sewing it with regular thread from the front first, then flipping it, replacing my bobbin, and sewing it again. In a couple of spots where I've deviated from the original line I've gone back and ripped out the original bits, and in some other bits where the original line is more accurate, I will tack the wayward bobbin thread back into position with a few hand stitches.

Here's a picture of the Spike part, as it currently stands:

And here is the back of the same area: (I love Melody's idea of fusing the back on AFTERWARD - I don't need to do much with all these loose ends! Hurray!)

I painted up another tablefull of cloth, and fused up three batches, and got started on my face for the QA mag challenge - I love having colored in my sketch and being able to go to my hand-painted stash and pulling out EXACTLY what I want. No "this will do's" for me! And best of all? If it turns out that I *haven't* already made exactly the color or combo that I want, I can go whip it up and have it on the cutting board that afternoon. Joy, Joy, Joy!!!!

I still haven't sketched Hormone Head, and I obviously need to get cracking on it, but the fact that I start my injectible medications again tonight should help inspire me! rotfl...

And Jen, who commented that I am getting so much art and organizing done lately? May fortune smile on you! You made my day! (Nothing like having one's efforts recognized, eh?) Thanks!

Partners in Clean: Week 2

I heard a great strategy the other day: if I job will take no more than 30 seconds, do it immediately. I don't know about you, but I usually spend WAY more time thinking/stressing/procrastinating about some task than it would actually take, so this piece of advice was a good one!

Reporting on Week 1:
I still haven't sorted all of my magazines, but at least have spare boxes now for when I DO sort them all. Also, I didn't get the entire kitchen counter cleaned, but got all around the edges of the dishes. Pathetic, but true. I did about 3 loads of dishes, and I swear my husband ate like 9 meals a day even though he didn't get home until 4 PM! Ah well. It is still an improvement!

Progress in a day, not perfection in an hour!!!!

So - This week is a habit week, so... what new habit do YOU want to add to your life?

I started making my bed a few weeks ago, and WOW does it make a difference! I think that for this week I am going to (finally!) designate a basket for bills as they come in. You'd think that this would have been a no brainer, but it hasn't happened yet, pathetically! Mom even just gave me a neato basket that will do until I find something more permanent so I can have my basket back. I even know where I am going to put it! (feeling very virtuous!)

That might not seem like a big deal, but since I start my meds again this week, I will probably feel pretty cruddy, and a simply met goal sounds like a big plus. Besides, habits don't have to be a big deal since they will continue to pay benefits for years to come, and I DID do a lot last week! ;)

In Bloom!

Just made these dandy little postcards to celebrate having finally gotten my period again, 8 weeks after my miscarriage and having taken stupid drugs to bring it on. Hormone Head became full out Hormone BODY last night, with 14 hours of sleep feeling like about 6 with all the pain and rotten dreams, but - it was worth it! Hurray!

Off to sketch the 'official' Hormone Head for Indelible Spirit, and maybe work on the QA mag self portrait challenge. I did a little sketch for it the other day that looks pretty goofy, but that is usually how I see myself anyway. One of my personal goals for my life is to take myself just seriously enough and no more than that. Amen.

The Magic Bus needs YOU!

Ok folks, it still looks like a bus on acid (how *very* 1970's of me!), but it really does need your help - it is all fused to batting and ready for quilting. I started quilting some of the 'disconnect' lines - which I put there deliberately, thank you very much! - and decided that they need to be heavier, so they will be couched with black crochet cotton instead.

But I have no idea what else to do with it. I tried doing the pebbled thing on a sampler, and it just isn't working for me, so that option just isn't going to cut it. I am an advanced beginner FMQer, and I don't have much in the way of variegated threads, and none of them without blue in them! I like monofilament, as it goes with everything and is very forgiving.

So, PLEASE tell me what to do with this! Yes, it can wait a while, but I just assume actually finish something for once, so your ideas are most appreciated! Thanks in advance!

So much for that idea...

