Oregon Coast Quilt Mom

A Cupof Tea and Thee

2011-01-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

After a long and trying week, it's nice to sit down with a cup of tea and catch up on my friends' Facebook postings.

Things That Bug Me #2

2011-01-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was having lunch at the deli in a large grocery store, located in a large shopping center. Noting the two uses of the word "large," one can assume there were a great many people about.

A young twenty-something slouched by with her uncombed hair caught in something that resembled a ponytail, flannel pajama pants, bedroom slippers, and a hoodie sweatshirt. She literally just crawled out of bed to come to a very public place wearing the clothing in which she slept. What makes her think the rest of us want to see that? Do we all need to be so intimate with total strangers? Perhaps it's a nice thing she feels she has nothing to hide but I really rather she would.

Has our society fallen so far from any semblance of personal dignity?

This lack of personal dignity also strikes me when I see news reporters shoving a microphone and camera in the face of sobbing, grief-stricken relatives of someone who has been killed, arrested, or otherwise made the news in a not-so-positive light. It strikes me as indecent to show no reticence at the gross emotional display on either the part of the reporter or the interviewee. When people are under such emotional distress, they say and do things that are not approproate for public display or discourse. Speak in haste, regret at leisure. As for the rest of us, some things are simply not our business and we don't need to witness it.

Neither do I need to see people in their jammies.

Raspberry Mocha

2011-01-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

It looks like it sparkles!

Love this block!

Here's another scrap quilt I put together recently. The name was given to it by Constance, one of my quilty buddies. The block is a variation of the Lady of the Lake. I'm sure it has it's own name but I don't know what it is. I've always loved this block in spite of the zillions of right square triangles. I used Thangles for all of the little ones. Yes, folks, that's a lot of paper! But every little square came out perfectly! The next one I want to tackle is the Birds in the Air pattern.

I hope to get this quilted later this year. This one is a definite keeper for me. I found the fabrics at a quilt show in a vendor booth run by Momma Made It, from Longview, WA. Most of them are civil war reproductions, not initially among my favorites but I have to say I was drawn to them.


Ignore the quilt peeking out from underneath, it clashes!

Now comes the hard part - deciding how to quilt it! This is something with which I always struggle. How do other quilters make this decision?

Finally, a little quilting

2011-01-05T21:40:00.000-08:00

4th of July Table Runner

And I do mean "little." This is one of the few accomplishments during the Annual Vacation. I don't usually do small quilts but a good friend gave me the pattern and a charm packet a couple years ago. It's been perched on the cutting counter in my sewing studio looking at me ever since.

I really like scrappy quilts. They are my favorite. I think it turned out well.

Conversations with my sons: #2

2011-01-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

My sons are quite the comedy team. They get along as well as any parents could hope. I never lack for a chuckle or an outright belly laugh as I listen to them converse with each other. Their typically insult-ridden banter is as close as they get to a PDA (Public Display of Affection). I know, I probably am not doing my parental duty by encouraging them with laughter but one can hardly help it.

As Tom and I are having coffee in the kitchen one recent morning, I ask:

Me: Can you and Sam take the Christmas lights off the front of the house today?
Tom: Sure.

Later...

Me: Thanks for taking the lights down today, boys.
Sam: (Smiling) It only took about two minutes to do. We spent more time insulting each other before we actually got started.

Charming, I'm sure.

Sewing for Christmas

2010-12-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

I haven't been quilting but it's the next best thing. I've been sewing Christmas gifts for all the kids. I decided to make them all Japanese kimonos. Fabric Depot in Portland OR had oriental prints on sale 40% off last July. It gave me the inspiration. I used the kimono pattern from Folkwear that I've used for years. I must have made dozens of these since I was in high school. It was so much fun picking out the fabric for each one; thinking about the person for whom it was being made, what it would look like on them, imagining the reaction when it was received.

I had a list of seven to construct. In July, that seems do-able. In November, I'm thinking it's a pretty tall order. I went to a quilt retreat the first weekend in November, used a long table in the room and one by one, cut them all out. My back hurt for two days afterward.

I spent some weekends sewing at my best friend's house with her two daughters keeping us company. She is teaching both of them to sew and even though they are still fairly new at it, they do a might fine job. Sarah, 10, was very interested in the kimono pattern.

Sarah: When are you going to make one for me, Emi?
Me: I don't have a pattern small enough for you. I'll have to find one.
Sarah: You can make this one smaller, you can do anything!

Ah, the faith of children. It's a humbling experience to learn someone thinks that highly of your abilities. Incidentally, Sarah, being a resourceful girl, went to Google and found me a child's kimono pattern on Folkwear, no less. Since then, she has dropped several thinly veiled hints that she would really like a kimono.

I'm happy to say I finished the last of the seven original kimonos last night. They are wrapped and under the tree. I have Sarah's pattern and fabric she will love. I'm going to devote today to making her a kimono for Christmas.

OK I admit it---I'm a nerd

2010-01-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

The next big chore

2010-01-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

Since it doesn't appear I'll be painting the living room as I thought I might this weekend, maybe I'll start on the nasty task I've been avoiding: cleaning the quilting studio.

It looks like a mini-metaphor of my recent life. It's become a dumping ground for unfinished business, a clutter of left over detritus to the point it's actually difficult to find room to sew. Now that I'm getting my life back on track, it's time to get my quilting studio in order, too.

I need to clear the space so I can finish quilting some beautiful projects that are half-done. I've put them off because they are intended to be quilts for me to keep, no deadlines. Therefore, all the quilts I've actually finished in the last two years or so have gone away as gifts and I have nothing to show for myself.

Ironic.

The other realization is with the hectic travel schedule I have looming on the near horizon, I don't want to waste what precious time I find cleaning instead of quilting.

Step one: get off the computer.

Bye for now.

So it's a New Year

2010-01-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

We find ourselves yet again at this crossroad. Is it truly a day for new beginnings, the catalyst for change, a turning in our destiny? Or is it just another day? What is it about we humans that causes us to seek reason for what we hold within our lives? Is it the search for something beyond ourselves, a larger consciousness perhaps, the need for signs of significance?

I long ago gave up making resolutions. I've watched as others dutifully make pledges of one thing or another at the turning of the tide of the new year. While the resolution seemed a good idea at the time, I witnessed all of them abandoned or broken, some within days or even hours of their making. I've been guilty of it myself. It doesn't speak much to the will or determination of the human spirit but rather the lack thereof. And why wait until January 1 to try yet again to seek improvement of our selves? If we fail, are we off the hook until the next year; we don't have to try again until then?

In more recent years, I've come to the conclusion that every day is a new beginning, another chance at achieving life's potential. I don't need a crystal ball dropping over Times Square to make me assess what I'm doing and where I'm going. There is no guarantee we will wake up tomorrow, next month, or even next year. The waiting would have been for naught. How much time do we waste in hesitating, wishing we had said those words, taken that action, gone somewhere, helped another?

This last year has given me a good deal to think on...about my life, how I've lived it, choices I made. Some good, some sad, many were compromises that made no one happy though I believed I was doing the right thing. There were many things I didn't wish to examine too closely which now I must. I wish I had been braver. But then, it's a waste of time to wish on what might have been. It cannot be changed but we can move forward.

Every day takes determination, not just at the start of a new year. Secretly, subconsciously, or perhaps more openly, we all know what we want. How many of us have the strength of will to make it happen? I don't want to waste any more time not taking chances.

Though I believe in a divine plan, I also believe God gives us the reins to take as we choose within the course of the master scheme. Free will. The struggle between the polarity of positive action and negative. "Good and evil" are too simplistic; black and white, no shades of grey.

At the turning of this new year, I am hopeful good things await. I'll start each new day in optimism, mindful of goals I have set. I'll trust God that he is leading me where I need to be. And I know every day is the start of a brand new year.

Neat and tidy

2009-12-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

You wouldn't necessarily know it by looking at my house. I'm a bit of a neat freak. I do like things neat and tidy, a designated spot for everything. But, for the last couple of decades, I've had to swim against the tide; a messy husband and several children to havoc things up faster than I can straighten them.

But, if I don't have a spot for something, it stays where it is until I can figure out where it should go or I can get rid of it. That way, I still know where it is. It does lead to a certain amount of clutter but most of my drawers and cupboards are neat and tidy. (I did say 'most.')

One of my best friends is just the opposite. She can't stand to see things out. She likes a nice, clean landscape. Just don't open her cupboards or closet or be prepared to risk your life. I tell her, that's why we are good friends; we achieve polarity.

I'm on my annual vacation and I set several goals for myself. One was to clean my desk. It was starting to look like it belonged to the Cat in the Hat. Several stacks of things teetering dangerously on the brink of total collapse, by some miracle remaining in place. It might have been a science experiment, defying all the laws of gravity. Someone should have studied it. When it reaches the point I can no longer locate things, I just have to clean it. Hence, the goal.

You know how when something is just so bad, you don't even know where to start? Yeah. I ended up just clearing it all off and stacking it on my bed. I made sure I put it where I sleep so I'd be forced to finish it before I could call it a night.

I'm proud to say, the dirty deed is done. I filled up a 4 drawer filing cabinet, threw out 1 1/2 large garbage bags, and sorted all my papers. My bills are in alphabetical order. (Yes, my spices used to be in alphabetical order, too. Now there are too many cooks in the kitchen. It's a sickness, I know.) My legal papers are in date order. (It's surprising how much paper is generated even with a simple divorce like ours.)

Wow, that was all on my desk. This is a close as I get to making New Year's Resolutions. It feels really good to achieve a goal.

Happy Christmas

2009-12-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas morning and the day began beautiful, clear, and sunny. The east wind is blowing and quite cold but not a cloud in the sky. Wonderous.

Christmas mornings are certainly different now since the kids are all adults. No sounds of little feet waking me up before dawn. No mad scramble for the stockings and the presents. It's much saner, quieter, much more peaceful.

Don't get me wrong. I loved those madhouse mornings with the anticipation and excitement. But perhaps the older we get, the more we crave a more serene celebration.

I was up pretty late the night before. Hilary and I went to midnight mass for the first time in a long time. By the time mass was over and the stockings were filled, it was almost 2 in the morning. Since I have a recent history of not sleeping, it was a long time yet before I drifted off. I woke at 7:30 and cat napped until about 9, surprisingly. Tom and Amy were up making breakfast, so nice. Everyone else was still in bed. This would have been an impossibility even a few short years ago.

I put some Christmas music on and the rest of the morning passed, relaxed and happy. We opened the stockings and gifts and just enjoyed each others company. The Diva came over and opened her stocking, too. There's two things I always get her: macadamia nut candy and toffee, her weaknesses. She mostly behaved herself.

We ate dinner when it was ready, no timetables, no deadlines. We decided to go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie and it was pretty good. It was a nice way to spend the day, all together.

The thing that really tickled me was this; the kids must have been very tired of seeing my ratty old apron from circa 1970's. I got a new apron which is pretty but serviceable. I ceremoniously tossed the old one in the trash. (It WAS pretty bad.)

All in all, a happy Christmas.

How was yours?

"My son has an enlightening moment," or, "I'm not as old as he thinks"

2009-12-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

My son, Sam age 20, is home from college for Christmas break. He likes to hang out in the kitchen with me while I work. Yesterday, he decided he needed to read the Costco coupons to me in case there's anything I don't know I really need.

Sam: Hey, lookit. Five dollars off Estroven. "Twice as strong to reduce menopausal symptoms. Clinically shown to reduce hot flashes and night sweats."

Me: Really? You know, I don't need that. I'm still perfectly capable of bearing children. (I didn't tell him it was SURGICALLY impossible--let him sweat.)

Sam: Ohhhhhh, now that's disturbing.

Who does he think uses those feminine supplies in the bathroom? Until last weekend, I've been the only female in the house for the last 5 years.

I know, he's just looking out for his old Mom, very sweet really. I mean, how many women can say their sons shop for them that way? But honestly, I'm not THAT old!

To Newsletter or Not To Newsletter?

2009-12-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

That is the question.

The Christmas cards have been rolling in with their requisite newsy missives. It is nice to get caught up with folks that you don't get to see often even though the Christmas newsletter has become a cultural joke of sorts. I have to admit in the past, I have not been much on writing them myself.

I know, huh. Hard to believe.

Mostly I think its either procrastination or because it is just one more thing to do in an otherwise too busy season. The longer I put it off, the less likely it becomes. Eventually it just isn't going to make it in time for Christmas.

I suppose a person could get away with a New Year's Newsletter but who the hell sends Valentine Day Newsletters or St Patrick Day Newsletters? The evils of procrastination. Might as well just wait another year. Right?

Besides, this year there isn't much good news to write about. Except for those in our closest circle, most of the people with which we've become acquainted during our marriage are not aware of our changed circumstances, not that I've been intentionally keeping a low profile. (Okay, maybe I have.) I don't really want to depress everyone, nor do I want their sympathy. Don't need it, don't want it.

Perhaps it will be enough just to sign our names with one notable exception. Those curious enough may call to find out.

That seems like a good plan, now that I think of it.

Alas, poor Urich. No newsletter for you.

2009-12-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

Tom and Amy have moved in officially and I haven't had to cook a single meal since. What a luxury. There are boxes and dogs and stuff everywhere but things are getting settled and we'll soon reach a new normal. It is nice having them here.

We decorated the tree last night, a theme tree for the first time, all red and gold just to have something different than previous Christmases. It turned out pretty nice, I think. Here are a few pictures. Please remember, gentle readers, I am still not a photographer, that much has not changed in the last year.

Tom and Amy gave me a set of little pig ornaments made of straw at the Finnish store. They are pretty cute. We added silk poinsettias in red and gold to fill it out.

Connor found the family stockings I made which were lost somewhere in the basement for a year thanks to my soon-to-be ex's filing system. He was the hero of the hour.

Most all the shopping is finished (thank you, Amazon.com) except for the stocking stuffers and some freshly roasted coffee beans for Marietta. There are even gifts wrapped! (That's kind of sick, I know.) The last thing to do is order a crown roast for Christmas dinner from the butcher. Guess I should do that pretty soon.

I'm really looking forward to having most of the kids home for the holiday but we'll be missing Connor. He will fly to Juneau to be with his Dad. At 16, visitation is still an issue. That's OK, we'll have our own celebration when he gets back. But, it will be strange and different, like many things have been in the last year.

Of course, the Diva will be with us. This may make for delicate and stressful family bonding since she already provoked most of the kids at Thanksgiving. Fortunately, she doesn't like to be gone from her apartment or her cat for very long. We can put up with most anything for a few hours. The Diva also intends to give up driving after the first of the year. This means taking her to the grocery store, the doctor, and anywhere else she wants to go. Looking forward to that...

I don't have to travel again until just after the New Year and the annual vacation is approaching. The decision is do I finish clearing out the clutter or do I quilt? I think I'll end up splitting the difference. I do miss my sewing machine.

A year of profound change

2009-12-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

It has been a year of very profound changes. Some good, some not so.

I started a new job in February. I stayed with the same employer but am doing something completely different. I am in network and computer support and I travel all over the Northwest. It is challenging and immensely satisfying. It's like a career change without losing seniority, pay grade, etc. Ironically, I discussed this with my spouse before I put in for the job to make sure he would be OK with the travel that would be required and most of the responsibility for looking after Connor would fall on him. He was all for it.

Unfortunately, at the same time my spouse decided to start having an affair. He took advantage of my business travel to spend time with this woman. He managed to keep it fairly under wraps for a few months but only the most accomplished liar could maintain it very long. Shortly after our 26th wedding anniversary in July, I confronted him. He moved out shortly afterward. He and his girlfriend then moved to Alaska in the fall.

Our children were and remain devastated. Even as adults, when the one thing you took for a certainty is suddenly pulled from underneath, you question everything you thought you believed. It is especially hard on our only daughter who was Daddy's Girl. She feels betrayed and is very angry.

I still have a 16 year old at home. It is obvious to him his Dad abandoned him. Fortunately, he and I have always been closer and he seems to be doing well. He has to go to Alaska for visitation over Christmas but knows that if he feels uncomfortable, he is old enough to decide for himself whether he goes again.

Sam, 19 and Air Force ROTC, said to his dad, "You spoon fed us scouting our whole lives. I guess you just violated every oath and law there is." I was really proud of him for standing up to his dad. He was home the entire summer and watched the whole thing happen. He saw how much it hurt me and was the most wonderful support. A lot to ask of a 19 year old.

My oldest son, Tom and his wife Amy, are moving back into the house next week. They will help out with Connor for the next year as it is unavoidable that I must travel. I am really looking forward to them being here. I enjoy their company and I think they will be a good, steadying influence for Connor.

I am so lucky I have such great kids, all four of them. They have been here for me at the worst time. They took turns coming home for weekends so I would not have to be alone even though they did not have to do that. They just did it. I think I raised them right.

The divorce proceedings are going very slowly. He was in such a hurry to file the papers and get out of town but now that he's gone, he acts like "out of sight, out of mind." I just want to get this over and done and close this chapter of my life so I can move on.

I have been cleaning out my house, resorting, reshuffling, redecorating. Amazing what a little paint will do. It's cheap and easy to do. I did Connor's room for $38! Leftover paint from the bathroom last summer = free. Drapes, sheets, and a throw rug at Ross for $38. It looks great. I want to paint the living room and my bedroom next. The big project will be the main bathroom because I'll have to strip wallpaper. My least favorite thing...

