I was looking back through my photos in my album and noticed that the first photo I took of Summer Queen was dated September 6, 2009. Wow, six months between that picture and this next one! I need to get my stitchie heinie in gear!
Summer Queen
Kahuna’s half ironman is 2 weeks from yesterday. He seems to be in great training shape. His attitude is right, too 🙂
I’m off to spend the rest of the day with Star Wars 3-whatever, laundry, and Summer Queen.
Kahuna and I (okay, mostly me) are planning a roadtrip to another state. Right now, we’re in the look online and ‘gather the maps’ stage. We’re going to look local this weekend for a state map, and then take it from there. Hopefully this trip will occur mid to late May. This will be the first trip we’ve taken since our 25th anniversay — 3 years ago! I’m very excited to be planning to get away. I need to get away.
He still hasn’t done anything about extending his time in the Corps, and I suspect he really doesn’t want to but hasn’t found a way to tell me so. As far as I’m concerned, I really don’t care anymore, just decide something, but I have told him that I absolutely do NOT want to move back to Louisiana. Period. The end. There. I said it. Sorry, mom and dad.
I know there is no way we can continue to live here after retirement because the cost of living is outrageous here. For now, there are two things that require me to stay here. My want/need to pay off my college while I have a good job (I’m not working if we move from here) and the doctor wants me to stay in the area for a year after my surgery for follow-ups.
We have discussed the staying in the area issue already. He is planning on going to college the first few years he’s out since the Corps will pay him to do so (on top of giving him his retirement pay). One of the questions I had was whether or not they would *allow* him to transfer from a school here to another one in another state. He thinks so, but it going to confirm that.
My question to myself? Can I get my college paid off in a year???? I think so, if I really buckle down. One of the things I posted on my ’50’ list was to pay off credit cards and debt and I have been doing so steadily but I have not been as focused as I could have been. However, I am down to 3 debts right now and one of them will be gone very, very soon. This will leave the last two, and they are the largest. One of them frighteningly so (at least to me).
I had another appointment regarding my surgery yesterday morning. The surgical nurse followed-up with me yesterday afternoon by email but by the time I responded to her inquiry she was gone for the day and she’s off on Fridays. I’m anxious to see if there’s a response on Monday.
I owe a photo of Summer Queen. It’s in my camera.
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Posted in Life
I was reading a “reading” blog the other day and several authors posted 3 things they would do if they found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Mine are:
1. Quit working – duh!
2. Travel to Scotland with Kahuna so he can visit his roots.
3. I don’t know.
How’s that third answer! 😆 When I got down to it there were so many other things I wanted to list, that I couldn’t decide!! I want to invest some of it, I want to buy a house with some of it, I want to set my parents up so they could both quit working (although they continue to work because they each love their jobs), I want to rescue more puppies, see….it’s hard to choose!
Can you?
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Posted in Life
The design, not the season! 😆
Stitching
I’m down to stitching exclusively on Summer Queen so I can get her finished by the end of the month. I know it can be done, however, I am very tired of blue, blue, BLUE! I took a photo of her last night when I moved my Qsnaps and I’ll share that later.
One thing I have learned though is that the little *rotation* I had going was great for me. I miss the other designs I was stitching on.
I found a new framer practically across the street from where I work. I had to come in a different route one day last week and there it was! The little man who owns the place told me he does needlework framing so I’m going to take a smallish piece in and see what he does with it.
Puppies
Jasper’s paperwork came in a week or so ago. Both his parents were Champions. His mother’s name is “Man Magnet” his father’s name is “Songs of Angels,” and Mr. Prissy Pants’ name????? Hunka Burnin’ Fudge! Kahuna has taken to calling him Vanilla Ice Fudge Baby. 😉
Man is it ever raining here! And lightening. And thundering! In fact, I’m wondering just how smart it is for me to be even on the computer right now. The puppies, especially Jasper, are not happy right now.
The postman brought me my one and only, so far, Market purchase today. The Goode Huswife’s Book of Designs Vol IV. I’m ready to whip out some fabric and get stitching on more than half of the designs! 😆 I don’t recall seeing what was going to be in the book so I thought I would share the design names here: Priscilla Sharp 1821, Quaker Friendship Sampler, Quaker Marriage Sampler, 1809 Quaker Sampler, Quaker Four Corners, 1798 Quaker Sampler, Julia Iden 1804, Companion Quaker Christmas Tree Two, Anonymous Quaker Sampler, and The Little Red R Sampler.
This makes 3 of her compilations that I own now.
I’m totally in love with the picture of the girl on the front and would love to get my hands on a little larger version to frame for my house.
I called my LNS yesterday to see if she went to Market, and alas, she did not. She is willing to order for me what I want to see, with no obligation to purchase it if I don’t like it and I’m going to take her up on that offer if it doesn’t take too long for the order to be placed and received. I want to purchase local before I order online – and I told her this.
I just finished reading my current book and as soon as I hit ‘publish’ I’m off to stitch on Summer Queen.
Thank you for your quilting recommendations. Annette also sent me an email directing me to AllPeopleQuilt.com and that sight was a lot of fun to look through as well. I have downloaded a couple of patterns and looked at my quilt stash last night and will use what I have with a couple of added fabrics for sashing and backing.