I saw a SQ yesterday where they talked about how easily one can cut matching templates from two pieces of freezer paper ironed shiny sides together. It sounded like a neato trick, so I thought I'd try it for my Hawaiian applique project. I drew and I cut, and I traced and I cut again. I was so pleased with myself! I left it alone last night so fabric selections could percolate in my dreams.

NOT. First of all, my dreams were crappy, and I needed Sonji to cheer me up this morning. Second, all happy from Sonji's ministrations, I went to peel the pieces apart to audition some selected fabrics. Then my os-so-pleased-with-my-self ness vanished - the suckers wouldn't come apart! ARGH! Now I have a much heavier template to trace, AGAIN, and all the while, the perfect fabric eludes me. Narf.

BTW - I *know* that this looks uber-phallic, but it was the best I could come up with that would allow for some cool shadow quilting. I'm not into the floral thing, and was sort of going for an 'aliens landed on Maui, and this is what they made' sort of style... I guess they are just penis obsessed aliens, and no wonder, since the little green guys in the movies never seem to have any. Of course, that could be because life clever enough to get across the galaxy is obviously *female*, but I promised Sonji that I wouldn't make my husband feel obsolete today, so I'll keep that idea in reserve. Until tomorrow. Did I mention that I am reading 'Adam's Curse'? Gotta love that puny little Y chromosome - it makes for all sorts of cute butts and hunky shoulders.... ah - I feel better now! Hurray for stuck together phallic templates!

In other news, here is my spiffy, newly organized, under the window bookcase and yarn-that-I'll-never-use storage unit. It was in my Dad's office when I was a child, and fortunately it needed a home at the same time I needed furniture, so voila! I DESPISE that 'slim books and magazine slump' that occurs when such are put into a bookcase, so magazine holders to the rescue! I have books in the ones on the long shelf, and they act as dividers between all the subjects therein! Ain't I clever!?!? All of my old weaving books (what I did before I quilted) are on the right, and I *obviously* need to sell some of those to make room for more quilting books. My magazines are on the lower shelf, all neatly organized and labelled, I might add, and the shelf above them is going to hold my bolts of fabric for painting/dyeing when I:

* a) move the dulcimer upstairs into the music room (guest room that holds all of our musical instruments, since we never play them anyway, but which will look deliciously pretentious, don't you think? 2 hammered dulcimers, 2 mountain dulcimers, 2 guitars, several antique recorders, DH's harp, and metronomes, tuners, music stands and pitch pipes as accents!)

*b) find a home for my Braille slate and stylus (from my working at Perkin's School for the Blind days many eons ago) and,

*c) win the lottery so I can buy multiple whole bolts of fabric at one time. Please donate your winning tickets accordingly! ;)


And, last but not least, I leave you with another shot of my studio, this time the painting table in the gorgeous morning light. The junk behind it is on top of the aforementioned bookcase, and the wooden toolbox I found for a buck at a yard sale a few weeks ago. Could it be better?!?!?! NPR in the background, dapppled sunshine, birdsong, DH fast asleep, and projects and Phish Phood waiting for me. Ah - back to work!

Much better!

You are going to need to turn your head again, but I think this looks MUCH better than before, even if it *does* look a bit like a bus in this orientation! This is for the Straight and Narrow challenge on the QA board, and I'm pretty happy with how it is coming along. See all of those artfully designed 'misalignments'? I planned it that way! Really!

Well, not really, but while fusing in the sashing strips I decided that I like it better this way anyway; *obviusly* the planned work of my subconscious inner artist! I am going to sew quilting lines along where the paths 'could' have gone, which I think will look interesting. I still have to add the bubbles, but that can just plain wait for tomorrow. So there.

I have put fusing on the back of the whole thing (since parts of it were foundation pieced) and will fuse it to batting next, then quilt it, then put on the backing and fuse on a binding. Did I mention that Melody is my hero? Well, it should be fairly obvious by now! :)

Also? It is bucketing outside - thunderstorms and cool air. How can you beat it? It was actually cool enough to have the iron on all day! Wahoo!!!

Ta Da!!!

BIG breakthrough yesterday - the culmination of many of your influences, I might add!