I tell people please do not be sorry for me. I have come to terms with my new life. Some things can be a blessing in disguise. I still have a really great job, I have my kids, I have my health, I have wonderful, supportive friends, I have my home. And I have new possibilities before me. God has given me strength and will see me through.

On that I can rely.

The Annual Vacation Coming to a Close

2009-01-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

Every year, I take a vacation for the entire week between Christmas and New Year's. This started when my kids were in elementary school so I could spend time with them during the holidays. I had no pretense that we would use the time to travel to visit far away relatives. Any travel would include driving in extremely dangerous road conditions to which I would not subject my precious and precocious cargo. And forget flying with four children - could not afford it anyway. No, we spent the days quietly at home with just each other for company. We'd break in all our new Christmas presents. And with four active and curious children, sometimes we'd just break our Christmas presents. (That's how we knew whether a gift was a good idea or not.) I later came to really love Legos.

My husband's family never came to visit during the holidays. To them, the road only goes one way. My brothers did not have children when mine were young so they did not really understand the magic of sharing the holiday with little kids. I find it ironic that now my oldest brother is 51, he has a 5 year old. (Yup, you read that right.) Yikes! Glad that's him and not me... Anyway, I always felt just a little sorry for my kids that their cousins were not closer so they could grow up together. On the other hand, I had no cousins my age and my brothers and I grew up very similarly to how my kids are growing up. I never felt like I missed out on anything so I guess my kids will be okay, too. At any rate, they are almost all grown now and we have lots of really rich memories of our Christmases at home.

The kids now range from 15 1/2 to 22. Christmas is a little different. They aren't all here for the entire holiday, one not here at all. The ones that are at home have friends they want to hang out with. I'm getting a lot of time to myself. This is not a melancholy as it might seem at first blush. I am actually enjoying it immensely.

I've been able to spend a lot more time in the sewing room than I have in the last several months. Even though every day I made myself do chores (Aaaack!) before I could reward myself with some sewing time, I have been able to do some quality quilting. I machine quilted the belated Christmas present for my friend, Marietta, using the machine quilting in sections technique. My next task is to attach and quilt the borders, then bind and label it. This technique has it's pros and cons. While it's easier to do the machine quilting without wrestling a queen-sized wad of fabric and batting, it's a pain in the ass to join the sections together afterwards. This is the second quilt I've done in this method and I have to say, I'm not sold. The upshot of using this method is that you have to hand sew the back together. Since I have never been one to really enjoy hand sewing, have I said it's a pain in the ass, yet? Oh, I have. Oh well, it can't be stressed enough.

However, let it also be said that all that hand sewing has left me plenty of time to plan my next three projects in my head. My sister in law sent me some really cute fabric she used in my niece's new bedroom, pink with little cartoon animals on it. I'm going to make her a Yellow Brick Road quilt with it. Then, I have been gathering homespuns for a star quilt pattern by the Buggy Barn. Thirdly, my son's girlfriend is graduating from high school in June and I have a green and white quilt planned for her because green is her favorite color. The best part is that most of it was already my in stash. She just received word that she has been awarded the same Air Force ROTC scholarship my son received last year. She will attend the same University where he is and plans to study nursing. She says she wants to be a flight nurse. We are really proud of her, she's a very bright girl.

With luck, these next three projects will take me into the next couple of months. I'm looking forward to the MLK holiday. My friends and I have already designated this as a quilting day so for sure I'll be working on one of the aforementioned projects. (I'd better be well finished with the Christmas gift by then!)

But on Monday, it's back to reality when the annual vacation comes to an end and I have to return to my more mundane, work-a-day routine. Will I continue to take these annual vacations when the kids are all grown and gone? After this last one, I'd say definitely YES!

Happy New Year. May health, happiness, peace, and prosperity find you in the next year.

Christmas is over...Thank God!

2008-12-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted since July! Too much to do, not enough time. With that said, a body would think I have been quilting my brains out. Alas, not so. Somehow, I thought that with three of my four progeny out the door I would have more time. HA! What WAS I thinking?

Sadly, I can't really even account for my time. I did get a new laminate floor in the living/dining rooms. This did disrupt our routine for a good week but it was completely and totally worth it. Got rid of a stinky old carpet that should probably have been categorized as an historical oddity. And smelly to boot. You know it's time to get rid of it when you can't even clean it anymore.

Our annual quilt show came and went in October. I didn't even have anything to show. That's how poor my quilting efforts have been. Not that I don't have lots of projects lined up. If they were airplanes readying for takeoff, the airport would be shut down. Not to mention all the UFO's already parked on the runway...

I did make a couple of sample quilts and taught a class at my friend Lydia's shop, Homespun Quilts. It was a New York Beauty from Phillips Fiber Art that was really fun to do. You can't tell from the picture but the points are three dimensional. Easier than it looks. Great book, I recommend it if you want a project that is a bit different and a little challenging.

We had three of the four kids home for Christmas. They all found it a bit weird their brother, Tom, was not with us. He flew to Spokane WA to spend the holiday with his new in-laws. We really missed him but that's what happens when kids run off and get married!

We had a white Christmas for the first time ever on this part of the Oregon Coast. It snowed all the way down to sea level. That's right kiddies, snow on the beach! Pretty but strange. Christmas morning we had big, fluffy flakes just like in the movies. The white stuff covered everything for a little over a week before the rains came on Saturday and melted it all away. It was fun while it lasted. I'm a little too old for snow angels but believe you me, I thought about it. The only thing that held me back was I'd have had to have someone hoist my old butt out of the snow with a crane. What don't you want to see on the front page of the newspaper?

I took the tree down yesterday, I just can't stand having it up for weeks at a time. (One month is 1/12th of a year, BTW) We don't have that much room, for one thing. And I'll be vacuuming up pine needles for the next three months as it is. Don't get me wrong, I love the Christmas tree. I have the funkiest collection of ornaments that don't really go together. But more precious are the ornaments my kids made in grade school, many of them with their pictures in them. So cute. We just have an, ummm, efficient living space. (That's code for small.)

Well, I am in the middle of a quilt for my really good friend, Marietta, who is always there for me and my family. I have it about 1/2 quilted. I hope to have it all done by New Years. I'll try to post pictures if they allow me anywhere near a camera...

:)

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

2008-07-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Q: What do you get when you stick four women in a car and turn them loose?

A: You get a really good time!

Four of us went to Central Oregon to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show which is the largest outdoor quilt show in the entire world. This is the 4th time I've been there and it's no joke. Sisters, Oregon is a very small town just outside Bend, Oregon. The normal population is 1,400 people on 364 days of the year. On the day of the show, the population is 20,000+.

It's a 5 hour drive from where we are on the coast and probably a 40 degree temperature difference. Yikes! We aren't used to being in 90 degree heat. The moss starts drying out between our toes. We were lucky to find a hotel room within a 40 mile radius because people make their reservation for the next year when they check out. It's crazy, I tell you!

The downtown district in Sisters is about 8 blocks long. At about 10:30 AM, I stood at one end and looked down the length of the street and saw nothing but a sea of people. Most of the quilts are displayed outside in front of the businesses and in any large open space in town. They hang about 1200 quilts every year from all over the world. This year I saw quilts from Tokyo, Japan and Rwanda. In years past, I've seen quilts from Australia and Holland (of all places).

How did this shindig get started, you ask? This is the brainchild of Jean Wells, owner of the Stitchin' Post quilt shop in Sisters and author of many wonderful quilting books. This was the 33rd year of the show. I'm sure when she had her first show in 1975, she had no idea what she had wrought.

Well, the four of us had a fabulous time. We started walking the town at 8:30 AM and by 2:30 PM we were pretty sure we had seen the entire show. At that point, it's really overwhelming. It's hard to imagine 1200 quilts all in one place.

My favorite was a collection of Amish quilts exhibited by a man who commissions and collects them. They were exquisitely perfect in every aspect. The colors were amazing and the hand-quilting was breathtaking.

Many of them were for sale. One was a fish wall hanging that was hand painted and machine quilted. The price, $7,000.00. I can't show you a picture for copywrite reasons but you can see it on the quilt show website.

I'm now inspired to get some quilting done. I've started a quilted tote bag for my daughter that will be fun and quick to finish. Then, it's on to bigger and better things...

I sense a vacation on the horizon...

2008-07-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

After all the hubbub and folderall of the last two months, I am ready for a vacation!

I just packed off all the high maintenance menfolk yesterday for a whole week! Yahoo!! They are by this time safely in Florida, en route to Islamorada for manly bonding and scuba diving. Yes, I am actually savoring the sound of silence in my house.

My youngest, now 15, was actually worried about me being all alone. How cute.

Connor: What are you going to do with us gone, Mom?
Me: Not to worry your pretty little head. I'll have no lack of things to do. I might actually get some of them done since I won't have to chase you people around!
Connor: Very funny, Mom.

Have I mentioned how high maintenance they all are?

Oh, you want a "for instance?" I'll give you one.

Why is it the cleanest place in the house is the inside of the laundry hamper? Not because the laundry is DONE, no sireee. Apparently, it is too difficult to lift up the lid to put the clothing IN! As a result, Mt Laundry is piled high atop, cascading over, and puddling on the floor where the cat can sleep in it.

I even ask them about once a week why they can't seem to get the clothes inside because it does perplex me so. I get a variety of answers, most of them flip. Even making them come back and fix it doesn't deter them the next time, even though you'd think it would. It's like the 8-track tape that doesn't stop, an endless loop.

Tonight, I went to the grocery store and bought my very own pint of ice cream, English Toffee Temptation. Doesn't that sound delightful? And it will be in the freezer tomorrow, too, because there will be no little ghosts that go oink in the night and make the ice cream mysteriously disappear. At least not for a week.

On Friday, the girls and I are heading to Sisters to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show sponsored by the fabulous Jean Wells and the Stitchin' Post quilt shop. I can hardly wait! Three glorious days of seeing beautiful quilts, shop-hopping, being served at restaurants, gabbing with friends, and no laundry.

And they actually think I'm going to be bored whist they are away...

Better Late than Never

2008-06-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

My, my. It has been a long time since I've been here. I almost forgot I had a blog!

The last 3 months and especially the last 4 weeks have been frenetic and frantic. (How's that for a great alliteration!)

In early March, I took a Job Enhancement assignment that meant traveling to work in a larger office two hours away from home for three days a weeks. It was a managerial assignment and I think I did a pretty good job. The end result was a promotion at the end of May, still not in management but a step closer and a raise in pay. Sure put a lot of miles on the ol' car.

Then in May, our oldest daughter, Hilary, graduated from Pacific University with a degree in Biology. Atta' girl! A week later, we held an open house for her graduation/Venturing Silver Award. For those of you not familiar, the Silver award in Venture Scouting is the same as an Eagle in Boy Scouts.

The first weekend of June, our No 3 child, Sam, graduated from high school with honors. He has a full ride Air Force ROTC scholarship and will attend University of Portland in the fall. He plans to major in Civil Engineering.

No. 2 child, Tom, married his longtime girlfriend Amy one week later. He also graduated from the local community college the night before his wedding, receiving an Automotive Mechanic Certification. Then he and Daisy the dog moved out. They are both Amy's problem now.

The really, really great news...all three of them got jobs last week! Hilary is working for a company in Tigard, Oregon that tests x-ray equipment. She plans to work for two years, then apply to medical school. Tom is working at a Chevrolet dealership as a mechanic. Sam got a job doing auto-cad work for an engineering company for the summer. If they like his work, they will probably let him work during school breaks when the ROTC doesn't claim him!

That leaves No. 4, the 15 year old. I told him he needs to pick up the pace and get a job now. He gave me a look like, "What! Me work?" Then we happened to go into a fast food restaurant and there at the cash register is one of his classmates! What timing! So now he's looking for places to apply that are within foot commute from home since he also doesn't drive.

I guess we'll get there eventually. In the meantime, it's nice to be home.

SHQ Hot (News) Flash 10/22/07

2007-11-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

Gentle Readers;

I think we can safely say our latest quilt show was a rousing success! The quilts went up in record time, the event was well attended, it came down in a flash, and good time was had by all.

In the Winner's Circle
Everyone voted and the winner's are: Fall Challenge, Betty; Two Fabric Challenge, Julia; Challenge Block, Sandi; and last but not least, Best of Show, Sandi again with her wonderful Monster Quilt! It's always so amazing to see the wonderful talent of our members. Good work, ladies and awards well deserved!

Dues are Due
It is October again and that can only mean -- dues are due! For a mere $12 for the entire year, you receive the companionship of 30 other people who have a lot in common with you, a spectacular show in the fall, and of course, this fabulous newsletter! Now really, where else can you find such a deal? Please turn your dues in to Debby by the one and only meeting in December, December 10th. If you don't, you run the risk of being out of touch and out of sorts. And remember, if you want to participate in the thrill-a-minute excitement of the Challenges in the future, you need to be a member in good standing.

Caution - Retreat Ahead
The highly anticipated and world renowned Retreat at the Comfort Suites is scheduled for November 3. You can arrive as early as you can haul your sorry self out of bed but most of us are arriving around 8:00 AM. There are only 12 spaces and, again, rumor has it a couple of the prepaid spots may be available. Drop an e-mail to Debby to check on availability. If you have paid and will not be able to make it, PLEASE let Debby know so someone else can have your spot.

Civil War Challenge
All you ladies that participated in the Civil War Challenge, it's almost that time! Your completed tops are due at the November 26 meeting. Remember, if you fail to meet the deadline, your $25 bucks goes to the kitty! You don't want to lose that cold, hard cash so "git to stitchin!" Aw heck, even if you don't make it, with all the fabric and patterns Nancy gave you, it was surely worth every cent. Nice job, Nancy. You're going to be a hard act to follow.

Have a Holly Jolly
As already referenced, we have only one meeting in December, our Christmas Party! This year it will be December 10th, place to be announced. Everyone brings a dish to share and a gift for Dirty Santa. The money limit on the gift is $10, I'm always amazed at the shopping ability of some of you gals. We'll plan more on this gala event at the November meetings so don't miss out!

Change of Command
Effective with January, we will need a whole new slate of officers. Every position is up for grabs except for Treasurer which has been filled by Debby who stepped up with enthusiasm. We'll need a new President, Quilt Show Chairman, Publicity Chair, and any thing else you'd like to contribute your time and talent towards. We've had a Program Chairman, Block of the Month, and Secret Pals in the past, all fun programs which suffered for lack of leadership and participation. If you have any new ideas you've seen at other guilds or some you just thunk up yourself, bring it up. Maybe it will sound like fun to a lot of us!. None of these things takes a great investment of time but all are things that can make our guild more fun and attractive to new members. Please consider volunteering your time to the group, you won't regret it.

The World is Ending, or Starting, or Something
Now what you've all been waiting for, today's installment of --- Bit O'Trivia! On this date in 4004 BC, the universe was created, or so thought James Ussher, Anglican Archbishop of Armagh. Ironically, on the same day in 1844, William Miller predicted the world would end causing his followers, the Millerites, to sell all their property and put off planting crops in anticipation of the second coming of Christ. Of course, the day after became known in history as the Great Disappointment, as you can imagine.

All I can say is "Thank Goodness!" I have too many UFO's for the world to end just now.

Until next time...

emi

SHQ Hot (News) Flash 10/08/2007

2007-10-08T22:58:00.000-07:00

Well, gals, this it IT! The last meeting before the show. I kinda feel like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, "Hey, kids! Let's put on a show!" If that doesn't date me, nothing will.

The Big Show

Joni gave us our final instructions tonight. The show is October 20th from 12 Noon to 4 PM, for those who are unsure. The poles will be transported from Marcia's basement to the school the night before. If you'd like to help, be at Marcia's at 5 PM or the school at 6 PM.

On Saturday, 10/20/07, be at Lewis & Clark Elementary at 8:00 AM (yes, that's in the morning) with your quilts and two dozen cookies for the refreshment table. Remember, don't bring any gooey stuff you don't want to see on your quilt later. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to hang quilts.

If you are bringing items for the Boutique, please have it already priced and clearly marked with your name. Please bring any useless items from your personal sewing cache you don't think you will use any more for the Sewing Room Sale. The money from this sale goes to support our door prize habit, challenge fabric, and anything else we want to pamper ourselves with. Dig deep and be generous. One quilters junk is another quilters treasure.

Speaking of names, if you still need a name tag, please send an email to Debby with the correct spelling of your name and she will make sure she has it for you for the show. I emphasize CORRECT because when I type too fast, my name comes out Clakr. It happens.

Attached to this email is the registration form for the quilts you wish to enter. Please fill one out for each quilt you are entering, print it out and bring it with you! If you are unable to download the attachment, we will have forms at available at the show but it will save you a lot of time if you do it ahead.

We voted to authorize Ashley to put a small ad in the newspaper on Friday and it should also appear in the Coast Weekend on Thursday.

Constance was present to report we have been granted matching funds through Thrivent and it will probably be about $350. Since this information is not printed on the tickets, we will need to make sure it is advertised at the show.

If you purchased the Challenge fabrics from Ellen last summer, for goodness sakes, don't forget to make and bring your Challenge Block! Make sure your name is on the back and no one sees it but Ellen prior to the show. Attendees of the show will vote on the best block and, voile, you, too can be in charge of the Challenge the next year!

Lastly, tell everyone you know to come to the quilt show.

Open House
Traditionally, the very next meeting after the quilt show is an open house where potential new members can check us out. Please be in attendance at this meeting because we will also have the wrap-up from the show (and we find out how much $$ we made for our charity). We will have coffee and cookies to welcome our visitors. Please bring show and tell or a Work In Progress (WIP) . This is our chance to show everyone how FRIENDLY and CHARMING we are!

