Friday, August 31, 2012

September UFO Project

Judy at Patchwork Times has posted the UFO # for September, #11 which is my #023 Rooster quilt.  It's a quilt I started oh-so-very-long ago, and last worked on in January 2009 - how can that be? I remember clearly working on it just... oh never mind, it's been well over three years since I have.  It's just that I've taken it with me on my summer trips several times without doing a thing to it, other than buying several different pieces of fabric that will or will not be the backing.  However, I'll have you know that just this morning, before checking Judy's blog, in boredom and restlessness and tired of laying in bed or sitting in an office chair at the computer, I grabbed that container for this quilt and yep, spent all of 20 minutes working on it.  Wait, what do you mean it's for September and that's not until tomorrow?  Well, that's just the way it is.  The rate I'm going, that may be all I get done - even in September!  All of my 2012 UFO Challenge quilts and their progress, or lack thereof, can be found here.

This quilt is being done entirely by hand - NO MACHINES!  Just because I want to be able to say I did ONE quilt that way in my lifetime; trust me, it won't happen again ; )  The blocks finish at 12" square, so this will be a good lap-size quilt.  There will be sashing in between the blocks and a border.  I plan to also hand-quilt, but as long as it takes me, it may end up just getting tied, but I really do want to also hand-quilt once in my lifetime!  Not sure why I only have pics of five of the blocks when seven are done, but here are the five of nine blocks for my Rooster quilt:

done

done

done

done

pinned in layout but not done, this is the block I worked on today for 20 minutes



Saturday, August 25, 2012

Unique, Quirky,

The internet is a source of marvelous things, some good, some bad, and some, well... just plainly different...I wanted to say amusing, but that my be disrespectful of the dead.  I'll let you decide when you read this obituary I came across recently.  I'm not sure who might be the greater character, the deceased or the one who wrote the obituary - the child? We don't know.  I've hidden all the specifics in [ ] to protect the ... well, to protect somebody, lol.
 
[Lady Deceased]
1931 - 2012
Some people might call her a socialite, some might even call her a local celebrity of historic downtown [location]. Others call her a friend, a grumpy old lady, mom or grandmother. [LD] was a woman who lived her life and enjoyed everyone in it, although she might not have shown it. She was born in [city] in the very house where she passed away. Even though she has been a mainstay in this community for so long, not everyone knows about her in her younger years. She worked as a telephone operator for the phone company in town by helping connect calls. She was married to [husband]. Although the marriage may have had a few rough patches, between bailing him out of jail or picking him up off the floor of the bar, these two were able to give birth to another local legend, [child]. [DL] established her reputation in [city] as a local businesswoman at [businesses, one a bar]. As a bartender, she didn’t put up with any nonsense from her customers. She continued serving adult beverages and hot coffee in the [business] for over 30 years. When she finally quit the bar, she became a regular at [two businesses], forming relationships with all of the staff and business owners. In 1999, [DL]’s life was shaken up for the better, when her [child & grandchild] moved back to town. All of a sudden, people saw her as the grumpy old woman who was being terrorized by her vivacious daughter on [x] Street. Throughout her life she formed many relationships and bonds with many people in the community. In the end, it was those who loved her, who knew that it was best for her to move on and leave us with a positive image in our minds. She will be missed but never forgotten. In her 80 years of life, she touched and impacted so many lives. She leaves her surviving [child], and grand[child].  We will always love you and never forget what you have done for us all.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Official Word

Today was my follow-up appointment with the doctor.  He's actually a Physician's Assistant, but his specialty is orthopedics.  Three more xrays were taken of my foot now that a few days have passed.  As explained to me, a break wouldn't necessarily show up right after an injury because of the "swelling" or whatever, but after a few days, some calcification starts showing up and makes any fractures in those tiny foot bones show up better.  So on Friday the lady P.A. wasn't sure, but today it was confirmed that not only is there the one fracture that she thought she could see, but there are actually two, with the worst one being in the third bone, the one extending into the tarsal/metatarsal? area from the middle toe.  So, I have the very first, full, real cast in my life, on my foot.  I will wear it for two weeks, then he'll re-xray and we'll go from there.

Nick's school colors are red and black.  Black was the only one of the two available.


Little did we know that when we were updating those two bathrooms, and cringing with every check we wrote, that we I would be so very thankful to be able to walk into the shower without having to figure out how to get over the side of the tub.  But now with the cast, I'll need to make sure I keep it dry.  I guess they make a special cover, so may have to send Marty out to look for one at the local medical supply pharmacy, or big rubberbands to hold a plastic bag over the cast.

Now that Nick's back to school, I'll be fending for myself during the day so will likely be isolated upstairs most of the time as getting up and down the stairs has to be done on my butt, dragging the crutches with me.  I'm afraid if I try the crutches on the stairs I'll fall and break my neck! 

How is it I can spend an entire childhood in a rural environment on a ranch with all manner of potential accidents-waiting-to-happen and animals and never have any real injury, then spend years going out on backpacks and hikes in bear country without major issues and in just the last few years require two surgeries, have a severe wrist injury and now a foot-bone break?  Everyone tells me I need bubble-wrap...maybe so ;)

I do have my fur-babies to keep me company, and they do that very well during the day.  Here, Raven is hanging out on my desk after playing several runs of fetching her stuffed mousey.  Funny how because of her slightly crossed eyes, the light reflects differently.  Her eyes are greenish-gold.  Awhile back Flame was hanging out in my fabric bin while I was trying to organize some that had become dis-organized.  