Remember my perpetually stalled on the design wall piece, Swoops and Spikes? Here's an old picture of how it has looked since about January:

I wasn't really happy with either the pale yellow background, or with the yellow stripe. Way too blah. So it languished, waiting for inspiration; mostly Melody and the Chicago School of Fusing, and Pam RuBert and her sidekick PaMdora!!! Thanks, ladies!!!!!

SO:
I am WAY happier now. I overdyed the pale yellow ground with two sets of paint washes, and junked all the colored stripes for plain black, and added an extra border of black between the polka dot fabric and the ground, to make it stand out more. I haven't figured out what this is all going to do to my adding a black background to the overall composition, but time will tell.

The piece is actually supposed to be vertical, but I can't figure out how to turn images yet, so turn your head instead, ok? The last, bottom block, needed to be reworked to accomodate the new black edge on the dotted fabric, so it will get constructed today. Hopefully it won't languish for want of a background thereafter!!!

And, since Teri and others have been so kind as to oblige with their clean and messy studio pictures, here's my main desk and new ironing table in need of a real tidy - but I doubt that yesterday's progress would have happened without either the new desk or the associated clutter!

As far as my PIC progress goes, Mr Clean Magic Eraser sponges DO work great, but get GRODY looking after only one use. Ah well. I've made great progress on my main kitchen counter, and even scrubbed the stove. I also washed the plate inside my microwave, but only because I accidentally melted an entire stick of butter on it, rather than from any inate virtue on my part!

I also went to Staples and Barns and Snowballs yesterday, to get magazine holders and to drool, respectively. I got the new QA, and am going to set up new magazine holders for my vast horde today. Hurray!

** All of that said, I was reminded yesterday, by a nest of ants, that we are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS, and I continue to not 'be' very well emotionally due to these stupid hormones. I read the QA mag portrait challenge, and came up with a cute draft drawing for it, but I'm still thinking that a larger, different, 'Hormone Head' will be my piece for Indelible Spirit. I have all these deadlines looming, so it is a TERRIFIC thing that I am actually starting to cruise a little bit! Hurray!

Grotesque

I've been hearing about the self-portrait challenge in QA magazine, and I am thinking of doing a really grotesque one. Not that that is how I feel about myself or anything, but it could be fun to play with.

I am *contemplating* actually using the same piece for my Indelible Spirit challenge piece, since I am having major issues with deciding on a design for it (either WAY too depressing, or WAY OH MY GODDESS OVER THE TOP pookie and twee). I'm thinking of calling it "My brain on exogenous hormones" - I'm on my final day of provera (progesterone) today, and cycle day 54, still no sign of my #$@#O$#)$* period.

On the other hand, DH and I had a chat last night about how pretty much all of my pieces deal with some major psychological issue I'm working on - and that can be pretty darned *draining*. I'm thinking that I need to work on a piece that is just a quilt for once (gasp!)- maybe the face thing (which, while about an issue, is about one that I don't need to spend 'process' time on - gods - I sound like I'm in therapy!), or on our VTAQ Hawaiian applique challenge - simple but sweet. Handwork even goes with CSI, so how can I lose?

Now I'm just waiting for the shops to open so I can go get QA mag, some white fabric paint, some black/white and white/white prints at Joann's to experiment painting on (thanks for the idea, Marilyn!), and some more wools from the needlepoint shop which is only open three days a week.

DH Kevin is in his orientation week at the nursing home - he's just getting recerted as an LNA, and he HATES it. He knows that it is a stepping stone to his LPN (and maybe RN later) but he considers it warehousing old people, and it just gets him so DOWN. I'm trying to talk him into doing home health aid work, or VNA or something - folks in their own homes, living their own lives, who just need a little support to do so... Anyway, he has the weekend off (big bonus), and has graciously agreed to help me move furniture so I can see/hear the TV from the stuido - I gotta hear my DS9, afterall!!!!

Time

Melody (Fibermania) has a great blog today about how the heck she gets so much done. She points out that she doesn't have kids, so that gives her an extra five hours a day right there! I had noticed that myself - it seems like most of the really prolific/famous folks either have no children, or have children who have grown and flown the coop.