Civil War Challenge
Nancy has only one packet of Civil War fabrics and patterns left to be handed out. If it's yours, please contact her or drop her an email. The deadline for your finished top is the second meeting in November and the minimum finished size is a 4x7 set of 12 inch blocks. Should be a really good "show and tell" that meeting!

Comfort Suites Retreat
All the available spaces for the retreat on November 3 at the Comfort Suites have been taken but if you are a-feared you missed out, do not yet despair! It is rumored that not all paid participants will be able to make it as planned. If you are still interested in participating, drop Debby an email. If you are one who must give up your slot, please let Debby know as far in advance as possible so another may take your place.

Hot Potato
Laurie made with her own two hands (and her sewing machine) the Amazing Microwave Potato Bag. It piqued our interest so much that she may make some to sell at the Boutique. We know it's amazing because Marcia was overheard to exclaim, "This is AMAZING!" Now, if you weren't at the meeting and don't know what we're talking about, you now have to wait until the show to find out. See what you get for missing?

And now, for that moment you have all been awaiting with bated (baited?) breath, today's installment of Bit O"Trivia! On this very day in 1944 was the radio debut of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" which went on to make radio and TV history. Then a mere 60 years later on the very same day was the unforgettable "Martha Goes to Jail." Ooops, sorry, that wasn't a show, Martha Stewart really DID go to jail! So hard to tell the difference sometimes. Darn that reality TV!

emi

SHQ Hot (News) Flash 9/24/2007

2007-09-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

Gentle Readers;

Were you so unfortunate so as to be unable to attend tonight's meeting, your absence was greatly missed. We held a moment of silence for those of us gone from our midst (Betty) on this Monday night. We bravely managed to carry on, however, and had a HUMDINGER of a meeting! I'd tell you all what went on but "What happens in Vegas..." Oh, alright, I'll tell you anyway.

Temporary Quarters
Our location was changed to the Christian Church on Harrison just for tonight to accommodate a concert happening at our usual stomping grounds. Thanks to Joni for making the arrangements for us. We only had a few that went to Grace and then came over! It's a very nice facility, lots of room and good lighting. Thanks again, Joni.

The Show Must Go On
Joni is still looking for that last position to be filled for the Quilt Show on October 20. She needs someone to man (woman?) the Boutique. This is a good time to remind you all if you have items for sale, please consider putting them in the Boutique. Ten percent goes to the guild but you get the rest! And don't forget the Sewing Room Sale. This is a great time to clear unneeded things out of your sewing room to make room for future quilt shop purchases. It's a guilt-free way to get rid of those UFO's you are never going to finish or that "What was I thinking" piece of fabric you bought and now won't admit to. Most of us have old books or quilt magazines we are done with but can't quite throw out. Bring them to the sewing room sale and some one else will be able to enjoy it as much as you did!
Remember, on the day of the show, bring two dozen non-gooey cookies for the refreshment table. Nancy is in charge of refreshments this year but she forgot to pick up her boxes at the end of the meeting. Nancy, they are still in my car, can I get them to you before Saturday?

Open House
As in past years, we'll host an Open House the first meeting after the quilt show to invite people to come and check out the guild. That means, this year, Open House will be October 22nd, the Monday immediately after the show. There will be refreshments and everyone is encouraged to bring show and tell. I know that can be tricky so close after the show but I'm confident we'll have things to share. Please come to this very important meeting to help welcome visitors and potential new members with your bright, shiny faces.

Challenges
Betty is planning to have space at the show for both the Two-Color Challenge and the Fall Challenge quilts. Bring your quilts or your finished tops to be displayed if you participated in either or both challenges.

The South Will Rise Again, Magnolia!
The Civil War challenge is almost complete but certainly not over! The completed tops are due at the November 26th meeting. Those of you participating can bring your beautiful quilts to show, get your $25 checks back and have a lovely mint julep on the porch with the Colonel. This will not be a meeting you'll want to miss unless, frankly, my dear you don't give a ...

Retreat
As a reminder, the Retreat at the Comfort Suites is scheduled for November 3. The reservations are full so at this point the only way you can get in is to inherit a space. Just kidding, but if anyone reserving a space is unable to attend, please let us know in advance so someone else can sign up.

Ooopsie. I accidentally hit the Send button before I added the most important part of the newsletter: today's Bit O'Trivia ! Now, I know not everyone has heard but it was on this day in 1890 the LDS Church renounced polygamy. Good thing because in 1948, the Honda Motor Company was founded and you just couldn't get too many wives in one of those original Honda cars.

Oh, my..

emi

SHQ Hot (News) Flash 09/10/07

2007-09-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Good evening ladies. What a beautiful day it was today! Summer is finally here, I think September really is the best weather month of the entire year. If you missed the meeting, I hope you were out enjoying the sunshine!

New Member
We have a new member, Karla from Montana. Karla just received her Masters Degree in Nursing and moved to Astoria to take a job here. She used to own a quilt shop in Montana so we are looking forward to good show and tell from Karla in the future! (No pressure!)

Quilt Show Update
Joni filled a couple more committee spaces for the quilt show. Everything is coming together nicely. The use permit for the school has been filed, we are just waiting for the official go-ahead. All members are to bring at least two dozen cookies for the refreshment table and remember, no chocolate coated anythings! We don't want that showing up on the quilts later. Like usual, we will try to have the quilt poles in the building Friday night so volunteers will be welcome to help offload. We'll let everyone know for sure if the school will let us in Friday night. We still need someone to head up the boutique. We have lots of tickets printed, if anyone wants to sell some to their friends, family, co-workers, and total strangers, drop me a call or an email and I'll get some to you.

****Meeting Alert****
Our next meeting is September 24th and the church will be hosting a concert that night. Since we are such a rowdy bunch, we thought we should meet somewhere else that night so as not to disrupt the general proceedings. The next meeting will be held at the Christian Church, on Harrison St. Thanks to Joni for volunteering the space. Don't forget, we will be wrapping up planning for the show. All hands on deck!

Are You Smarter Than the Average Quilter?
Our fearless leader, Vicky tried to stump us all with a pop quiz tonight. Boy, you can sure tell who used to be a teacher! Everyone had to answer quilting related trivia questions and if we got them right, we got a prize! (If you weren't there, I'm not tellin' what it was. It was good, too!) Well, we sure showed her, we got all the questions correct. Just goes to show, you can never tell what will happen at a meeting...

Retreat
No, it's still not the 9th Calvary. It's better. It's the world famed Retreat at the Comfort Suites scheduled for November 3rd. There were 12 spaces available and as of the end of tonight's gathering, all slots were spoken for. (Yet another reason you should have been there tonight!) Should be lots of fun and maybe we'll even get someone to crash the pool this time. (Really, Vicky, I bet they won't even notice!) Remember, what happens at the retreat, stays at the retreat...

Civil War Challenge
Nancy brought the final installment of the Civil War Challenge tonight. Another amazing group of blocks. She also brought ONE of her completed quilt tops. It was stunning! I'm so excited to see the rest of them. Remember, the finished top needs to be the size of a 4x7 set of 12 inch blocks (that would be 48 x 84) to get your $25 deposit back. I know in a prior newsletter I said 5x7 but *GASP* I was wrong! This is the very latest from the woman in charge tonight. Nancy, if I got it wrong again, please correct me.

Happy New Year
Our new year starts on October 1 . That means dues are due next month, ladies! As always, dues are $12 for the entire year, a veritable bargain for the chills and thrills each meeting brings, not to mention the show! Also, if you want to continue to receive these newsletters, jam-packed with information, you need to pony up. There is a short grace period but if you notice you fell off the mailing list, inquire with the Treasurer, Ashley.

Tag, you're IT!
If anyone needs a name tag, send an email to Debby with the CORRECT spelling of your name. She will be happy to oblige. Remember, once you have a name tag, its .25 to the kitty if you forget it.

And now, what you've all been waiting for, tonight's Bit O'Trivia. Who remembers "On the Road with Charles Kuralt ?" This well known CBS journalist was born on September 10, 1934 in Wilmington, NC then took it "on the road."

Bye for now.

emi

SHQ Hot (News) Flash 08/27/07

2007-08-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

Good evening to all on this eve of the eclipse of the full moon . Feeling funny, anyone? (That's funny peculiar, not funny ha-ha.)

Tonight I'm ghostwriting for two guest correspondents, Joni and Ashley . Thanks to you two for the meat of this newsletter.

Change of Commission
It's a military theme tonight. Judy has been our faithful treasurer for the last (almost) two years. Tonight, she resigned her commission and the Treasury assigned to new Treasurer, Ashley without benefit of the 21 gun salute. (Thank goodness, the church just had a new roof put on the parish hall!) Thank you, Judy for all the time you've donated to our group.

Civil War Challenge
Nancy issued the latest installment of the Civil War Challenge blocks. The finished top measuring at least 60 x 84 (that's a 5 x 7 set of 12 inch blocks) must be completed by November 26th to get a return of your $25 investment. And not a bad investment, either. With all the patterns and inspiration given by Nancy, not to mention the fabric, a girl could easily make about 4 quilts! Can't wait to see them all...

Oregon Home of the Brave
In keeping with the Civil War theme, Laurie brought a wonderful show and tell. She received a beautiful quilt from Oregon Home of the Brave, a non-profit organization that makes quilts for the families in remembrance of our fallen soldiers. They are all done in Civil War or similar fabrics in the Cross X Album block pattern. They have a inspiring website and are looking for volunteers to help make these quilts to comfort families of our brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Please visit their website and take a look at their work. Thank you Laurie for sharing your very personal story and quilt with us.

Form Ranks!
Joni is the Quilt Show Chairman and is marshaling the forces for the next big show. The date is October 20th and committees are beginning to fill up. More positions are available for postings so be sure to volunteer (or you may be volunteered military style). We also need to sell a lot more tickets, we can't rely just on what we will sell at the show itself. If you need tickets, contact me or drop me an email and I'll make sure you get some.

Retreat!
By popular demand, Vicki our Commander in Chief, has made arrangements for another retreat at the Comfort Suites. The date is November 3rd and you need to reserve your place by getting a mere $5 to Debby Spaces will be limited to 10 to 12 quilters, first come, first served. The first retreat was so productive and so much fun, you won't want to miss this one!

Last but certainly not least, we have today's installment of Bit O'Trivia! Here is today's tasty tidbit to carry on with tonight's military flair. On this day in 1776, British General William Howe's forces defeated the Americans under George Washington in the Battle of Long Island, present day Brooklyn. Sometimes, I wonder if we shouldn't have let them keep it...

In a second, irresistable historical happening (that would make it Two-Bits O'Trivia, I guess), in 1883, Indonesian volcano Mt. Krakatoa exploded in the most violent volcanic eruption in modern times. Concussions from the explosion traveled around the world seven times and could be detected for five days.

That's my two bits for tonight. See you in two weeks. I'm going to go howl at the moon before it eclipses.

emi

SHQ Hot (News) Flash 08/13/07

2007-08-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's a slow day in the news department. Here's what I could scrape up out on the street:

County Fair
We did pretty well at the County Fair, Joan had a gross ticket sale count at $416.00. We did not pay for the booth space because 4 of our members helped hang quilts but the passes were no longer free and those cost us $65.00. Thanks to Wanda for stepping up to help cover shifts for which no one volunteered.

Fair Judges
Wanda also volunteered to contact the Latimer Center in Tillamook to see if they had anyone qualified to be a quilt judge for next year's fair. If they indeed have such a person, we will submit their name to the Fair Board for the 2008 Fair. That way, we can complain while offering a possible solution.

Tag, you're IT!
If anyone needs a name tag, send an email to Debby with the CORRECT spelling of your name. She will be happy to oblige. Remember, once you have a name tag, its .25 to the kitty if you forget it. (Like I did tonight.)

Civil War Challenge
Nancy brought the latest installment on the Civil War Challenge. There was a veritable banquet of blocks to choose from for the participants. It should be pretty easy for them to find enough blocks to put together a 4x7 quilt and get their check back when the challenge is done.

It's Coming...
The next big event is of course the Quilt Show which is October 20th. Joni will be at the next meeting to talk about what needs to be done and gently cajole us all into volunteering. Many hands make light work. Get all your previously unshown work ready for public display. We'll need lots of quilts to make it a wonderful show so don't be shy about it!

Retreat!
No, it's not the 9th Calvary. Vicky is making arrangements for another retreat at the Comfort Suites for November 3rd (a Saturday). We all had such a good time at the last retreat we thought we'd reward ourselves after the quilt show is done with another one. More details to come so stay tuned...

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print. Except of course for today's Bit O'Trivia ! By special request, I've been asked about the origins of Boxing Day. Since the chances are slim to none that I'll be sending a newsletter out on Boxing Day, your wish is my command. Boxing Day (also known as the Feast of St. Steven for unrelated reasons) falls on December 26th of each year and is observed by British Commonwealth countries. Originating in the Middle Ages, this is the day the servants and serfs were traditionally given a day off and presented with a box of gifts and food by the Lords and Ladies of the manor. This was not largess on the part of the masters of the estates, they were required to do so as these were the people who lived on his lands and depended up him for their livelihood. And there you have it.

Until next time.

SHQ Hot (News) Flash 07/23/07

2007-08-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hello again. Here is your latest installment of the Hot (News) Flash.

County Fair
Joan brought the sign up sheet for the Fair booth. As of the end of the meeting, there were two more morning shifts that needed filling. If you are at all able, please email Joan or call her so we can get the booth fully manned. This is our biggest ticket sales event and we want to get as much $$ for our charity as possible, right?

Joan has also arranged for us to have Fair and parking passes, as she does every year. The passes will be in her mailbox which is on the way out to the fairgrounds. There will be an envelope marked "Schoolhouse Quilters." You simply take your pass out of the envelope on your way to the fairgrounds and be sure to return it when you are done so it's there for another person to use. Very easy and convenient. Thanks to Joan for making this possible every year.

In the event there are no passes in the envelope, wear your SHQ name badge and you can probably get in if you tell them you're working.

Joan will be setting up the booth Tuesday morning but I will need some help transporting the poles on Saturday night after I close down the booth at 9 PM. They will not fit in my car so if anyone can help me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Hang it all!
Now, if anyone has a hankerin' for hangin' quilts, you can show up on Monday, July 30 at 1:00 in the PM and you, too can help hang quilts for display. They will have been judged so you'll be among the first to know the exciting results! How can you resist? Many hands make short work so please help if you are able.

Civil War Challenge
Nancy handed out the latest installment of Civil War Challenge blocks. These will be amazingly large quilts if you make all the blocks, there are so many! Great job, Nancy.

Chicken and Pie (not chicken pie)
For a well-rounded meal at the Fair, be sure to stop by the Boy Scout Chicken Dinner booth (a full meal deal for only $5.00) and pie and ice cream at the Presbyterian Church booth where you'll probably find Joan when she's not in our booth!

You Must Enter to Win!
If you have never entered anything in the Fair before, it's really a lot of fun and people love to see all the entries by their friends and neighbors. It makes for a really great fair to have lots of items entered. Please enter your quilts or baked goods or something you've grown. Open Class entries are on Sunday, July 29 from 1 PM to 8 PM. Hint: Go early!

Well, that's it for now. But lest you worry, I have not forgotten todays Bit O'Trivia! On this day in 1967, the Beatles sign a petition to legalize marijuana. In 1969, Apollo 11 splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean. And a mere 6 years later, the Supreme Court ruled that Richard Nixon did not have the authority to withhold the White House tapes and ordered him to submit them to the Watergate Special Prosecutor. Bet Tricky Dick wished he had a toke and a rocket!

OK, not politically correct. Sorry.

emi

Keeping Busy

2007-08-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

The day before yesterday, I found myself thinking about Beth and wondering what she was up to. Lo and behold, she posts my blog and wants to know where I've been. Timing is everything.

After the big trip to Idaho with my Mom in June, our youngest participated in his first ever swim meet. He swam three events and finished second in the 100m relay. I volunteered to help run the concession stand and boy was I tired after two days of that!

We got our copy of the last Harry Potter book in the mail and I read it in two days. Then I decided, while our youngest was reading Number 7, I would re-read the entire series. I did it in about 10 days and had to prod him to finish Number 7 so I could re-read it. What was so amazing was how she had thought through the plots so that some events that occurred in earlier books popped up again in later books and some things she alluded to in early books later made sense in later books. What a talent.

I spent the rest of July finishing up a couple of quilts to enter in the county fair. The fair was the first weekend of August. I ended up entering 11 things; three kinds of cookies, a pillow case, and 7 quilts. I got two red ribbons and 9 blue ribbons, 3 grand champions and 1 reserve champion. Overall, I was pretty pleased.

Then, I found out my boss nominated me for an award at work. On Wednesday, I will be flying from where I live on the West Coast to Baltimore MD and I will receive this award from the Commissioner himself. At first, my Hubby was not too impressed but I told him the Commish sits on the Cabinet with his buddy George W. He did get kinda excited when he thought W would be there but I told him I doubted it. So it's a really big deal, once in a career award and I am still amazed I'm receiving it. And to top it off, we might get to see my brother and his wife who live in Pennsylvania, too!

Tuesday the 4th is back to school and our youngest is a Freshman (yes, it boggles the mind). I only have to deal with the school for four more years; the prospect of being shut of those people is delightful to contemplate. Hilary, our oldest, has started her senior year at college and will be spending three weeks in France in January. Very cool.