Thank you also for your comments on your Market *needs.* Vonna, I love your “panties” comment! 😆 As to where you can see what’s out there, I have been looking at Stitching Bits and Bobs, Elegant Stitch, and Needlecraft Corner. I have been drooling over:
Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow, especially after seeing the picture of it done 3×4.
Blackbird Designs – Honeysuckle Manor
Dames of the Needle – Adam and Eve Sampler
Goode Huswife – #IV (which I’ve already ordered)
Little House Needleworks – Needle and Thread
Plum Street Samplers – The Queen’s Crowns and Thirteen Owls
Samplers Remembered – Village Square Sampler ~ Mary Allen 1818
Shepherd’s Bush – Liberty Pincushion and Scissor Fob and My Land
With My Needle – Mrs. Waddelow’s Huswif and Quaker Sampling III
I’m intrigued by La~D~Da’s Miss Mary Mack Limited Edition Box. I have the pattern and am wondering what that box is about. I love boxes! 😀
I love several of the Giulia Punti Antichi but don’t know if I’d honestly stitch them because I’m afraid of the finishing! 😆
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Posted in Life
So Market is over and the pictures are popping up here and there. I have only seen one or two designs I think I would actually get around to stitching in this lifetime. Keeping in mind my wanting to thin out my stash (of what I know I’ll never get around to stitching) I’m in no big hurry to buy everything, but would like to know what you’re interested in, just in case you’ve seen something I haven’t.
Will you share?
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Posted in Stash
I know there are a couple of quilters out there who read my blog and I’m using this post to throw myself on their mercy. It’s for the puppies, so please be generous! 😆
This past weekend was blanket washing day. I have them all through the house so the puppies can snuggle where ever they want.
The blankets we have were specifically purchased for Bandit and Harley. Jasper didn’t come with a blanket, so I set out to purchase one for him. I know this might seem silly to non-doggie people considering I just told you I have blankets all over my house, but every puppy deserves his/her own blanket! Anyway, this was unbelievably difficult because they were either too large, or way too expensive.
Here’s where your help is needed. I have made 2 small quilts. One’s a wall hanging size, and one’s a lap blanket size (which I have given over to the puppies). Neither has a difficult pattern (the wall hanging is ‘around the world?’). I can sew a straight line. I can stitch in a ditch. I can tie a quilt. I have tons of fat quarters.
Keeping in mind I’m sewing for the puppies, can any of you suggest “reeeeeeally easy to follow directions” quilt patterns to me? I don’t care if they’re free or if I need to order them from somewhere.
Thankyouverymuch!
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Posted in Quilting
Yesterday I came home to a wonderful box from Vonna! It was late when I got home (side trip to the grocery store) and I was too tired to open it. I sent Flying Monkeys to her for finishing and she did a bang up job. I was tickled pink by the photos she sent me but they were nothing to the actual piece. Kahuna was there when I opened the box tonight and he likes it too!
These are the pictures she took (her photography efforts are better than mine!):
I highly suggest you think of Vonna if you need some finishing. I have been reluctant to stitch so many ornaments because of my poor finishing skills, but now Vonna better watch out, she may have let loose a monster! 😆
The next package I got arrived tonight. I mentioned on February 14th that I had ordered some more stash. It was originally requested in January but was never ordered. I fell in love with Rosewood Manor’s Quaker Diamonds when Becky featured it on her blog as a giveaway. I wasn’t crazy about the fibers though until I found out from Melissa and Margaret Bendig that they also came in 6 strand floss. I did a little internet research and found both the pattern and the fibers on sale at Anita’s Little Stitches. I’ve been reading this lady’s blog for awhile and took a chance placing my first order with her. I did this over the long weekend and couldn’t be happier with the customer service. The only reason I didn’t have it earlier was because Monday was a mail holiday. Let me tell you the Valdani fibers are scrumptious! This will be high up on my to-do list. I also ordered LIttle House Needleworks’ Battle Hymn of the Republic to add to my American flag designs.
Work is crazy. A new person started this past Monday and between helping her learn the ropes and trying to learn new ways to do things myself I feel like I’m running in circles. Throw in the fact that I’m still sick (8 days now!) and I’m exhausted in the evenings when I get home.
I got an email from the Fair yesterday telling me when entries were going to start being accepted and they’ve moved it up from May to March! Eeeeek! Looks like I’ll be doing a bit of exclusive stitching on Summer Queen to get her ready.
Jasper is 100% officially mine! We went over to his foster mom’s Tuesday evening and retrieved all of his clothes (yes, he has clothes) and toys. Poor baby had 2 toys. You should have seen him when he unearthed his hedgehog. He was a crazy man and didn’t want to share! Harley is in love with one of his fleece ‘jammies’ and we’re going to be getting her one or two to wear. My change in attitude toward him has made a huge difference in how I’m feeling about him. He really is a sweetheart (I know I keep saying that). He just came in for an ear scritch 🙂
Guess I’d better get off the computer and settle in for some Olympic stitching. Ciao!