So what is my excuse? I try not to make excuses for my life, but there *are* reasons. Having a disability is usually a part-time job, but other times I should get overtime! (and a job with no scheduled vacations? What's with *that*!?!?!)

I can plan all I like, but I have to listen to what my body is willing to let me do, and then see if any part of my plans will still work. On days when I can't do much of anything, I lie in bed and design dream quilts. I get some neat ideas this way, and it is very relaxing. Plus, DH thinks that I am asleep, so he doesn't kibitz at me!

Today, for example - I want to get back to my painting work, but I've got this new symptom lately - massive morning foot cramps - and that just isn't conducive to standing and painting. Yes, I could paint sitting down, but then I'd strain my back trying to get the paint where I want it, and yes, I could wait until later in the day, but then it is too hot for me, so... You see the problems. So, I think today will be a) ready the painting table for painting again (it got covered in bill paying activities!) b)give the background pieces for Swoops (still UFO!) an over-dye to lose the flatness there, c) do some more work for the twin's quilts (traditional, and therefore a pain, but to be appreciated by their Mom...), d) do the dishes that DH didn't get to yesterday (mostly pans etc, and part of my PIC Counters initiative), and then, finally, albeit interspersed throughout the day, e) sit on my tuchus and enjoy the fact that DH is at work so I can watch DS9 in peace. Ok, today is just his orientation, so he might be home by then, but I can pretend, right? Right????

BTW - I have heard recently that CFIDS/Fibromyalgia, especially with the symptom set I have and am continually developing, and more especially with the Human Herpes Virus #6 that started my symptom cascade, is documented as leading to relapsing/remitting MS. They've been testing me for it for most of the last decade, including during that middle of the night numbness episode back in May, so I've known for a long time that that might be in my future, and this new news doesn't surprise me. I know that it would mean a progressive path, but mine has been anyway, even though all the Doctors say it shouldn't be doing that. It would, however, also mean having a disease that everyone a) has heard of, and b) believes exists, c) doesn't think means that I am crazy. It would also be a disease that there is actually *treatment* for. Known drugs, research dollars, acceptance by the FDA and SSA. I figure that I have, or will have, whatever I have or will have - getting a more 'serious' label would just get me better/more treatment options, and less overall hassle with my health and life care. It could be worse....

Partners in Clean: Week One!!!

Ok, ok, the bills didn't get paid yet. Tuesday's mail, I promise. Really. Strange but true, we spent our six month anniversary visiting my parents. We even had fun! But, bills didn't get paid, since I napped in the car both ways. Ah well...

That said, I didn't get any suggestions for a kick in the butt for this week either. So - I figured that I would give us all three choices/tasks for the week.

You can do several things from one category, or one thing each from the three categories, or, for the seriously-lacking-in-willpower and/or time, try and do one thing from one of the categories! We'll be tackling habits next week, so keep your thinking caps on this week as you work on: Finances, Magazines, and Counters!

FINANCES:
*Pay bills - hopefully without late charges!
*Actually *read* bills to make sure they accurately reflect the services you have received.
*Balance checkbook.
*Make an extra payment against debt, if you can.
*Look into consildating student loans before the rules change and you can't anymore.
*Check on how your investments are performing, if you have any!
*Check the assessed value of your home/rent amount against other homes of the same type in your area.
*Start an IRA, especially if your company offers matching funds - free money is GOOD!
*Check around for better insurance rates and make sure that you have the coverage you need, ie is your fancy sewing machine covered?!
*Work out a payment plans with a creditor - local folks might take barter, but value of said is still taxable...
*Start a savings account (even just in a jar in your dresser if it doesn't add up to much yet) - and make it for something specific if that helps motivate you!
*Read a personal finance magazine. Money is good for starters, or Bottom Line or Kiplinger's if you are more advanced...
*Suggest something equally financially savvy to the group!