I just finished another book called, "The Secret." It was a quick read and I enjoyed it very much. Do I believe everything it says? Not yet. Do I believe there are basic truths there? Yes. I discovered I already live much of my life according to The Secret and never knew it.

That's about it. Not too exciting but that's OK. Excitement is not always what it's cracked up to be.

Oh yes, I've started a new quilt. My own design - sunflowers. Will post some pics when I have it sort of together.

Schoolhouse Quilter's Hot (News) Flash 7/9/07

2007-07-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a safe and happy July 4th holiday.

We had a pretty short meeting tonight, ergo a short newsletter.

We welcomed a new member, Colleen C. She is newly hired as a school nurse in the Astoria School District. (Yes, I've already warned her about my kids.)

Ellen was with us again, looking very chipper. Ellen got a second opinion from another doctor who says she never had cancer at all! She's feeling so good, she is planning her next European vacation and will leave on the 19th. You go, Ellen!

Civil War Challenge
Nancy brought her next installment of Civil War blocks. The stories that go with the blocks are quite interesting to read. We got to see some finished blocks by Sandi Hoagland, just beautiful.

County Fair
We passed around a sign up sheet to sell raffle tickets at the County Fair, coming up SOON! Contact Joan if you missed the sign up or she will be calling YOU! We need more names so be generous with your time. Besides, it's so much fun to look at the exhibits and the animals. Speaking of exhibits, if you want to enter any items in the Adult Open Class, pick up a fair book at the OSU Extension Office, next to the Aquatic Center. The more people exhibit, the better the fair is. AND, if you get a ribbon, you get cold, hard cash! How can you resist?

Quilt Show Alert
The Rainy Day Quilters in Clatskanie are having their 4th Annual Show on August 3rd and 4th from 10 to 4 at Cope's Park in Clatskanie. They are planning to have vendors and a blue grass festival. Sounds like fun. For more info, just click on their name and it will take you to their website. Let's support our sisters in Clatskanie.

I know you missed my newsletter last meeting, someone even emailed me to ask me if I had sent it out yet! Alas, I was out of town (actually, out of state) and did not have notes. But, not to despair, here is today's installment of Bit O'Trivia! In 1887, paper napkins were used for the first time ever at a company dinner for a stationery manufacturer. And in 1922, Johnny Weismuller, later known as Tarzan, broke the minute barrier when he swam the 100 meter freestyle in 58.6 seconds. Bet he could have used some napkins afterwards.

Later,
emi

Another story about Divas in Hell

2007-07-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

We are driving to Boise, the social and political mecca of Idaho (whatever THAT means), to visit Mom's friend "M." She is unfortunately suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Mom has not seen her in a couple of years and we wonder if M will remember either one of us. At this point, I should mention my mother is sharp as a tack, there is nothing wrong with her faculties whatsoever.

Me: OK, we're close to town. Where does she live?
Mom: I don't know. You go off Franklin. Or was it Fairview? It's called Oak-something.
Me: I don't know, I've never been to her house here.
Mom: Well, I can't remember!
Me: Do you have her phone number and address in your purse?
Mom: No.

Now, I should know better. I should have asked her before we left that morning to make sure she had the address and phone number. It is a baking 96 degrees outside. I find a convenience store, pay $8+ for a map and look up every street that starts with "Oak" in Boise. Thank the map gods, there are only three. I read them off to her and she says:

Mom: I knew it was Oakhurst.
Me: (Not talking, biting lip, melting in extreme heat.)

We find Oakhurst, a cul-de-sac. My spirits brighten considerably, there are a finite number of houses on the Oakhurst cul-de-sac. As I circle around and around the cul-de-sac, she is trying to remember which one M lives in.

Mom: It's 121 or something like that, I know it's on this side of the street.
Me: It can't be 121 then, these are all even numbered houses.
Mom: I know it's on this side of the street and it's 121!
Me: Let's try this one(picking 120). If it's not them, surely they know which house it is.

Now, do you think it was the right house?

Only because of the map gods and the patron saint of patient daughters did we stumble across the correct house. Who else but a diva would leave home with no clear idea of where she is going but assuming someone else would get you there?

By the way, M did not remember me but eventually did remember the diva. Of course.

'Vacationing in Hell' or 'It sure is hot in Idaho'

2007-06-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the protracted absence. I usually lead rather a boring life. It's hard for me to believe any of my activities is interesting enough for you to want to read.

However...

I just spent a week with an 82 year old lady in Hell, I mean, Idaho. And, yes, this was my vacation this summer. The 82 year old as you may have already guessed is my mother. After being with her for 46 years, I have just realized an important truth about her.

She is a total DIVA!

How is it I never noticed before? I suppose you want a "for instance."

We have a long laundry list of her friends she would like to visit and we are making our way nicely down the list. At ten minutes before 5 PM she says, "Drive me over to Mr. X's." (Notice, there is not a 'please' or 'would you' in the request. But, I am very patient.)

Me: Mom, don't you think we should call first?
She looks at me with total amazement, like I have just gone out of my head.
Mom: WHY?
Me: It's almost 5, they might be getting ready for dinner.
Mom: We won't stay THAT long!
Me: Call first.

I wander off to stall for time. Five minutes later:

Me: Have you called yet?
Mom: No.
Me: You need to call.

Ten minutes later, she catches on that I'm not driving anywhere until she calls. Sure enough, they are eating at 5:30. By then, it's 5:10 and even she has figured out now is not a good time.

Just thinking about this makes me chuckle.

More Idaho stories later. So much more...

Another Hot (News) Flash from Schoolhouse Quilters

2007-04-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring, what a beautiful day it was today!

Sorry to miss you if you weren't at the meeting tonight. Here's a brief synopsis.

Julia brought in her Fall Challenge quilt. Not only was the top beautifully pieced, so was the BACK! (OK, Julia, you can't claim the "beginner" thing anymore!). Julia was the third member of the challenge to reclaim her check. There are lots more names on the list so if you want your check back, you need to bring in your completed top by June 11! (We made some money back on the 2-color challenge, don't ya know!)

Speaking of challenges, the Garage Sale is on for sure for Saturday, June 2. It will be in the Grace Church Parish Hall where we meet. Betty will co-ordinate a time for you to bring your stuff in Friday night, June 1, if you like. Or, if you have soooo much rummage you can't get it in your car, Betty has a truck and she will gladly haul for you! Remember, the funds go to the group for more fun activities like the Challenges we've had. If you have been enjoying these and would like to see it keep on going, donate your stuff!

Joni has graciously volunteered to be the Quilt Show Chairperson again. Thank you Joni. I'm sure with your expert guidance, others will feel comfortable to step into your capable shoes next year.

Lydia brought the 2007 Raffle Quilt to show it's progress. Julie stopped by the shop this morning and more progress was made. They surmise it will only take one more good day to get the top all put together. Another work day is planned for this Sunday at Homespun Quilts so please come in and be part of the workgroup. Drop in anytime after 10 AM, the more, the merrier. Linda volunteered to donate her time to quilt it for us. Thanks, Linda!

Based on the progress of the Raffle Quilt top, we decided to give it a name (so we don't have to call it "IT" anymore). The name chosen was Country Calico. Ashley will do a mock up of the tickets for the next meeting and with any luck, the top will be put together for a photo so some posters can be printed.

The Retreat is on for May 19 at the Comfort Suites Hotel. The room is paid and everything! Bring something foody to share with everyone and remember, Safeway is only a parking lot away.

You'll regret you didn't attend when you hear Dina won the door prize. It was a very cute quart jar full of fabric from Annalena's (and rumored to have Easter candy in the bottom, we'll never know, Dina didn't open it).

Remember the Grace Church food bank, The Christ Room, with a donation of canned or other non-perishable goods, or a cash donation for fresh foods such as milk. They allow us meeting space free of charge and they are serving record numbers of hungry households in our county. A loaf of bread and a couple of fish can go a long way.

And know, for that moment you have all been waiting for...todays Bit O'Trivia! Today was a good day for entertainment and the arts. It's the birthdays of William Shakespeare, Ruggiero Leoncavalla, Shirley Temple, Roy Orbison, Sandra Dee, Halston, Lee Majors, David Cross, Joyce DeWitt, Michael Moore (OK, the jury is out on that one), Valerie Bertonelli and Steve Clark. Feeling creative? Head for the sewing machine!

The new Tin Lizzie

2007-04-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

This looks really cool. I am daydreaming how I can raise the funds to buy one of these for myself. If you want to see the next generation of long-arm quilting machines for the home sewer, check out the Tin Lizzie 18.

Neato.

(And now I have just sooo dated myself...)

Schoolhouse Quilter's Newsletter 4/9/07

2007-04-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Gentle Readers;

Our fearless leader Vicky was in other parts of the State today but she left us in the capable hands of President Pro-Tem Debbie. She got right to the point and so shall this newsletter.

2007 Raffle Quilt
The large quilt is floundering a bit. We need some folks to come in and work on it. If the workroom at Homespun Quilts is free on Saturday, April 14, there will be some ladies there to give it a go. This needs some attention and if you haven't had a chance to work on a raffle quilt before, it's a great learning experience. Don't be intimidated, it's not hard and can stretch your boundaries a bit out of your comfort zone, which is a good thing.

2008 Raffle Quilt
Tonight was the DEADLINE for the Christmas blocks. There were 20 turned in all total. Nancy thinks there are 4 more out there floating about. If that's YOU, please make arrangements to get them in to Nancy ASAP so she can turn the fantastic blocks into a fantastic quilt. The blocks are truly varied and creative, all wonderful.

Quilt Show Challenge
Speaking of the quilt show, Ellen brought the fabric packets for the next block challenge already! The theme is 4th of July and the two fabrics are blue and red. For our newer members, whoever is so lucky as to win the block challenge displayed at the quilt show must come up the the next year's challenge. I think Ellen has broken the efficiency record. If you'd like a packet, bring $2 to the next meeting and she'll sell them till they are gone. Don't miss out, it's a fun time!

Garage Sale
Betty is picking up all sorts of things for the garage sale. If you'd like to contribute, call or email her to make arrangements for her to pick up your stuff or you can bring your items the morning of the sale. There's never too much stuff for a garage sale. The first choice for dates is Saturday, June 2 and second choice is Saturday, June 9. As soon as the use permit is approved at the church, we'll know the date for certain.

Officer Needed
The group still has a very important leadership position available and that is Quilt Show Chairman. If you've never done anything like this before, it's a short step from chairman to school board to President of the United States! OK, I may have exaggerated just a little. Most of it is coordinating all the pieces of the show and making sure the Use Permit has been filed with the school. Now, does that sound hard? Contact Vicky if you'd like to try your hand at it and remember, there are lots of ladies to help you. (One word: delegate!) Betty has volunteered to step in as Historian, thanks, Betty! Now don't let that make you feel guilty but in case it does, lets hear from you!

Retreat!!!
The retreat is on for the May 19 retreat at the Comfort Suites and there are about 15 names on the list! Should be lots of fun and all kinds of work getting done. Final details in an upcoming meeting so make sure you are present.

Fall Challenge
The Fall Challenge tops are due on June 11. Sandi brought her completed top in and will be getting her check back. It was a very beautiful star pattern with a really cool border setting. Sandi and all others with finished tops are asked to bring them back on June 11 for a group photo.

New Challenges Ahead
Nancy is coordinating the next Challenge. The theme will be Civil War Diaries and the sign up will be at one of the May meetings. If you'd like to participate, make sure you're there. The next challenge will begin in June and sounds like it will go on for several months.

Newsletter Alert
If your friends wonder why they are not getting this newsletter anymore, remind them to check with Judy to see if they have paid their dues for the year. Several names were removed last month for non-payment. Now, who wouldn't want to receive these priceless jewels of information?

That's all the news that's fit to print. But wait! I haven't forgotten the best part, today's Bit O'Trivia! With inspiration from Nancy , on this very day in 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, ending the Civil War. Wow, the coincidence is just spooky!

Renewal

2007-04-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

I always believe this is the real time for renewal, instead of New Year's. I don't have any use for resolutions. Easter is the time to renew your spiritual self, reassess life's path, move forward.

It's spring, the tulips and daffodils are out and He is risen.

Have a lovely year.

Financial Aid? For who?

2007-04-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I don't understand the rationale behind filing the FAFSA, or the application for Federal Financial Aid for college students. Hubby and I have four, yes count them, four children. I believe we now know what causes it.

We are abysmally middle class, astoundingly average in oh so many ways. Two of our progeny are in college, the other two preparing for it. One would think we might qualify for some kind of financial aid to help send our children off to college, get degrees, enter the workforce, pay taxes, and generally become contributing members of society.

Dutifully, this is the fourth year I have spent precious moments of my life, never to reclaim them, filling out this government form. Not only do I have to fill one form out but I must redundantly fill out a separate form for each of my college students. Why can't I fill out one form and list all my college students on it? (I'm whining now, I know.)

The first one, for my daughter the future pediatrician, was completed with meticulous care, all the figures in the right places. Politely, it thanked me at the end of the online path as it zapped all my personal information somewhere into the nebula, and informed me my expected parental contribution will be $9,435. Yipe!

Surely, I thought, when I complete the second form for my son, the future diesel mechanic, IT will realize I have two students to support, will pity me and perhaps show me a measure of mercy. I painstakingly fill out the second form, duplicate all my personal information and ZAP! off it goes into the great beyond.

Again, it politely thanks me as it now informs me my expected contribution as the parent of two full-time college students is now $10,312!

Wait...I was not expecting that figure to go up. Silly me, I was expecting some recognition of the financial burden I am carrying and perhaps some help with the cost of tuition. After all, I am raising them to help support their fellow citizens and pay taxes just like we do. They might even serve in the military and help preserve our freedoms.

I can't say I'm surprised by the results. This happened last year, too. The only thing we are qualified to do is take out loans at 8.6% interest. And, you know, they'll loan you as much money as you want! Wow.

While I've written the above discourse tongue-in-cheek, there really is something seriously wrong with the message it sends to the middle class. We support the entire country with the taxes we pay. We don't have fancy tax shelters or off-shore accounts. We live to pay our mortgage, pay the heat, feed our kids and with any luck, send them to get a good education so they can do better than we do. We hope we have saved enough to retire comfortably and not worry about wolves howling in the night. The government is there to gladly take our tax money and send it overseas for foreign aid, give the rich all kinds of tax breaks but it can't help us make sure we will be able to create the next middle class to support the government in a manner to which it has become accustomed.

I knew there was a reason I don't clean house!

2007-03-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, the first day of my Spring Break vacation. I spent the day, of all things, cleaning the house. You know, the usual mundane sort of cleaning; laundry, vacuuming, sorting, putting away, yada, yada. But then...

The boys have had the stomach flu for the last week or so, off and on. Imagine 3 teenage boys who really know how to pack it away with the stomach flu. Ick. The bathroom was disturbing and frightening. I decided to clean it, too.

My arm actually hurts from all the scrubbing. Like tennis elbow. Weird. The upside is it smells ever so much better now and I'm not afraid to go in there.

The other thing that was disturbing; they decided to have a contest to see which of them had the worst, ummm, intestinal vapors.

Must be a boy thing...

emi

Schoolhouse Quilter's Newsletter 3/26/07

2007-03-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

It was a small but hardy group that met tonight. We still managed to get some (monkey) business done however.

2007 Raffle Quilts
We are doing orphan block quilts and looks like we'll have 3 to raffle off. Jaci brought in a red and yellow one that is all finished, even the binding. She also had the red and purple quilt almost completed, it just needs someone to volunteer to bind it. Both of these were small, perhaps lap or baby sized. Lydia brought in the blue and yellow pastel blocks still in progress. When finished it should be queen size. Anyone who has time can drop by Homespun Quilts and work on it. Another workday should be scheduled soon.

2008 Raffle Quilt
Nancy showed off completed Christmas themed blocks - very cute! If you still haven't gotten your blocks in, the April 9 meeting is your last chance. There are packets yet available if you've decided you want to contribute a(nother) block to what promises to be a really wonderful quilt.

2007 Charity Selected
The votes are in! The 2007 raffle charity will be the Columbia Memorial Breast Health Program. This is a very worthy cause to promote education and awareness about breast cancer and provide exams for women who do not have insurance.

It's Garage Sale Season
and you don't even need a license to hunt! Betty wanted to remind everyone to please donate things you don't want cluttering up your house anymore to her garage sale in June. She will even come to your house and pick it up! (Betty, how big of a truck do you have?) The funds go to the Sewing Room fund and pays for the recent Challenges and maybe even a renowned guest instructor! (Come on ladies, we all have lots of stuff we don't need!)

Hand Applique Workshop
Speaking of guest instructors, there will be a hand applique workshop at Art and Soul Quilts. This is your chance to learn a new technique and have a little fun. Contact Jaci for date, time and cost.

Historian Needed
Margaret has sold her house and sadly will be leaving us for the big city. Someone will need to fill her shoes and take up the reins as group historian. The scrapbook is currently at Nancy's house and we'd like to keep our story up to date. Contact Vicky if you are interested.

Secret Sister Update
The Secret Sister exchange is on hold for the time being. With only four participants signed up, it was decided it would be too hard for it to be kept secret! If more people are interested, let Vicky know and an exchange can be arranged later in the year. Sorry to disappoint the four that signed up. It's an activity that really is a lot of fun and doesn't take a whole lot of time. And so much fun to receive your exchange blocks every month!