Friday, August 17, 2012

Fina-Lee Friday

Well, I don't know if I should be glad about it being Friday or not, but as one dear blog friend says "Count It All Joy".

  • I'm ready to get a rooster...maybe two or three. Why you ask? So I can be as annoying to the neighbors as their incessantly barking dogs are to us when we're trying to sleep. If noisy roosters aren't allowed within city limits, why are barking dogs? I don't even know whose (or it who's?) dogs, but last night, I was not happy nor getting any sleep. Well, vengeance is not mine, but I'm praying those dogs are quiet tonight!
  • Today, Nick joined his friend at a last summer harrah at a local arcade type place. I had the option of going, but with not getting any sleep, decided to stay home. While home I thought I'd pack up a few things that aren't necessary right now.
  • In order to do the packing up, I needed to get the box of collector plate boxes down from the storage area. We use a metal extension ladder propped against the built in shelves in the garage to access the storage (attic) area where we keep such things. I've gone up and down that ladder many times, balancing boxes of Christmas ornaments on my shoulder as I do and have never had a problem. Well, today was different. My first error was wearing flip-flop type shoes - not the real flimsy kind, but still not a solid shoe. Second error, doing this being tired from a poor night's sleep. Third error, not taking the time to use the bungee cord to secure the ladder. Well, three strikes and you're out. I wasn't out, but I sure was down! I'd reached the top and was ready to reach up to turn the light on and the ladder decided ~ yes, it has a brain and it decided to slide out from under me, or better yet, give me a less than exciting ride to the floor. In the process, my foot managed to get tweaked somehow about half-way down and the rest of the downward ride and landing produced broken blood vessels and scrapes on the insides of my wrists from trying to hang onto the rungs, glorious 'road-rash' and bruises on the outside of each thigh, a bruise and scrape on the inside of my right elbow, a cut along with a couple layers of skin removed from one pinky finger, and the foot...I might add, it's my right foot...the one I use for the gas pedal and brake, the one I'd be using to drive Nick to school next week...or not! Even my injured wrist last summer was not this painful, neither was childbirth! and I seriously thought I'd broken my foot. Not my ankle, but my foot - every bone from the arch to the toes...yes, it hurt that badly. I hobbled upstairs to get a bandage for my pinky without even recognizing any other wound but the foot. Got a bag of ice, elevated it and in near-tears called Marty at work and he came home - it's a good 45 minute drive in good traffic - it was a good traffic day. He took me to our favorite urgent care, I got in right away, they x-rayed it, no specific breaks, but a possible slight break/crack in one bone - she wasn't sure if she was "overreading" the image. So they wrapped my ankle/foot, booted it in the boot I'd taken with me from my foot surgery a year and a half ago, and sent me home with crutches, a presciption for Vicodan and instructions to ice and elevate it and come back on Tuesday. Some I'm obeying as much as possible. I won't be going up and down the stairs very much. And I'm very thankful we have the downstairs walk-in shower as I don't think I could get myself into the tub-shower - hidden blessings and who knew I'd need that so soon.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

I Have No Words

Seriously, I have no words; none in/on my brain, none on my tongue, none in my fingers.

And right along with no words, I have NO energy, so I think I'll wish everyone a great afternoon/evening and go take a nap.


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Eat What?

I know you thought I must have taken a flight to Mars or something, but I've really just been flying low and lurking a bit. Triple-digit temps for weeks on end do that to me, scramble my brain that is, so that I don't want to think about writing, or quilting, or anything else for that matter...and since in live in an air-conditioned house, that shouldn't matter, but it does. Maybe it's the incessant hum and blowing from the A/C. Or not getting a good night's sleep because of the sound, and if the sound were off, it'd be too hot.

Tonight as I was browsing social media activity I came across this blogger's post. I thought it to be quite funny, and I think she 'gets' what I, and maybe a whole lotta you folks out there, deal with every time you hear the latest scientific study, or maybe just a study from Martians trying to see how confused they can get us about food before they do as in that one movie, or was it a Twilight Zone: How To Serve Man. Am I confusing you? Well just click on the link I added and read, it'll brighten your day, or confuse you more.

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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

August UFO Challenge Selection

Judy chose #7, as you already know if you follow her.  My #7 is a quilt I started for my daughter and son-in-law for their wedding.  Well, that was three years ago. The piecing is all done, but it needs borders and that's where I stopped.  If I remember correctly I had some indecision as to what I wanted to do, so will pull it out and see what I can decide and endeavor to at least make some progress on it. 

Much to my dismay, as I was updating my UFO status (more for myself than any requirement) I realized I've made NO progress on any of the selections for the last three months.  Yep, that's right.  Ahem, in my own defense, instead of May's selection I continued with April's through May, and then in June I was on vacation so took a different one with me but never opened the container to work on it, and July, well, there is no defense for July other than I just didn't feel like quilting/piecing! And I was working on other things...I still have a self-imposed deadline of having things cleaned, packed, given away, etc and things chosen for that kitchen remodel by 12/1/2012! so that work can begin in January...and I'm not getting very far!

Here's what's on the slate for August:  #7  "Victoria's Wedding Quilt"


 It's a very large quilt as they have a California King bed. The blocks had not yet been sewn together for this photo as I was still trying to decide whether to leave in rows/columns or put on point.  I decided against on point, not because I didn't like how it looked, but I didn't want to mess with figuring out the setting triangles for it.  I wasn't following any specific pattern, just doing an easy 4-square block with sashing and cornerstone blocks.  It would be nice to have this one done by Christmas!  Oh, ignore that RWB star block, that was a block for the quilt guild awhile back, a long while back.

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