MAGAZINES:
*Check expiration dates, and decide if you want to re-up.
*Organize them for easier retrieval or just to get them out of the way. *Donate/recycle issues you no longer need.
*Actually photocopy or rip out articles/images you *really* need and then file them or do something with them, other than just pile them up!
*Check the magazine section at your local bookstore and read them over lunch to save money (NZ Quilter anyone?), or see if you can find one that would be a special treat for yourself if you want to bribe yourself with goodies or have a title ready to provide the next time someone asks what you want for your next gift giving celebration! You might even find one with useful info for your organizing or business needs, like the Craft Report!

COUNTERS:
*Do dishes so you can actually see them!
*Bleach nasty stains out if needed.
*Check out if you really need all that stuff OUT instead of IN cabinets!
*Buy yourself a new sponge. They hold germs like you wouldn't believe.
*Get a lid/mug/tea/other rack to keep things less cluttered.
*Put dirty cutlery all in one bowl or jar for easy loading/washing later.
*Actually wash the drying rack. Otherwise, why bother washing *anything?*
*Wash and refill storage containers. Trust me - whatever was in them is NASTY by now.
*Make sure that your dyeing and painting equipment is NO WHERE NEAR FOOD or anything that will ever touch food again. That includes not rinsing brushes in a sink with eating stuff in it! Hint: I tied yarn around the handles of the measuring spoons and cups that I use for dyeing, so I know never to use them for food again...


For my part, I will tend to:

-Finances: Pay bills (really!), read Money Mag (done already), put mad money Mom gave me into savings towards new bolts and upgraded sewing machine.

-Magazines: Recycle remaining Time Mags, buy more holders and continue magazine avalanche prevention project, get renewal notice to Dad so he can re-up me AND save money with pre-expiration rates (done)!

-Counters: Do the blessed dishes (it is a wonder the cats didn't shatter them all over the weekend!), bleach counters, break out new sponge, keep pans out of the sink for easier disposal of paint-polluted water.

Not too bad for a plan for the week. BTW - I am going to start putting up PICtures (pictures with a Partners In Clean spin to them). Who wants to see my dirty dishes and counters, before and after shots! (we'll save dirty laundry for another week - yikes!) Sounds scary, but it will motivate me, and you all can feel really good about yourselves looking at my messes! BUT, if you want to put up your OWN PICtures, go right ahead! I don't know if you can put them in comments or not, but you can a) put them in your own blog and give us a link, or b) send them to me and I'll put them up here for all of our motivational pleasure.

So, get working folks, and let us know how it is going for you!

WANTED: Partner in Clean

"Hello, my name is Susan, and I am a slob."

With 8 years of disability, countless roommates having moved in and out, fiber stuff in every available space, and packrat, dysfunctionally disorganized parents who didn't teach me how to be anything else, I am a mess, and my house shows it.

When I was 12, I decided to stop being violent when my pricipal said 'knock it off, or its going on your transcript.'

When I was about 23, I decided to stop being late when my best friend admitted to fudging about what time events started so I would show up on time.

So, here I am, 33 years old, and my objective for this decade is to stop being a slob. Not as easy to start in on cold turkey as the other two were, but I am older, so maybe it *should* get more challenging.

I've read every organizing book out there, and it *has* helped, but I have a long way to go. As of last week, I now make my bed every morning when I get out of it. Since I often go back for a nap or to read, it never seemed worth it, but now I just pull it together (about 10 seconds worth of work) and it looks much better all day long. Plus, since that is where I fold laundry, I am getting that chore done much more regularly now too.

My studio is VERY organized, as are my books. My stuff is actually pretty well organized, but it still 'overflows'. I just read the book "How not to be a Messy" by Sandra Felton, and, if you can get around the constant Christian quotes, it is a really useful book. I had never before looked at the psychological reasons why I keep so much stuff.

My mother grew up in WW2 England, with ration books and all that. She still keeps every piece of string, every rubber band, and hordes brown paper like she may never see it again. Likewise, my dad grew up in depression era Boston, and does much the same, with old tools especially.

The running gag in their house is that if they were illiterate their home would be immaculate: magazines, books, business records going back to the 60's - you name it. Plus, Dad has to keep all of his unread newspapers (in brown paper bags) until he has a chance to go through them and take cuttings. He needs a photocopy of every document conceivably related to business or money before it leaves his posession. Needless to say, their home is a MAJOR fire trap.