RETREAT!!!
The retreat is on for May 19 at the Comfort Suites conference room. We need at least 12 people to sign up and the cost is a mere $5 per person. We can have the room as early as 6 AM (that's just crazy) and as late as we want it (midnight maybe?). The hotel is providing coffee, tea, and water in the price. Vicky is checking to see if we can have use of the pool and hot tub, too. You know, all that sewing can be stressful. And with Safeway right next door, we certainly won't starve either! Get your money to Vicky ASAP to reserve your spot.

Dull Scissors getting you down?
Well cry no more. Lydia announced that the multi-talented Thor has added yet another new talent to his repertoire. Thor will sharpen the scissors you dulled when you tried to cut through that pin (remember?). He also sharpens knives, just in case your husband doesn't (or does it badly). Take your injured implements to Homespun Quilts and give them a new lease on life. Oh, and by the way, check out Lydia's Blog online.

Here we are at the end of another newsletter and I thought I didn't have much to say! Don't worry, I won't forget today's Bit O'Trivia! On this day in 1934, the driving test was introduced in Great Britain. Holy cats, I've been there - who knew? Also for you Trekkies, today is the birthday of Leonard Nimoy. Live long and prosper.

emi

Who said California would end up in the ocean first?

2007-03-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

We've been having a good sized landslide here in the NW corner of Oregon. I can actually see it out my office window. It's provided a good bit of excitement and entertainment over the last 6 weeks. The city of Astoria has done an outstanding job of keeping the public safe and moving utilities, etc. That asphalt material on the left side was the street. Thank God that's not my house.

The landslide is occurring in a 4 block area that originally slid in 1954. Back then, 50 houses had to be moved or destroyed. The city purchased all the property so no homes could be rebuilt on it. Good thing. The slide area has reactivated in the original footprint of the 1954 slide. So far, 5 homes on the edges of the slide area are affected but only one has had to be evacuated.

Click on the title of this post and check out the KGW TV slideshow, they have some really awsome pictures of the slide area but bear in mind, they are more than a week old and the area looks even worse now.

My mother used to live in an apartment at the top of the slide area. We used to drive up Commercial and First streets to get there. Both paved roads are totally gone now. Thank God we moved her out of there!

Just another reminder of the insignificance of man.

emi

Schoolhouse Quilter's Newsletter 03/12/07

2007-03-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

SHQ Hot (News) Flash

Hello again;

We had a good turnout tonight. I wish I could say I was present for the whole meeting but had to duck out in the middle for the school Orchestra Concert (it was fabulous, by the way). Betty was kind enough to take notes for me. Thank you Betty, you are a gentlewoman and a scholar. I hope to do you justice in delivering the newsletter this week.

The 2007 Raffle Quilt
A group met again last Sunday to assemble the center of the blue and yellow quilt. It's coming along nicely. Jaci put together a small top in reds and purples that is beautiful and has yet another on her HQ16 being quilted. Great Scott! We will have many to choose from!

2008 Christmas Raffle Quilt
These blocks need to be finished and in to Nancy by the end of April. If you still need a packet, please call Nancy or drop her an email.

The Nominees are IN!
Each year we give funds to local groups that benefit women and children in the community. Groups nominated to receive the raffle proceeds from the 2007 Raffle Quilt are:
CMH Breast Health Program
Lives in Transition
Astoria Youth Athletics
We will vote on the lucky recipient at the March 26th meeting. Please be there!

Peninsula Quilt Guild
Don't forget the Annual Show for our sisters across the river this weekend at the Ilwaco Heritage Museum. What a great way to spend St Patrick's Day and you can get tea and scones to boot! It'll be a wearin' o the green.

Speaking of Sisters...
We need more people for the Secret Sister block exchange. So far there are only four and it's much more fun with more. Constance is organizing it and will be sending out questionnaires for you to fill out with your preferences and some personal history. The exchange will be monthly for 1 year. If that seems daunting for you or you're afraid of commitment, it goes by really fast! Email Constance if you want to join up.

RETREAT!!!!!
Our fearless leader Vicky has booked a retreat for us at the Comfort Suites in Astoria. The red-letter date is May 19 from 8 AM to 5 PM. If you'd like to participate, there is a $5 non-refundable fee that will need to be ponied up at the next meeting (March 26). For this nominal fee, Comfort Suites will set up the room, provide us with all the coffee, tea, and water we can drink, and then they'll clean up after us. Almost as good as a housekeeper! In addition, if you'd like to participate in a special door prize drawing, you can contribute $10 to the kitty. Sounds like a good day to get stuff done!

Walker, Garage Sale Ranger
Betty wants to have a garage sale the size of Texas! She would like you to donate your good sellable items to the 1st Annual SHQ Garage Sale. Tentatively planned for the second Saturday in June, we hope to be able to use the Parish Hall at Grace Church for a donation to the Christ Room Food Bank. Permission is pending. In the meantime, you can bring items to the meetings and Betty will store it for you until the date of the sale. Any items left over will be donated elsewhere so no "garage sale boomerang!" We can't make it any more convenient than that! The money will go towards door prizes at meetings and special projects for the group like the recent Challenges we've enjoyed. These have been a lot of fun for all participants but it does cost money. Call Betty with any questions.

Show and Tell
During Show and Tell, there were a couple of great Mexican Star quilt tops shown. This is such a beautiful project. Sandy is teaching it one more time at Homespun Quilts on April 13th from 8 AM to 4 PM. The cost is $40 and sign up if you want to take it, this may be the last hurrah.

I got to show off my completed Fall Challenge quilt, complete with quilting and binding. It was a Yellow Brick Road pattern and I used 20 fabrics all together, all from my stash. The only thing I bought was more of the green ivy print for the border. (Hey Judy, I want my check back!) I think this is the first one done, not counting Kathy's but she had us at a disadvantage. Thanks to Jaci at Art and Soul for renting me time on her HQ16 to get this monster quilted.

Congratulations! You've again made it to the end of this jam-packed edition of flotsam and jetsam. But, I know what you really want is today's Bit O'Trivia! This very day, March 12, 1894, Coca-Cola was for the first time sold in bottles. Yes, indeed! I can see you're impressed.

emi

Schoolhouse Quilter's Newsletter 2/26/07

2007-03-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

SHQ Hot (News) Flash

Hello everyone;

If you weren't at the meeting tonight, at least I hope you were quilting or thinking about quilting. Here's the latest:

We were joined tonight by both Marcia and Joan both looking very wonderful and chipper. They both gave updates on their recent health issues. Glad to report they are both doing very well and do not expect any further complications.

We voted on whether or not to loan out our quilt poles to the Gearhart Golf Course for the quilt show being planned there in March. Since we already declined another request within the last year, we also decided not to loan out our poles this time. The unanimous decision was based on the fact that we would not be able to replace our investment should something happen to the equipment. This has been officially adopted as our new policy.

The work is progressing on the raffle quilt(s). The two sets of blocks are being worked on by two different groups and we could have two raffle quilts for the show! Sounds like we should see some results soon.

Speaking of the raffle quilts, you'll want to be at the March 12 meeting as we will be selecting the charity to receive the proceeds. This is a very important part of what we do as a group so be thinking of your favorite local non-profit charities that benefit women and children. Bring your nominations to the March 12 meeting and we'll vote.

To further pique your interest, the March 12 meeting will be the last opportunity to sign up for the Secret Sister block exchange. At least 7 people indicated they wanted to participate in Vicky's survey so it's going to happen. If you just can't make it and want to be included, email Constance before the date of the meeting. She volunteered to arrange the exchange. Thanks, Constance.

And if that weren't enough to convince you to come to the March 12 meeting, there will be a REALLY COOL Door Prize! The catch? You must be present to win. Of course!

Just how can we pack so much fun and excitement into just one meeting? We can't! That's why Vicky is looking into some options for -- RETREATS!!!! (Why do I always think of the 9th Calvary when I hear that word?) The Clatskanie group will be invited to join us to make it more fun and cost effective for everyone and maybe we'll make some new quilty friends to boot!

One option is an off-season weekend retreat at the Long Beach Super 8 where Annalena's holds their retreats. The rate is a very reasonable $57 + tax per night per person for a double occupancy room. They can guarantee us that rate and a FREE conference room for sewing if they book at least 10 rooms for us. The retreat would start at Friday Noon and go through Sunday 4 PM. The conference room is lockable so we don't have to pick up our mess. Breakfast is provided. Once we see if there is enough interest, we can pick a date. This may take some advance planning so don't be shy if you want to participate, speak up!

Another option is a day-long retreat at the Comfort Suites conference room. It's quite spacious and they would provide complimentary coffee, tea, and water. They'll set up and tear down the room. All we have to do is move in and sew! The cost is only $90 to rent the conference room and all that convenience for a day. We may be looking at setting up a date in April for this one as there is no minimum number of people, whoever comes will split the cost. Obviously, the more, the merrier!

Betty is organizing a Garage Sale, most likely to be held in June. Betty would like you to generously donate items around your house you no longer use or need. She is even willing to do the pricing if you are not comfortable with that. The money will supplement our Sewing Room Sale funds which we use for door prizes and projects like the recent Challenges that have been very popular. We may also use some of that money to arrange for a guest lecturer or teacher of some renown to present or teach a class to our group. (I once took a class from Harriet Hargrave, worth every cent! But I digress.)

Membership dues are long past due. If you aren't certain you've paid, contact Judy and she will look it up. If you are not in good standing by the March 12 meeting (yet another good reason to attend!) this will be the last newsletter you'll receive. Don't be left in the dark! Get your $12 in to Judy.

Don't forget the Peninsula Quilter's Quilt Show is March 16, 17, 18th at the Ilwaco Heritage Museum. They will have the tea room again, such a delightful addition to the show. Please plan to go and admire the work of the talented ladies across the river.

Congratulations for making it to the end of this massive and information packed edition. Here's your reward! For today's bit o'trivia, on February 26 1938, Ferdinand Porche's "Volkswagon" was introduced to the masses by none other than Adolph Hitler in Germany. If you've ever driven a VW, you've driven a Porche! I knew you were just dying to know!

emi

Spring Break

2007-03-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

I am still here, somewhere in this house of constant activity and seeming chaos. Today is my first day of Spring Vacation and I slept in. What a concept! I woke up at 8 and spent an hour plotting how I'm going to take over the world, I mean, my week, then made a bee line for the coffee pot. Ah, that magical elixir of life!

I need to file the FAFSA this week for my two college students. I don't know why I bother, all I get to do is take out loans. Hubby and I are so middle class we don't qualify for squat! By the time I get done paying my daughter's tuition, I'll have spent enough money to have bought myself a very nice luxury sedan. And there's 3 more after her. Guess I'll still be working for a while...

I'm teaching a beginning quilting class on Wednesday and have 9 students signed up. We'll have to shoehorn them into the classroom but we'll make do. I'm looking forward to it, most of them really have not had any prior quilting experience. Should be fun.

I am the new newsletter chair for the quilt guild and have been writing two newsletters every month. I will post a couple of them, I think they are more interesting than my blog.

This afternoon is my god-daughter's 6th birthday party. Her mother is my best friend and fellow quilter, Ashley. She and her husband told us recently they wrote a will and we inherit the girls if anything happens to them! What an honor to be thought of so highly, especially since they have between them 5 siblings that could also take the girls in such an event. God willing, it will never come to pass, they are great parents.

I keep meaning to take pix of my quilts and post them. I'm procrastinating but I'll get the Samster on it. He's my gadget kid and he owes me anyway. We just got him his own really spiffy laptop so he should be right on it.

Later.

emi

Where do I begin?

2007-02-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lengthy absence. The reasons are some good and some not so good.

The good part is I have had some time to myself to sew and tomorrow will be another sewing day. Any time I get to sew is a good time for me, I'd rather sew than blog. (Or clean house, or do laundry, or grocery shop, or, well you get the picture.) I hope to finish three quilt tops I have in progress. My friend Ashley is hosting us at her house so she will have all the distractions and not I! I just get to sew. If I get the tops finished, I'll post some pictures. I made peanut butter cookies to take in case we need sugar to keep us going. (HAH!)

The other not so good news: we've had to file the second assault report with the police in 9 months for our 13 year old, this time it happed at school. When I think about what he must go through every day, it makes me sick. About a week after that, yet another kid threatened to beat him up after school because he got the other kid out in dodgeball during PE class. Nice.

We ended up having a conference with the principal of the middle school and the superintendent of the school district. Hubby and I said we were sick and tired of him being threatened, sometimes on a daily basis. He will hardly leave the house, his grades are terrible and I'm contantly worried about his state of mind. He eats to make himself feel better and he's gained a lot of weight in the last two years.

The upshot is he has been waivered out of the PE class and that time is put to use getting his classwork done. To get him some activity, I've put him in Swim Team which meets after school. He'll swim for 1 1/2 hours every day and he doesn't have to compete in a meet until he feels ready. He is enjoying it very much and he told me the other day he was really happy. I'm hoping we are finally on the right track. I hope to find him someone to teach him how to golf this summer, another activity he'd like to learn.

Middle school children are just not human. They demonstrate all the worst characteristics of our species without the development of the controls or filters usually had by the time adulthood is achieved. Sadly some people never grow beyond that stage... My only hope is that he comes out of these experiences a stronger, more compassionate person.

At any rate, with all the turmoil going on, I used what free time I could scrape together to sew. It's my mental health therapy. I'm even going to teach a class again next weekend. With such a rocky start to the new year, I hope things are looking up.

Speaking of which, Happy Chinese New Year! I'm looking at it like a second start. It's the Year of the Pig. My sign is the Rat.

Hey baby, what's your sign?

Let it snow, let it snow...

2007-01-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

So much for posting more often...

We have had 3 inches of snow in our yard for several days now. I know many of you in other, more northerly climes are thinking "So What"?

I have lived on the Oregon Coast for 20 years. It has NEVER snowed on the beach before, let alone stuck around for more than 24 hours. Yes folks, that's not sand, it's SNOW! And BTW, that's not me, it's some poor woman who was confused.

It has been down in the 20's overnight for a couple nights now. We are just not used to this kind of crazy weather. We are used to about 80 inches of rain per year and temps hovering between 40 and 70 year around.

It WAS kind of fun to throw the cats out into the snow...

Happy New Year

2007-01-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, I know it's the 4th. Did you miss me?

I have been lurking about your blogs but haven't had the energy to type one of my own or even leave comments. Sorry if that's creepy.

To bring things up to speed; worked my butt off all December so I could enjoy my annual week's vacation between Christmas and New Years. Man, did I get a lot of stuff done! Was ever so glad to be on vacation at the end, too.

We had a very nice Christmas with all the kids home. It was quiet, peaceful, and uneventful; the way it should be. Then, on Christmas night, Hilary and my mother and I flew out to LA (yes, in California) first class no less. I could really get used to flying first class. It was the one saving grace of our little adventure.

We did have a purpose for our trip. My oldest brother lives in LA with his girlfriend. They will both be 50 this year and they adopted a little girl from Guatemala. She will be 4 in April. (I know, what were they thinking?) They wanted me to bring my Mom for a visit as she will turn 82 in February and who knows what could happen? I won't say much about bonding with Crabby, I mean, my dear brother. We had a nice time and the weather was wonderful. I didn't happen to see anyone famous but then I wasn't looking.

We flew home on the 30th. We landed in Portland at 9:30 PM to 34 degree temps. At the baggage claim, the luggage came out promptly for half of the folks on our plane. Not our half, mind you, the other half. Two other flights from Alaska Airlines came in and we got to see all their bags, too. At 11:00 PM, someone finally woke up and realized they no longer needed our luggage for a pillow. By that time, all of us around the baggage carousel had gotten to know each other down to our mother's maiden names and our underwear size. (Just kidding, I would never tell what size my parachute, I mean, underwear is!) The shuttle that takes us out the the Economy Long-Term Parking arrives and 15 minutes later we lumber into the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. I take out my electronic-door-unlocker-thingy only to find that my car is deader than a doornail. Great. The lumbering, snail's pace shuttle shot out of the parking lot at warp speed and here we are with a dead car battery in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.

Ah, me.

Thank God for my cell phone and AAA. In 20 minutes, an angel from heaven (or at least from AAA) came with jumper cables. He was short, stocky, in oily coveralls but you know they are in disguise. The battery was beyond dead and he actually had to hook up a couple of things to it besides jumper cables to breathe life into it. At that point, I really didn't want to look at his name tag in case it said "Dr. Frankenstein." He did get it going and said I would need to drive it at least 30 minutes to recharge the battery. I told him that would be no problem, I had a 2 hour drive ahead of me to get home.

We pulled into our driveway at a little past 2 AM on the 31st, grateful to be home, our troubles are over.

My daughter walks over to the refrigerator to get a drink and there is nothing in there except tumbleweeds and a couple spiderwebs.

Me: What happened to the fridge?
Hubby: It died earlier tonight. Tom and I put everything outside on the porch.
(Where it was 32 degrees - Brrrr!)

So anxious was I to get in the house and get to my own bed, I walked right past 3 ice chests with stuff in it from the fridge and never even noticed.

The good news is, some dorky person turned the switch in the freezer compartment to "OFF" and Hubby never thought to look at that. The bad news is, the next morning at 8:30 AM, I was cleaning out the muck at the bottom of the fridge that we'd all just rather ignore. But, I guess it's a good thing to start out the New Year with a nice clean fridge.

I did get an additional day off I wasn't expecting. In observance of the National Day of Mourning for President Ford, my office was closed. I did watch the funeral just to make it official. During all the commentary on his life and presidency, I wondered how our country would be different today if he had won the election instead of Jimmy Carter? For starters, there would have been no Iran Hostage Situation. It simply would not have happened. Our Middle East policy would be markedly different than it is today. I do not believe we would be in a war in Iraq now if Ford had won the election in 1976. Don't get me wrong, I like Jimmy Carter and I admire him greatly for founding Habitat for Humanity. But he was a weak president. He has been more effective since he left office than he ever was in office. Also, had Ford stayed in office there would not have been a severe recession in the late 70's.

You are welcome to share your thoughts on this, after all, this is (still) a free country.

Sorry for the length of this blog and congrats if you made it to the end. Will try to post more often and shorter!

Thanks for stopping by.

A Blast from the 60's

2006-12-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

I had a brush with deja vu today.

My husband recently decided to become a member of the local Grange Hall. His ulterior motive was it would give the Boy Scout Troop an alternative meeting place in case of emergency or boredom with routine. He announces to me Wednesday night (yes, 2 nights ago) there is a potluck dinner there and we are going.

Potluck generally means you cook something and take it with you. Showing up empty handed is rather bad form.

Now, I'm pretty good at whipping up dinner in 30 minutes or less. Not as pretty as Rachel Ray would do it but serviceable and edible. However, a potluck dish for total strangers is another matter. I don't necessarily expect people with whom I am unfamiliar to choke down what I feed my family on a routine basis. (REALLY, I'm not a bad cook!)

With one day to plan, a full day of work, and no time to hit the store for supplies, one has to be creative. Why did I ever decide to make a cobbler? Still warm from the oven, it was a thing of beauty but had not time to set up properly.

By the time we got to the Grange Hall, the crumble topping had sunk to the bottom and the cherry filling had gone over the side during one of the two-wheeled corners Hubby took. Good thing I put the dish in a cardboard box. (He would have deserved the mess in the trunk of his car though...grrr!) Gratefully, those hardy souls at the Grange Hall pitied me and ate about half of it in spite of what it looked like.

Where does the deja vu come in? While we are all standing during opening prayer, I looked around and had instant flashback to my childhood days going to functions at the VFW hall and church potlucks. Everyone was greeting each other and catching up on recent goings-on. People moved from one to another with the easy familiarity of long acquaintance. It was comforting and creepy all at the same time.

Those were days my children will never experience, sadly. Days of close-knit community when we all knew our neighbors and grew up in the same town our whole lives with the same people. Days that we never locked our doors, even when we went on vacation. Days of wide-eyed innocence when we watched Lassie, the Lone Ranger and Howdy Doody on a black and white TV. Days when we would never think about stepping out of line because my Mom would hear about it in 10 minutes flat. Days when we could walk across town to a friend's house and no one would think twice about our safety. I was in awe of my original Barbie.

I remember our whole town was on the same telephone exchange and you could skip the prefix and just dial the last 4 digits of any phone number in town. Before that when we lived on the ranch, we had a party line and you knew it was for you by the way the phone rang. You'd never dream of evesdropping on the neighbor's conversation, it was rude.

I am nostalgic for those days, knowing they'll never return. How do I protect yet prepare my children for this newer, faster, brasher, meaner, ruder, greedier, shallower, selfish world that exists now?

I guess I'll take a different dish to the next Grange Hall potluck.

Turkey Day Antics

2006-11-29T21:31:00.000-08:00

We had a really great Thanksgiving. It was the easiest dinner I ever made. OK, it's because I didn't have to make all of it for a change.

Hubby got a new smoker and smoked the turkey. It was FABULOUS! Wonderful flavor, very moist. Have I said it was fabulous?

Hilary was home for break. I taught her how to make cranberry sauce and a casserole that comes right out of a cookbook called "A Taste of Oregon." Three down.

My mother made rolls because she has been practising for weeks. She also makes the world's best pie crust so she volunteered to make pumpkin pie. Two more down.

Tom's girlfriend joined us and made an apple-cranberry dessert.

By the way, the turkey was fabulous.

So, you may ask, what did that leave me? I made a salad, dressing casserole, the gravy, and baked potatoes by request. Worked my little fingers to the bone, I did!

Don't worry, I'll be ok. Eventually.

All kidding aside, it was a bit strange not being responsible for the entire feast. Juggling dishes in and out of the oven gets to be a choreography and it all comes down to the game plan and split seconds. What if I lose my touch? The good part; I wasn't too tired to eat but perhaps it would have been better for me if I were. The eight of us laid waste to the table like Grant through Richmond. I'm surprised no one had a fork in the back of their hand.

Did I mention the turkey was fabulous?

It's Wet, Wet, Wet!

2006-11-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

The northwest has been in the news lately. We have had incredible amount of rain, even for us! I think we set a new record, more than four inches in one day. Fortunately where we live, we are not in any imminent danger of flooding. I can't say the same for some of our neighbors to the north or the south.

All of western Washington is in pretty bad shape. South of here, Tillamook received so much rain in such a short time period they had worse flooding than the 100 year flood levels in 1996. The water rose in three hours and flooded businesses and homes never before affected by flood waters. Even further south, three homes in Gleneden Beach had the ground eroded underneath them so much, they almost went into the ocean. Although I confess, it's hard to feel too sorry for people dumb enough to build a house on a cliff made mostly of sand on the edge of the ocean. What did they THINK was going to happen??? And what about the idiot who gave them a building permit?

Yet another storm is on its way with high winds predicted and several more inches of rain. Interesting how every year without fail, the Pacific Northwest coast is hit with hurricane force winds and rains which cause all kinds of destruction but the East and Gulf coasts get so much more press nationwide.

Well, we're a hardy bunch. I guess we'll make it another year.

Stay dry.

It was a good weekend

2006-10-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday night, tomorrow starts another week. Before mentally preparing myself for the onslaught, reflections of the weekend take over.

Hubby spent an unusual weekend at home; a nice change. Taking advantage, he decided to put his fairly new smoker to work and by 8:30 AM Saturday, he put in a turkey. He took it out at 4 PM and it was the best turkey I've had in recent memory. I did not take offense when the boys all said it was better than Thanksgiving. After all, I had to agree. The best part was, he wasn't even asked to do it.

Friday night, I finished a baby quilt for a friend's first grandchild. It was very easy. I bordered a panel and quilted around the figures in the panel to make them stand out. Then I quilted the border. Not an heirloom but bright and functional.

I spent parts of the next two days puttering around in my daughter's old room, soon to be Hubba's office. I gave away the queen sized bed that took up almost all the space. Old games to which important and functional pieces had gone missing were dispatched to the garbage can outside. Connor's belongings that slowly migrated into the room, apparently of their own volition, were put back their rightful areas. The detritious Hilary left behind (which I am assuming she will retrieve someday) were all packed in her closet. We still have a couple of boxes left to go through but enough is done so that I can give the room a fresh coat of paint in two weeks when my friend from Portland comes visiting. Since the two of us painted the entire interior of her house before she sold it, she owes me...big!

After that, the "Office That Ate the Dining Room" can go upstairs. I spent the evening making new curtains for the windows; a slightly more manley looking set than the yellow and blue chintz set I made for Hilary. It's a nice taupe and cream plaid that will go nicely with the cream paint that will go on the walls. (Hubba's the kind of guy that says every room should be white!) The best view of the bay is from that room. I hope it inspires him to work hard!

All in all, it was a good weekend.

It's FRIDAY!!!!!!

2006-10-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Yabba-dabba-dooooo!

Man was this a long week or what! I'm so happy it's Friday. I only have one obligation this weekend and it's to do fittings for the high school orchestra kids. I have to fit them into their tuxedos and long black dresses. The girls hate the dresses. They are neither short, low cut, or strapless. In other words, they are tasteful. I'm hoping most of the alterations will be hems.

I plan to sew tomorrow, heck, maybe even tonight!

Quilt Show Weekend

2006-10-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

The annual quilt show is Saturday. I'm actually getting excited. This piques my curiosity because I don't usually get too worked up over stuff.

I tell my kids, I have one speed and I go at it. It's not fast and it's not slow. Still I get more done in a day than most people. I don't waste alot of time getting too emotionally entangled with what needs to get done, I just get it done. Don't get me wrong; I do have fun, experience frustrations, feel victorious, think I could have done it better.

Yet, I find myself getting excited over an event I have helped put on for well more than 10 years.

Besides the raffle quilt, which was 80% my effort, I have three quilts to exhibit that are finished. I have three blocks for the block challenge. My family are all going to be out of town and they'll miss the whole thing. (Or, in other words, they'll be out of my hair!)

I guess we'll see what happens. Maybe it's a sign that something unusual will happen. I hope it's something good.

Who's got a wild hair?

2006-10-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

OK, I finally took the plunge and really had my hair done. I was prematurely gray at 40-something but I've had a head start (no pun intended) since my early 20's. I went back to my natural color (no, gray is not my natural color, though you couldn't necessarily tell) which is a very dark brunette, almost black. I also figured while I was at it, I might as well get it cut ... short.

You can imagine the shock.

I'm still learning how to deal with the new "do" but I really like it. However, it has been an eye-opener just watching the reactions of everyone around me.

Hubby, in typical form, said nothing. At least that was as I expected.

My teenage sons all noticed and said they liked it. Fairly understated but pretty good from teenage boys.

My 20 yr old daughter thought it was "really cute."

I don't think my best friend liked it. She doesn't deal well with change. At least it's honest.

My co-workers have hardly been able to speak an entire sentence all week with out saying how much they love my new look. (Wow, I must have really been frumpy!) It makes me look younger, thinner, they don't recognize me, etc. One of them actually went to my hairdresser and complimented her which I thought was sweet. I might remind you at this point I live in a small town.

The comment that really gives me pause, however, is "Do I feel different?"

Hmmmmm. I have not said this out loud but what I think is I'd certainly have some pretty poor self esteem if a simple hair cut can make me feel like a different person. It's just HAIR for pity's sake, people! Hair grows and underneath, the roots are still gray. Nothing of any great import or substance has really changed. I still have the same personality for good or bad. Maybe some of you were just hoping...

It just brings home to me our culture's obsessive compulsion over appearances. As if that's all there is. And not just physical appearances either but situational appearances.

I guess all a person has to do is dress expensively, have a gargantuan house with a gargantuan mortgage, have the latest model car every two years with all the gadgets, and have the kids into every possible activity under the sun until there is no time to breathe. Only then are they deemed to be a success by envious onlookers.

Locally, we had a couple whom the above paragraph described to a "T." Small business owners, driving two very expensive new SUV's, clothes, jewelry, things, stuff, etc. Then one day, the IRS locked the doors to their business. Have I said I live in a small town? The ripple of shock and dismay throughout the community was indescribable. How could this happen to someone who looks so successful?

Duh.

We're small but apparently not very bright...

Some of the most interesting people I have ever met would not be considered by most to be successful or classically beautiful or even nice looking. After a while, a person must be appreciated for what goes on in the mind and heart and then you don't really see them as pretty or plain. They just are who they are.

Although, I did ask my hairdresser if I'm 10 years younger now, are my eyesight and hearing going to get better, too?

A new baby

2006-10-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

No, not mine, silly!

My niece gave birth to her first child yesterday, a 9 pound bouncing baby girl. Wow, nothing like goin' for the gold the first time out!

Hoping for pictures soon.

A Short Hiatus

2006-10-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

I'm back, did you miss me?

I thought I had quite gotten over whatever biological threat infiltrated my system in August.

Was I ever wrong!

I was felled like a tree. Felt like I was pulled through a knothole backwards. I'm sure there are many other euphemisms that could be applied but suffice it to say it might have been less painful to actually die.

I'm pretty sure I had the flu in combination with PMS, a migraine, and caffeine withdrawal. I know I had caffeine withdrawal because I couldn't eat or drink anything for about 48 hours, not even water. I probably should have gone to the hospital but I couldn't drag my sorry ass out of bed. Stayed in my jammies for 2 whole days. For those of you who do not know me well, that's a bad thing.

After missing almost an entire week of work (in retrospect, should have been a whole week but I was stupid and went back), I have been digging out ever since.

The small bits of free time have been spent sewing, not blogging. Sorry, but I do have my priorities.

I quilted a really cute pre-printed baby quilt panel, put flannel on the back to make it cuddley. I'll take pictures and post them after the binding is sewn down, maybe tomorrow night. This is for my niece who was married a year ago in August. She may have had her baby this very day! I hope it's a girl like they told me it was. Otherwise the quilt will look really funny. (Peculiar, not ha-ha.)

I did have to take some time out last weekend to can tuna. This is the second canning of the season. We bought 2 16 lb fish and got 36 half-pints. If you've ever had home canned tuna, you know you'll never buy Star-Kist again.

I think I'll go to bed early tonight. Still not quite right...

But wait, there's more!

2006-09-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

I have been making pillowcases for a workshop I'm teaching for fun and easy Christmas gifts.

Some are flannel and some are plain cotton in really great prints. You can't really see the red one very well but its cherries.

This is one I put together just for fun with some patriotic prints. It's a nice lap size quilt or a large crib size.

These are challenge blocks for the October quilt show. We received two purples and could only add 2 other fabrics. The finished block must be "on point."

OK, kiddies, that's what I've been doing with my time. Now how about you?

Egads! Someone has let her loose with a camera!

2006-09-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I told you this would happen.

My photographer is at a cross-country track meet and I am not waiting for him anymore. They must have driven to Timbuktu to race because it's 10:30 PM and they're not home yet. So, I just absconded with that picture-takin' thingy and off we went. While we're at it, are there any loaded guns around? How about mousetraps?

First the wedding quilt. The pattern is called Jack in the Pulpit. Remember I said everything on their registry was black and chrome?

Here's the back:

I have about 1/4 of it quilted and quickly realizing how hard black-on-black is on the eyeballs.

The retirement quilt:

I machine quilted around the figures and tried to give you an example of what it looks like from the back. It was a fun and fairly quick project.

The Winds of Change are A-Blowin'

2006-09-06T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a nice Labor Day weekend, or at least those of you in the States. I spent most of it sewing one darned thing or another in between loads of laundry and cooking various meals. You know, it strikes me that if I didn't feed them, I might not have to do their dirty laundry either. Hmmmm.

I suppose I had a fairly productive 3 days. Four pairs of pants were hemmed. I made four pillowcases for the campers in the family so they would stop taking my nice ones out into the woods! They're pretty cute. I'll have to get one of the boys to take pictures. (Remember, I am not allowed to touch a camera.) So far, I have 3 blocks for our quilt show challenge and enough fabric to make one more.

Best of all, I quilted a pre-printed panel of Leonardo DaVinci's The Last Supper as a retirement gift for someone I have worked with since 1987. She is retiring the end of September. Am I sad to see her go?

No.

I see you are surprised. In the last 20 years, she has pulled so much crap on me its unbelievable. Every day, I tell myself to be the bigger person, go to work and keep my mouth shut. And yet, she never fails to amaze with the next even crappier stunt. It makes for an interesting psychological study at the very least.

So why did I make her a very personalized, time-intensive, meaningful gift? One, I don't want to stoop to her level; its quite a ways down and I might not be able to get back up. Two, there is a measure of respect due to a person that has given 38 years of their life to public service. Three, it turned out to be a rather cathartic experience. With every stitch I put into that quilt, I felt the pent up resentment leaving me bit by bit.

Now, I just hope she will be happier in her retirement than she was in her work life. Seems a shame someone would spend so many years being miserable and trying to make others feel the same way you do. I am looking forward to a change in the air...

Done Traveling, Time To Sew

2006-08-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

Took my last long distance run today; got my youngest in for a checkup before school starts. As a reward, we went to Walmart and bought socks and underwear! Who says I don't know how to have a good time?

With all this traversing about the countryside, I'm getting that itch in my fingers again. Too long have I been away from my sewing machine. Long have I tarried from the unfinished projects languishing and awaiting my return. Dang, I could have 6 quilts in the October show if I could just get them finished!

However, before I get to do fun stuff I must tackle the dreadful deed. Have pity on me, I must hem pants. Curse my short legs! (I heard that. I'll have you know my nickname is Moose, not Stubby! That is another story.)

All the while I have been planning the next quilts I'd like to make. I almost feel like I'm cheating on my current projects. I have been talking to Beth about the Winding Ways block and I think that's going to be my next new quilt. I think I have even picked out the fabric for it; a momentous decision made.

Enough drama, tomorrow I sew!

Hilary's First Apartment

2006-08-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

My daughter moved into her apartment at school yesterday. She shares a quad with 3 other girls. Luckily for her, she is the first to check in so she gets first pick of which storage spaces she gets, an important issue for a person who is only 5'1". She has her own kitchen for the first time ever and is looking forward to cooking real food instead of institutional cafeteria food. We got her a cheap set of pots and pans and the basics to set up a kitchen. To start her off, I bought her a recipe binder with sleeves for recipe cards and inserted all the secrets to the foods I raised her up on.

Well, almost all, and yes I know I ended that last sentence with a preposition. A cook never gives away all her secrets and sometimes bad grammar serves a point.

Her dad loaded all the boxes we've been storing for her this summer and I dutifully hauled them off to her campus. I invited Grandma (AKA: Obachan) along for the ride so she could see where Hilary was living. As we unpacked all her stuff, I thought back to my first apartment I shared with 2 other girls; a combination of disaster and success but overall a valuable learning experience. I still remember the anticipation and exhilaration of being on my own and independent. As I look back, I realize how poor we were but we didn't know it and I am amazed at how we lived so cheaply!