So, growing up with all that, I do what I learned (to some extent!) Plus, I keep all of my books - especially the heavy tomes from my college days - as a way of proving that I am a bright, educated person. Without books on neuroscience lying around the house, how is anyone ever going to know that I am a scientist!?!?!?

Yeah, I have issues. I think the same applies with some of my fiber stuff. For years, I figured that no one would take my work seriously, unless it looked like I had a serious amount of stuff. As a result, I have two HUGE bags of dyed locks crammed into my linen cupboard, and no access to a drum carder to actually be able to use it!

I have an entire shelf of pregnancy and baby books (not including magazines!), which I use like a fetish to hope that I will one day actually get to use them!!! Pretty stupid waste of money, too, since they pretty much all say the same thing...

SO - My husband is going along with my new resolve (kind of like the smoker who quits every week) to make this place habitable!!! If for NO other reason, than that when I DO actually have a child, my home in its current condition would take a dumpster to babyproof.

But, in order to make this resolve less of a flash in the pan prospect, I thought I'd ask if any other quilters out there (since so much of my anarchy is studio stuff) might want to join me as my Partners in Clean! We can cheer each other on, keep the momentum going, and chat about quilt art while we are at it!

Any takers????????????

gratitude

You know, I don't do things for the thanks, but I really feel like gratitude just isn't a habit that is taught anymore. I went and interpreted for a 10 year old deaf girl for three hours this morning, out in the sun. I had to drive 45 min each way to get there. Afterward, the Mom said "thanks for coming out and helping us", and she said it like I'd watched her bag for ten minutes.

On top of that, an old friend sent me baby pictures the other week, and I figured that he was just oblivious (as new parents can be) to the fact that it might have been nice to have known that they were pregnant *before* getting mass emailed the birth story, especially since they know how hard (and long) I've been trying to get pregnant. His only acknowledgement of my recent miscarriage was that my husband is obviously fertile! His kid is like 2 weeks old, and he's already all about work and fixing his deck. It just bugs me when folks don't realize how good they've got it, you know?

Meanwhile, I make a daily point of telling my husband how much I appreciate him. I look him in the eye and say thank you when he makes me a salad, or does a special load of laundry for my studio stuff. I have a great husband, and I make sure that he knows it! In fact, I heard a few folks bad mouthing 'men' the other month, and said that, actually, my husband does most of the cooking and grocery shopping, and all of the machine laundry. I do dishes and folding, since they are things that I can do a little bit at a time. He and I both wish that I could do more, but he still makes me feel that my efforts are appreciated too.

Anyone read 'Simple Abundance'? I do the gratitude thing. First on my list every day is my family and friends. Second is that I can walk today (if it is a day when I can't I am grateful that I could before, and will again!) So, today's 3-5 are:

*that I did something for someone else, and still feel good about it, even though I don't feel appreciated by the folks I did it for

*the gorgeous lilies that I saw today, just about ready to bloom

*the fact that the electric department takes checks by phone so that I didn't have to go out in the heat again today to pay my bill when I came home to having had my power turned off (oops! Guess I missed that one on bill day!)

Night all - I appreciate you!

blog type quiz

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What kind of blogger are you?

Yeah, I pretty much share my life with y'all - when it is funny, I hope I am too.

Mostly though, I see how *human* many of the famous quilters are, and hope that by giving *my* foibles equal time, that I may end up famous too. >;)

That said, I looked at the prospectus for the Weird challenge again, and the piece is not due until *Aug* 15. Needless to say, the crunch is off, but then again, so is the head of steam I built up this AM to get cracking on it.

Shouldn't be too hard to get more steam though, since I can just open a window! I am a New Englander, through and through, (and even half Olde Englander, if you want to know the truth,) and this heat is just BRUTAL. I even wore my silly little maternity sundress that I've had since 7th grade (someone had hung it in the wrong section, and who was I to complain about *comfy*, even then?) to walk to the market this AM. And with my goofy green hat, no less. I looked pretty stupid, but I was able to ambulate in the heat, so I was willing to go with that.

I went to the market to pick up my progesterone perscription - 44 days without my period (my first since my miscarriage) and my body just needed a jump start. No pregnancy, but no period either. Sigh. I hate throwing MORE hormones at my body, but I've tried waiting it out when it has been like this before, and WOW is that just not worth it. This way, hopefully, I'll be starting to cycle again before the end of July! Hurray!

BTW - I would link to posts from other folks, and put a neato little "blogs I like to read" thingy on here, if I blessedly *knew how*!!! I used to dabble in HTML programming, but this stuff is just confusing. I know I haven't posted pics in a week plus, but at least now I know how! Soon! I promise!

Time to get cracking

The Weird Quilt challenge is due this Friday, and my piece has only just (as of 30 min ago!) jumped from the drawing board into reality. It is a simple piece, but I really have my work cut out for me lotistics wise. I'll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, I have volunteered to teach an aquaintance how to drive, and to interpret for a deaf girl at soccer camp. Kevin is in his last week of recertification training for his LNA, and here we are, in the middle of July, having not even *started* on repainting the house (don't ask - it is quite the saga!)

Busy, busy, busy, and not terribly motivated. Oh well. Time to crack that whip!

BTW - Pillers of the Earth, by Follet, is a deliciously long book about the building of a medieval cathedral. WAY more sex in it than was advertised on the book jacket, but it kept things spicy! Great summer read, for those into either architecture or the medieval thing...

Wet and Worth it!

Kimberly, Marilyn, her husband Bob, and I all got very wet and windblown, but we had fun, and made some great fabrics!!! Apparently what was hurricane Cindy is hitting VT right now, and the winds were making huge chop on the lake. We had to clothespin our fabrics to rope top and bottom, and they were still billowing like sails. Some were just flapping like mad! Talk about giving up all control of one's work!

Right now mine are all scrumpled in the back of my car, and I need to go unload them, but I thought I'd take a minute or two off my legs first - fun and frenzied - very Jackson Pollack does wind painting - but I am BEAT! Now I just need to see what all this stuff looks like when it is dried...

And, my camera wouldn't work there, so Marilyn took all the pictures and I have none to show you. Plus, she made the most gorgeous fabric of the day, which is a double bummer not to have pictures of. Oh well. We are already planning our next play day!

To hold Dye Day or Not to hold Dye Day

That really is the question. It has been bucketing here for hours now, and the forcast calls for highs near 70, and clouds all afternoon. There IS a pavillion on site at the park that we could use, but it might be kind of gloomy in the rain...

Alternately, I could scurry round and try to make my studio and kitchen more presentable - I am a confirmed slob, who is trying to reform, but that takes time, and my house is a shambles, and my cats haven't helped any.

The biggest problem I see with either plan is the lack of sun and the overflow of humidity that could make drying our work a real pain. I could set us up for some pole dying in the kitchen, I suppose.

The other plan? Postpone the whole thing on account of rain. That would be a real shame since some folks have come a long way for this, but it might be for the best. We could also meet at the park today, have a show and tell, and then head out for tea downtown to warm up. I think I sort of opt for that plan...

So - I'll take my stuff down to the park as planned, and if folks want to jump on in with it, we can. Alternately, I have show and tell stuff (experimenter's trunk show! lol), and then we can go out for tea. Right.

Thanks for letting me plan! Off to post to the boards!

Quandry time

Can someone please explain to me how I got my best sunprint of the day with stuff that dried *overnight in the dark**???? sigh....

Busily packing stuff up for our Dye Day tomorrow. There could be three of us, or 20; I have no real idea. Marilyn Davis kindly invited me up to their campsite this evening, but too many things need doing, and I have not nearly enough energy or time to do them all... ah well. At least I get to meet her tomorrow!

Pictures when I get home - promise!

NEW BLOG ADDRESS

HI folks -

I just completely freaked myself out when I googled my name and found all of my comments on all of your blogs!