Things are so much more complicated now; mortgages, insurance, car loan, college loans, etc., etc. We were much more free then than we are now.

Hilary will have her own learning experiences, I'm confident she will be fine. She's a smart girl.

What do you do when you're too sick to quilt?

2006-08-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry, everyone. I have been getting over a very bad chest cold. Felt it coming on 10 days ago but it hit me like a ton of bricks on the 9th. Just when I was feeling all smug that I had been healthy all last winter! It's karma.

I wasn't totally unproductive while I was under the weather. I purchased this book back in April and discovered I actually know one of the quilters spotlighted in it! (Hey, I should have her autograph it!) It's a great book and I recommend it. You can get it from Amazon, but then again, you can get everything from Amazon!

But I digress. I was so impressed with all the pictures of neatly folded fabrics that it has been niggling at the back of my mind for four months. Yes, folks, that's typical. I tend to ruminate over things for quite a long time. (I'm sure it drives my family crazy.)

I figured folding fabric shouldn't take much effort. I took a 6"x24" ruler the way they recommend and started folding. Three days later, I have lovely, and I do mean LOVELY shelves with neatly folded stacks of fabric. It was soothing, theraputic and like visiting old friends. The feel of fabric as I run my hands over it is comforting, evoking memories of sewing with my mother or my girlfriends, often involving M&M's and a bottle of wine.

I sorted some by project (you know, you go to the quilt shop and see these gorgeous fabrics all coordinated and just can't resist), some by theme like oriental prints, and the rest by color. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the effort. The rest of the room is still a bit messy since I pulled out every fabric that is 1/2 yard or less to be folded and sorted separately.

I know what you are thinking; well that won't take long. I have been a fabric collector and appreciator all my life. My mother taught me to sew when I was 8. She gave me her sewing machine and the bulk of her sewing room when her eyesight became too bad and she has sewn since the 40's. (See where this is going?) Then I inherited my cousins's sewing stuff when she relocated to Hawaii and she couldn't take it. Then I got 7 boxes of fabric from a co-worker when she decided she wasn't going to sew anymore. (How does one decide they aren't going to sew anymore?) It makes for an interesting mix overall. My Mom had a thing for fake fur...

The most surprising thing about the folding experience is not the amount of fabric I own, but the amount of lint generated simply by the act of folding all that fabric. I vacuumed the floor before I began and when I finished up today, it was amazing how many dust bunnies there were! And they were big ones, with teeth! Makes me realize the importance of cleaning the sewing machine out periodically.

OK, now that I've bragged, I'll try to get one of the boys to take pictures so I can post them.

I can quilt tomorrow

2006-08-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

OK, spent a perfectly good evening NOT quilting. What was so thrilling as to occupy my time?

SCHOOL SHOPPING!

Yes, folks, it's that time of year again. Time to prepare the sub-humans for their assigned drudgery over the next nine months. No, it's nothing like giving birth. After attending school for 18 years straight and giving birth 4 times, I can definitively say I'd rather go to school. That having been said, I have very little sympathy for the little quackers.

The good thing is the older they get, the cheaper their school supplies. After perusing the elementary school list, I'm glad I don't have a little one anymore. Man, what a racket! If I remember correctly, most of them came home unused at the end of the school year, too. As if young parents don't have enough financial challenges... I guess retailers have figured out if they aren't buying formula, diapers and daycare, they can afford all kinds of useless school supplies.

Its hard to tell if my youngest is looking forward to school or not, given what a difficult time he had last year. All I can say is in spite of the bullying and harrassment he was subjected to, at least he didn't finish the year with any F's.

Wedding quilts

2006-08-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a wedding quilt for my cousin's daughter. I looked at the websites she registered at and everything is black and chrome and ultra-modern. Somehow a quilt doesn't seem to fit in with a theme like that. However, I found some really great fabrics; one black with tiny Chinese characters ghosted on it and a silver gray with an almost art nouveau print in black. They are beautiful together. I picked a jack-in-the-pulpit block, alternated with a snowball block and it makes a really interesting secondary pattern. It's coming together nicely but I'm having a hard time with it. It's not to my taste so it's hard to get excited about working on it. Isn't that the way?

I know I always work best under pressure and I have quite a close deadline. I have all the rows completed and mostly sewn together. A couple more seams and I can add the borders. Then the dreaded "quilt as desired."

I always have to live with a quilt for a while before it tells me how it wants to be quilted. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of in-depth quilt therapy with this one.

My friend, Ashley, entered a quilt she made as a wedding gift in the county fair. I was thrilled to see she got a blue ribbon on it! It was a double Irish chain (my favorite) with a neat kokopelli print. She machine quilted it herself and did a great job. She completely deserved the blue!

Did I enter anything in the fair, you ask? Everything I finished was either given away or in the case of the raffle quilt, about to be given away. I'm going to have to do better next year. I think it's time for me to make a few quilts for myself.

Tag, I'm it. You're Next!

2006-07-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

Alas, I have been tagged by ChaCha. Hmmm, these things are hard but here goes:

1. When did you first start blogging and why?
My first post was April 19, 2006. I started it partly because I used to be a really good writer and I feel my skills are quite rusty after so many years of disuse. It takes so much more effort now...

2. What don't you talk about?
I try not to speak poorly of others, make personal attacks, or be obscene. There's enough of that in the world already. I try to remember that someone I write about may read it. If I'm going to share the indignity of my life's minutae, at least I can attempt it with some amount of dignity and class.

3. Are you and your blogging persona the same person?
What you read is what you get. I don't have the time, energy, or inclination to pretend to be someone else.

4. How do you use blogging to build friendships?
I like to learn about other people because I think we are all more similar than different. I also like to share my hobby and see the creations of other people with the same hobby.

5. How would you describe your writing style?
Now? Inconsistent. Far below the top of my game with occasional glimpses of former adequateness. I console myself by saying I'm only writing for me and others only read it incidentally.

I still find it surprising that others actually read what I write!

Now I tag: Beth

What HAVE you been up to?

2006-07-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

I hope you all have missed me in my absence. This is what I have been up to:

My unwitting accomplice is Sam who chose not to be photographed by his brother, Tom. We got his hand anyway. That's me in the black sweater.

I belong to a quilt guild and we held a "Challenge." Everyone who wanted to participate had to write a check for $25 for which they would receive a bundle of Christmas fabrics. I received 8 different prints; 4 backgrounds, 2 greens and 2 reds. We could add anything we wanted and make a top. There was no restriction on size, design, etc. The only rule was we had to present a completed top in 4 months. If we made the deadline, we got our uncashed check back. If not, the money was donated to the guild.

I got my money back!

This pattern is called Poinsettia Wreath which I found in a booklet called "Days to Remember" by Teri Christopherson. I improvised the design somewhat. My finished quilt is 45" square. It's machine quilted and bias bound. It's not finished without a label!

I was supposed to teach a "Double Irish Chain" class this weekend but being summer, not everyone feels like quilting. So now, I get to help Hubba Hubby cook for 150 campers instead.

I guess I shouldn't have told him my class was cancelled!

You Go Girl!

2006-07-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday with my cousin that I don't get to see very often. It was really good for her to get out without children and hubby and seek the company of other women. We had a really great day.

She was heartened to know other women have the same problems, other marriages have rough spots, and it's possible to make it through. We may be a bit dishevelled at the other end of the gauntlet, but we do make it.

Her kids are 7 and 4, still at the needy stage. Bravely, she started a business within the last year and so far has done it without having to borrow money from the bank - good girl! Her husband, however, is less than supportive about the business venture and resents time it takes away from what he thinks she should be doing. (Hey, the house is clean, the kids are looked after and no one is starving! I thinks she's doing pretty well!) She is trying to gently remind him about how supportive she is of what he wants to do because she wants him to be happy. Likewise, her business makes her happy.

It's true, sometimes no matter how much we love our partners, there are moments we don't like them very much. Those are the times priorities are misplaced, people are taken for granted. With luck, those times pass leaving us wiser and still intact in our relationships.

When we had our 20th anniversary a few years ago, I was asked what I thought made a good marriage. I replied only half-joking, "A short memory!"

After all, if you have a firm grip on every piece of emotional baggage, how can you reach a hand out to someone else? Will they want to hang onto it with you? Probably not; you'll be left alone with your baggage most likely. The best piece of advice anyone ever gave me: "get over it and move on!"

I told my cousin she needed patience. Life is not equal or fair but it does go on. She has all the tools she needs to balance her life and she'll find the way. Her kids will get older and hopefully her husband will come to understand how her business fulfills her. Plus, it's a good opportunity for her to teach her kids some great lessons about business, life, and the strength and capability of women. She's a good role model.

Movies with the boys

2006-07-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

We saw the new Pirates of the Carribbean movie tonight-it was soooo good! Ends with a great cliff-hanger. My favorite line from the movie was, "I feel sullied and unusual." Watch for it!

Even better than that, my boys made me laugh so hard I almost wet myself! They have such a unique perspective on, well, EVERYTHING! I suppose I laugh sometimes when I shouldn't but dang it, they ARE funny.

One of the previews was, of all things, a movie made from the old cartoon series "Transformers." Tom started singing the old cartoon theme song in his big deep booming bass voice and everyone sitting around him cracked up. Some guy two seats away said, "Damn right!" (Must be a guy thing.)

Even on the way home, they made me laugh so hard I think I was a hazard driving. Tears were streaming down my face and I could hardly breathe.

I'm glad I got to spend the evening with them. They are growing up so fast, getting jobs and cars and girlfriends. We won't have very many more evenings like this. It's good while it lasts.

My Daughter, the Adult

2006-07-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hilary was home last Saturday. She is working as a peer counselor for Upward Bound at her university and she just had her 20th birthday the end of June. She really likes her job and told me this story:

At one of the mealtimes, she got her food and walked over to the table to eat with the program kids. One girl, who will be a high school sophomore in the fall, suddenly broke off her conversation. She complained loudly that they couldn't have any good conversations when there's adults around. It took a few seconds for Hilary to register the fact it was she to whom the young lady was referring! (HAH! I am imagining the look on her face.)

Hilary looked at her carefully and said, "You know, I'm not that much older than you are. I just turned 20 a couple days ago." The young lady's response was something to the effect she is still an adult and she didn't want to talk about some things while Hilary was around.

Being quick-witted like her mama, Hilary calmly replied, "If you can't say what you want in front of me, then it's not Upward Bound appropriate and you don't need be discussing it anyway."

BWAAHAHA! I almost spit my coffee when she told me that story! When I asked her how it felt to be referred to as "an adult," she did admit it seemed very weird because she didn't feel like one.

I have to admit, at the very middle age of 45, I don't feel like one either all the time.

But, as I look at what a good job she is doing in setting her goals, prioritizing her time, and what she has accomplished so far, I think she'll make a really good adult. Some day I'll be able to say, "my daughter, the doctor!"

Fireworks

2006-06-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

It's fireworks season again. We opened up the fireworks booth like we have the last six years or so. The proceeds go to support the Boy Scout Troop we're involved with. Not only am I working full time but babysitting the booth after work until 10 almost every night. Sooooo tiiiirrrrred.

My 23rd wedding anniversary is July 2nd. Guess how I'll be celebrating? You are so right! I'll be selling fireworks. At the very same time, Hubba Hubby and the youngest will be leaving for Boy Scout camp for a whole week. At least it will be quiet at home.

Our family eats, sleeps, breathes Boy Scouts. We've been den leaders, Cubmasters, Committee Chairs, Assistant Scoutmasters, Scoutmasters, Campmasters, Program Directors, you name it, we've done it. We've gone to National Jamboree, we're going to Sea Base to go scuba diving in Florida this summer. We've camped hundreds of nights. We have two Eagle Scouts and another in the works. I sure am proud of them but it certainly does take alot of blood, sweat, and tears.

I'm looking forward to the youngest turning 18. Maybe I'll catch a break by then.

The Dentist and Playing Hooky

2006-06-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

I played hooky today. It was really a nice change of pace.

I had a dental appointment and had to drive an hour to get there. My mom went with me so she could get out a little. I had a tooth prepped for a crown. Aaaaargh! It was an hour and a half in the chair for the grinding, the mold and the temporary crown. Then, it's another visit in three weeks for the crown to be "installed." For anyone who hasn't had it done, please take care of your teeth. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but I hope I never to have to do this again!

After all that, I figured I deserved a break. I called the office and said I was not coming in today at all. After 25 years, they can cut me a little slack.

We did a little shopping in town and found a few things for the kids. Hunger was getting the best of us so we found a burger joint. On the way home, we stopped at an Asian antique store we have passed many times but never visited. Wow! The (very chatty) owner wanted to give the history of every piece we looked at, which was nice but a bit much. We left without buying anything, mostly because it was very $$$.

Then we stopped at a new quilt shop about halfway home. A cute little place run by a young mom with 3 kids. The one-year-old found my car keys and cell phone absolutely fascinating! The little stinker even managed to figure out how to turn the cell phone on! :) He's gonna be a handful! I bought some patriotic prints and a length of a turquoise fabric that's just beautiful.

We went a bit further and stopped at a place that's famous for homemade pie. Yet another place we had passed many times but had not stopped until today. We had marionberry cream pie, great crust and not too sweet!

All throughout the day, Mom and I talked about people we knew, relatives that had passed, memories of years ago, things coming up like the wedding of my cousin's daughter. I think it's good for her to talk about these things periodically. At age 81, she is starting to forget some of her memories. Visiting about it reminds her to remember. She doesn't have Alzheimers or dementia, she is just getting old. It will happen to all of us someday. I just hope we can accomplish it with a little bit of grace.

We're in the Berries!

2006-06-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

My cousin brought a whole flat of strawberries from my Aunt's farm in the valley today. They are SO beautiful! She said they are the tail end of the harvest and they are having trouble finding pickers because of all the immigration problems. Apparently, their loss is my gain.

They smell like perfume. Gigantic, red, and perfectly ripe. They won't last very long before they spoil. We'll be eating strawberries like crazy in the next few days.

Last weekend I had half a flat of strawberries on the porch overnight to keep cool. Morning brought the discovery that the neighborhood raccoon also enjoyed a few berries! I can hardly begrudge him, he didn't eat more than five or six. He won't have ripe blackberries for another month or so, he must have thought he hit the jackpot.

Back to normal, relatively speaking

2006-06-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today was my day at the chiropracter's office. I looked forward to it all day. After curing so many headaches and backaches, I am a firm believer. After two hot packs and several adjustments, I almost feel like myself.

After 11 days with my mother in law, I thought I was going to go crazy. The woman moves like an iceberg. It's hard to take her anywhere touristy because she has difficulty walking due to her girth. (I hope you don't think I'm kidding about this!) She sat in my rocking chair (when she wasn't napping) and did absolutely nothing. Nada. Nil. Sometimes she watched TV when someone else did. She did read a little bit. Most of the time she just sat. I have no clue what was going through her head. Towards the end, I was so tense the muscles in my back felt like iron.

Bless my daughter. She drove her down the coast to Tillamook and took her to the famous Tillamook Cheese Factory. If you've never had Tillamook Cheese, Wisconsin has nothing on them! They did the self-guided tour which pretty much wore her out.

I didn't get any quilting done while she was here. Normally, I'm a pretty patient person but I was starting to get a little edgy away from my sewing maching. Perhaps that's indicative of a problem. Is there a support group for addicted quilters or is it just the fabric store?

The Heralds of Summer

2006-06-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

My daughter brought home fresh cherries today. What a treat!

They seem like such a wonderous creation. Dark and shiny, full of sweetness, an aroma that sparks memories of summers newly freed from the drudgery of school. Days and days stretching ahead of luxurious lazing in the sun, climbing trees, walking to the houses of friends, riding bikes in the country.

I remember picking pie cherries and sitting in the yard, digging out the pits with a bobby pin. Mom made the best cherry cobbler around so it was worth the interminable amount of time it took to pit buckets and buckets of cherries. We sat in a circle as we worked and I listened to the gossip of the women and felt almost grown up for a few minutes.

Those were different days; slower paced and more relaxed. We lived in a town where we never locked our doors, even when we went on vacation.

There must be places like that still.

Coincidentally, Antique Mommy wrote about cherries today, too! What a beautiful post. Please take a few minutes to go over and read it.

Graduation or Commencement?

2006-06-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

My second child, Tom, graduated from high school yesterday. He seems so adult and yet so very young. As I watched Tom and his classmates throughout the ceremony, many things went through my mind.

I thought back to my own graduation; how happy I was to be "Outta there!" I graduated second in my class which is not saying much. There were only 45 of us to begin with. My mother said I was the only one that had a smile on my face, the rest of them looked scared to death. I left there and never went back...

I thought back to when Tom was little. How cute he was in his Halloween costume. How I wished I had been more patient. How funny he was and still is. How we almost lost him to cancer. How he looked when he became an Eagle scout.

I watched all the teary-eyed graduates. I thought to myself they don't realize this is not the end. This is the beginning of everything. Although you can never predict where you'll end up, you can't keep looking backwards forever. You'll run into stuff you're not ready for. I never thought I'd end up in my present career, with four children, with a houseful of clutter (mostly from the kids but a lot from my spouse). I wouldn't trade a minute of it.

I looked at all the weeping mothers and I decided we are crying for ourselves, because they will never be our children again. But it isn't about us. It's about them becoming the people they are meant to be. Because of us or in spite of us.