Not wanting embarass myself any more than I may already have done, I wanted to change that, and the only way seemed to be to change the addy of my blog.

So, from now on, you will find Quilt Art Quests and Quandries at

QuestsAndQuandries.blogspot.com

I hope you will join me there!

Sorry for any confusion this causes...
Susan

Calling all Pre-Shrinkers!!

I started cutting the fabric for the twins' quilts yesterday (finally!), and discovered that the selvedges had shrunk *substantially* more than the main body of the fabric. It skewed the weave for about an inch out as well!

How do you handle this? Wash it, cut of the selvedges, block the darned thing, and THEN cut? As if washing and ironing it first isn't a big enough pain all on it's own! So far, I have just cut from the undistorted part first, then resquared the remainder and cut a smaller piece from that. NOT very efficient with my use of fabric, but all I can remotely consider having patience for!

That said, I know that I am a)PMSing (I hope!), b)in a bunch of pain from my fibromyalgia gearing up due to both 'a', the thunderstorms we've been having, and my screwed up meds schedule lately, and c) frustrated about all of the above. Thank heavens for Spike TV. Without my DS9 and TNG Star Trek five hour fix, I think my husband would come home to me once, and never again!

Yummy discovery!!!!

You *know* I turned those pictures before I posted them, and, lo and behold, you still have to crank your head over to look at some of them. Sorry folks!

Fireworks last night were AMAZING! Here in Burlington, VT, we have them down on the shores of Lake Champlain, looking out over to NY. Gorgeous sunset, great seat down on the rocks, jazz in the background - mellow and excited at the same time.

Best new discovery? I couldn't find my earplugs as we headed out the door, but got a tootsie roll at the store on the way - and - don't pick on me for this one *too* much - tootsie rolls make great earplugs!!! A little sticky to take out again, but I didn't flinch away from the sounds of the fireworks for the first time EVER!!! As a result, I got to really enjoy the show - right over our heads due to the winds, and WOW!!!!!!!!! Too fun! I was clapping, shouting and squealing like a little kid, and it was just grand! Tootsie rolls *forever!!!!!* (and I got to eat the rest of the roll. NO - I did not eat my used earplugs - no Bertie Botts Earwax flavoured jelly beans for me! Even with chocolate mixed in! Ew!)

As Promised... VQF pictures!!!

I told you I'd give you pictures of the Vermont Quilt Festival, and, conveniently, Blogger now has their very own photo-posting application, so no more Flickr limits for me! Huraay!!!!!!! Expect to get painted fabric photo overload too, as I have time on my hands these days, and a dye day next week to prepare for!

(Ask me about how I wasted my whole week on two supposed tutoring deals that both fell through - one from nepotism, and the other from folks being completely deluded about how much my time is worth! Sheesh! COMPLETE waste of my time, and the house is a shambles as a result! Well heck - something had to go, and it wasn't going to be my studio time! What were you thinking!?!?!?)

Anyway - pictures from VQF 2005!!! These are some of my faves from among the competitor's submissions:
This one is called "Move over Coco" by the Friday Morning group of Cos Cob, CT. Each artist made a real purse for this piece. Isn't it FUN!?!?


This is "Joy 16" by Stephanie Nordlin or Poplar Grove, Illinois. I loved this piece for the great colors and changes in orientation. It *almost* got my best in show, but I wanted to go with something that would get more notice. Sort of like why I didn't vote for Kucinich in 2004...

This is by our very own Marilyn J Davis of Plainfield, VT! She calls it "Reflections" and this is the piece that was in the Times/Argus for all to see! Hurray Marilyn!!!

This got my Viewer's Choice award! Called "Luna Eclipse," by Betsy Abbot of Andover, MA. She worked on this in a class with the mind-bogglingly, brilliantly tedious, Ruth McDowell in 2004. This was just so *active* after so many staid pieces. VERY dynamic work that just plain sucked both I and my husband Kevin in.

I love this piece - called "Sparklers" by Sandra Gregg of Yarmouth Port, Mass. What interesting shapes!!! Seems pretty appropriate to post this weekend, too! Happy 4th all!