Graduation seems like finality, the end of something. I think I prefer commencement, the beginning of something. For Tom, I hope the commencement of his life brings him happiness.

Hello from the Stroke Zone

2006-06-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

I went to donate blood at the Red Cross today. They take your blood pressure as a precaution and ask all those personal sex questions. So boring am I, I get to answer "no" to everything. Haven't even been outside the country.

My blood pressure is another thing. For a 40-something woman who has had low blood pressure all her life, I was shocked to hear my BP was 134/98! Holy Cats, Batman!

Maybe I need to cut back on caffeine.

Maybe I'm stressed about my son's graduation tomorrow.

Maybe I'm worried about cooking the big family dinner afterwards.

Maybe the sky is falling.

Maybe the 11 day mother-in-law visit is getting to me.

No pressure, no pressure, no pressure.

Some pix from Belize!

2006-06-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

These are a few pictures from Belize from her underwater disposable camera. The first two are her, isn't she cute? :)

Number 3 is taken at a place called Shark Alley, those are nurse sharks. They apparently do not bite people. I'm good with that.

Number 4 is a shipwreck with a huge school of very tiny fish around it, hard to see the detail.

Number 5 is part of the coral reef and one of the residents.

She has more on her digital which she has not yet downloaded. She has some really great shots of the Mayan ruins they hiked in Guatemala. I'll try to get her to do that this week. You know how it is with college students. I got home at noon for lunch to find she had just barely crawled out of bed!

Such a life, snorkeling and sleeping late!

The Roaming Gnome Returns

2006-06-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited, my daughter is back on US soil! She landed in Houston TX and I got to talk to her while she was waiting for her luggage and go through Customs. She'll land at PDX about 11:30 tonight and I'll get to see her on Saturday. We'll hang out in Portland for the weekend and come home on Sunday. I can't wait to see her pictures and hear the stories!

We've heard one already. One of her classmates was bitten by a loggerhead turtle who mistook him for dinner. I don't have any other details but, BOY, that had to smart!

From sunny Belize to the pouring down rain on the coast. At least she got SOME summer!

Her film is getting developed tomorrow. I'll post some when we get home.

Need a Good Laugh?

2006-05-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Check out this blog:

Threadbared

These women are brilliant! Make sure you read "About Us."

Pictures of the Schoolhouse Quilt

2006-05-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

Chacha, as promised, here are some pics of the quilt I have been working on. It's not done yet as you will be able to see but, such as it is... That's my friend Ashley in the pink, my co-conspirator and counter-balance. (Those are my feet!)

Our guild is called Schoolhouse Quilters and this quilt will be raffled in October, the proceeds will go to help support a local shelter for women and families. This is the 20th year for the group, though I have been a member for only about 11 or 12 years. Each of the schoolhouses has a year embroidered on it, a house for each year we've had a show.

Below, some of the quilting details....

It's kind of a monster quilt, about 90" x 100"

I got my son Sam to take these pictures and download them. A photographer, I'm not! I took the blurry one, of course!

This is the outer border and the corner. I still have to quilt three of the outside borders and two corners, then put the binding on. It will be red to match the apples.

Street Cred

2006-05-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

I love to be around my sons and their friends. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those parents who is trying to recapture lost youth by acting, well, like an idiot. When I look in the mirror, I'm fully aware I am no longer young. Nor do I want to be. So many mistakes I'd not care to revisit. But, they are so funny...

Tom, who has just freshly turned 18, likes to practice his street cred.

"Wuddup, Cracka?" he says to me.
I reply, using my best, most crisp enunciation, "I beg your pardon, I am NOT a cracker!" followed up by "Dogg!"

His friend TJ is aghast. "Oh, that just sounds wrong!" looking at me.

Tom and I, sensing a fresh victim, look at each other.

Tom: It's DAWG!
Me: What's up, DOGG!
TJ: AAAAAAAH! Make her stop!
Tom: Wanna go, I'll go! Wanna fight, I'll fight!
Me: No way, DOGG. Step off, just step off!! (still enunciating like I'm in prep school)
TJ: You guys are just WEIRD.

At that point, we can't help ourselves, we are laughing our butts off.

Back to Normal

2006-05-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

There's a song by Supertramp called "It's Raining Again." Yes indeed, that's precisely what the weather is weathering upon us today. I guess it's back to normal here on the Oregon coast. Sometimes I actually miss it when it doesn't rain. I guess I have lived here long enough to become "native."

The Boy Scouts are selling hot dogs for some Memorial Day event in town today so Hubba-hubby and the boys are out standing in the rain, too. I'm at the house ignoring my chores. Why fold laundry when I could be blogging?

We do have to clean out my Mom's storage unit by Monday, though. We brought the last load of boxes to her place this morning and she has just a table and chairs and a couple end tables left to move. She is getting things pretty well settled in her apartment and it's looking very homey. She has a cherry tomato plant on her balcony with a ton of blooms on it, promises to be a good harvest.

After this weekend, we'll only have 3 weeks left of school. Two weeks for Tom who's graduating on the 10th. My baby boy. I wonder what he thinks about the future? It wouldn't surprise me if he and his girlfriend decide to get married although I sure do hate to see them get tied down so young. He'll have to break the news to his older sister himself.

We'll, I guess I'd better get to it. If I get my chores all done, I can quilt on Monday.

Later, Alligator

2006-05-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to a three day weekend. Checked out the weather forecast to see how I can apply myself. I guess with thunderstorms predicted, standing out in the yard would not be my best bet. ***ZOT!*** Maybe if I hold the rake really high in the air... (I could get a new hairdo!)

Sounds like a good excuse to quilt! As if I need one. I have most of the schoolhouse quilt quilted (my, that sounds awkward). (What a peculiar word - awkward!) I'd like to have it finished for the next guild meeting. They were supposed to have voted on a name for the quilt last Monday. Wonder if they did?

Of course, that was the meeting to which I did not attend due to the unfortunate assault on my 13 year old son and subsequent interview with an officer of the law. (See the May 22, 2006 entry) Something new and unusual to do in an evening. By the way, Hubba-hubby called the school principal the next day and requested in no uncertain tems that he and his staff will be required to ensure the safety of our son while attending their fine institution, especially in light of their failure to protect him to date and the fact the very same officer of the law will be coming to interview him. I think the word that really got his attention, however, was "lawsuit." Children, can you spell "lawsuit?" Hubba said Mr. Principal could not get off the phone fast enough. I have no illusions that it was to check on the personal safety of my child, though. Public education has a whole new meaning for me these days.

You know how you have times in your life when every thing is really great and you're at the top of the roller coaster, then comes the valley? Right now, I'm suckin' swamp water, baby. Looking out for alligators.

2006-05-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

This beautiful artwork was created by the lovely and talented Chacha! :) I can't tell you how much this made my day. The rest of it didn't go so well unfortunately...

Today, I had the new experience of filing a police report. (Who says everyday is just the same old thing?) My youngest son received the birthday beating he had been promised at school a few days ago. I hoped that since some time had passed, it would be forgotten. Apparently, the perpetrator has a good memory. It just made me sick to my very heart. I also found out he isn't the only victim. I suppose we need to press on and be the first to stick our necks out.

Funny, we moved to a small town to keep our kids safe. But then, there are bullies everywhere. We just have to keep teaching our kids right from wrong and hope they out last the bad apples.

A stellar blog...

2006-05-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

I have had the greatest time reading the archives of Jean-Luc Picard! What a trip for an old Trekkie like me!

My Hubba-Hubby actually gave me a Starship Enterprise telephone last Christmas. It still cracks me up. Instead of ringing, it makes the Red Alert sound.

But, I digress.

Picard's Journal is very creative and he has quite a devoted following. It's almost as much fun to read the comments as it is the commentary. Thanks, Jean-Luc for the great posts!

Today Oregon, tomorrow the world

2006-05-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sending my baby girl to Belize. She will spend 10 days hiking Mayan ruins and snorkeling the reefs off the coast. Please, God, don't let her lose her passport! She is going with a reliable group from her University and I know she will enjoy herself. It is so important to see what lies beyond the normal boundaries of everyday life and this will be good for her. I hope it will be an eye opener in an intellectual, world-view kind of way. I hope it will give her the same kind of appreciation for the opportunities we have as I gained oh so long ago.

At almost 20, she is alot older than I was the first time I went abroad. How did my mother ever let me out of her sight? I will worry about her until she gets home as I'm sure my mom did. Over the course of two summers, I traveled through the length and breadth of Europe. I saw wonderful things and terrible things. I saw how much Americans were respected and how they were disdained. I remember people living in fear as their country teetered on the brink of Communism, unwilling to look us in the eye let alone talk to a bunch of goofy American teenagers. I remember the graciousness of the English, how the Parisian French treated us as though we were invisible, beneath them.

I saw beauteous works of art that could make you cry; the Sistine Chapel, the Mona Lisa, the David. I met amazing people from the waiter at our hotel in Rome who was there at all hours of the day and evening supporting his family to the Archbishop of Canterbury, with whom I had my first English tea. I saw incredible places; the dykes of Holland, the fortified wall around Luxembourg, countless churches that soared impossibly to the sky, museums with the works of the masters, humble cottages with thatched roofs. I witnessed the garbage strike in Rome with mounds of waste piled to second story windows. I walked around Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, arguably the cleanest place I have ever been. All these and so much more I remember like they were yesterday, not almost 30 years ago.

No matter where you are, Americans just stick out like sore thumbs. It's pretty humorous. We make fun of Japanese tourists but we look just like them, only dorkier. I could never understand, though, why some people travel abroad just to complain that everything's not like at home. Too bad, because they missed a great opportunity to appreciate a different way of living life. I hope she appreciates this opportunity. I hope it's only the first of many.

What will she see? What will she remember? How will it change her?

An education in education

2006-05-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my youngest son's 13th birthday. One of his classmates offered to beat the stuffing out of him for his gift. Middle schoolers are NOT humans, I have decided.

I truly fear for where our society is going.

Americans wonder why we are falling behind in the world ecomony and why the rest of the world hates us. I can tell you why:

1. Schools are no longer allowed to discipline children of any age who misbehave. It isn't politically correct (unless you're MY son who gets suspended for self-defense to avoid having the stuffing beat out of him). You can't have children being singled out for behavioral issues because it might give them poor self-esteem and we wouldn't want that now, would we? (Makes me want to YAK!) We want everyone to feel included and equal and entitled. (This had to be thought up by the kid who was voted Most Unpopular when they were in school.)

2. We don't have enough money to adequately staff our schools so there aren't enough teachers to supervise the little angels. (Why throw good money after bad?)

3. With "No Child Left Behind," we find we must teach to the lowest common denominator. What this really means is "No Child Gets Ahead." We end up with a mediocre education for all our students and no room for excellence.

4. So now, with the foregoing said, those faithful teachers remaining must spend an inordinate amount of time doing crowd control and a miniscule amount of time actually teaching. What we release out into the world after 12 years of public education are graduates who cannot locate Iraq on a map, cannot perform the simplest algebraic calculations and cannot speak or compose a coherent English sentence. DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON ESL!!!!!

With all these ignoramuses (ignorami?) let loose upon the population of the earth, small wonder the rest of the globe hates us. We are ignorant, pushy, lazy, foul-mouthed, shallow, self-centered, self-indulgent, self-righteous, overfed, oversexed, overzealous, unethical, uncivilized, unchurched, unrepentant, and generally unpleasant.

I attended a meeting tonight about an online, public, charter school. Classes are taken on the Internet in a closed, on-line enviroment. There are no in-service days, kids can work at their own pace and get ahead if they have the ability and desire. It's a positive, supportive learning environment, taught by accredited teachers. There are 200 days of classroom learning, not 165-180. It's called Connections Academy. There are daily communications with real live teachers and no surprises. (Unlike the progress report I just received that has two F's on it. Is it so hard for his teachers to call me to let me know my son has not turned in his homework? This is the fourth and last of my dynasty to attend this school...we've met.)

I am seriously considering this as an option for him next fall. At least I know he will be safe.

emi

Hot Hot Hot

2006-05-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

It's unseasonably warm at the Oregon Coast today, we've managed to not only break a record but shatter it. It was 94 when I left the office at 5 PM. The moss between our toes starts drying out when the temp gets about 70! Buncha wusses, anyway! I was raised an Idaho girl, I miss the hot days and change of seasons sometimes. Not enough to move back, though.

The sun is setting behind a fog bank just off the beach and it looks like it's lit from within by a pink glow, purple ringing the outer edge. The frogs over at the neighbor's are singing. You can hear them well into the night, happy as clams at high tide.

It was too hot even for the birds to fly much today. They stayed roosting in the shady places and close to the water, venturing out only when necesary. Even at dusk there's not many to be seen.

All the windows in the neighborhood are open, we don't have air conditioning here. I hear Maia playing her violin, it's such a soulful instrument. The violin is the one instrument that recording doesn't do justice. The depth of sound just cannot be captured. Like a wild thing, it can't be caged. Even the frogs have stopped to listen.

Happy Mother's Day

2006-05-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

To all you mom's out there, I hope you have a pleasant day. I got the best gift of all, a beautiful sunny day!

My hubby made breakfast this AM and the boys all got out of bed in a timely fashion. I got them to do some chores for me and I planted a couple of hanging baskets for the front porch. Mom is coming over later for dinner. In the meantime, I'm going to quilt on the Schoolhouse quilt I've been working on. Hilary is coming home on Wednesday.

All in all, a pretty good day.

emi

Full Moon

2006-05-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

Duh!

I just realized why I have been so grouchy. Full moon plus PMS. A dangerous and deadly combination.

I have strains of Credence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon" going through my head right now...yes, I am that old.

Truth in Advertising

2006-05-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how fast this week flew by! In the infinite wisdom of the Federal Government, I spent the week preparing an emergency shelter area in our office which meant cleaning out an unused storage room. The good news is I get to throw out 4 broken office chairs and 3 broken typewriters. It feels so great to clear out clutter, very cathartic. I think I like to do it at work because my house is so out of my control. It's hard to keep up with four men messing it up faster than you can clean it.

Once the room was mostly prepared, we of course had to have an inspection and a drill. There are drawbacks to working in an office comprised solely of women. Way too much estrogen floating on the air some days. At the appointed time the drill was called, two of the women actually headed for the back door, not the emergency shelter. They told me in no uncertain tems that should there be an actual emergency, they would prefer to go out in the chemical cloud.

Now, what went through my head did not come out my mouth. It would have been an entirely inappropriate comment as the acting manager and frankly I was pretty proud of myself for holding back. I merely said this wasn't my idea and they just needed to humor me. So they sauntered back into the shelter area and were dismissed as soon as everyone reported. In the event of an actual emergency, there are others who may push them out into the cloud.

Isn't it sad people have to be so puffed up with themselves they cannot see how others perceive them? I watch these two on a daily basis confirming their own self-importance by belittling others, undermining co-workers, questioning motives, insinuating whatever nasty things they can while still appearing to be self-righteous and holier-than-thou. I have watched one of them for the last 19 years I've worked with her (egads, that's a long time) constantly keep some kind of turmoil stirred up in the office. I was deeply offended the day she showed up to work with a new bumper sticker on her car that read "My boss is a Jewish carpenter" with a picture of a crucifix on it. I wonder what her evaluation would look like?

I've found that when someone has to advertise the fact they are a religious person, Christian or any other faith, perhaps their actions are not speaking for themselves. My religious faith is deeply personal to me. I hope the way I live my life is an outward sign of my belief so I don't have to advertise myself.

Things that bug me #1

2006-05-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

Time for a rant...

I hate it when a group decision is made and the actual work falls on 3 or 4 of the members instead of all 20.

I really hate it when the rest of them sit back and don't lift a finger to help but have the nerve to pass out plenty of criticism (Oh, excuse me, suggestions) when you're done.

I really hate it when you ask people to help and they tell you they're just too busy when you know darned good and well you juggle 10 times more things than they do.

Sick Humor

2006-05-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Our oldest son, Tom, was diagnosed with testicular cancer a little over a year ago at the age of 16. While it was a shock, the diagnosis was very early on. He had one of his testicles removed, 15 radiation treatments and a year later is cancer-free. He amazed me with his candidness, sharing his story with all his friends. He even used it as part of his senior project and talked to everyone in the high school about testicular cancer and how important it is to get screened. His friends, being teenagers, all had special names for him, most I can't really share online.

God forgive us, now that the crisis is over, we joke about it. I did tell him that were he Chinese instead of Japanese, we could change his name to Wun Hung Far Lo. He liked that one. Sometimes when he's being particularly pesky, I simply call him Lefty. That really cracks him up.

I tell you that story to tell you this one. My mother gave me a beautiful antique lamp, unfortunately without a shade (the one Tom's girlfriend and I went to shop for). I noticed in place of the finial on top to fasten the shade on, there was instead a nut. Utilitarian, if not stylish. Tom came home from camping and remarked upon the new lamp. The conversation went something like:

Nice lamp, where'd you get it?
Grandma. The finial is missing, though.
Finial? What's that?
The finial is the thing on top that holds the shade on. Right now all there is is a nut.
Hey, I have one of those.
A finial?
Yeeeeaaaah, a finial. Wanna see it?
S'okay!

A Productive Day

2006-05-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, I got a lot done today! Started out with a can and bottle drive for a fundraiser for the senior class. I'll bet we made about $300 in 3 hours. I have a new respect for people who rinse out their cans and bottles. What a smelly job.

Mom came over during the morning and was putzing around the kitchen when I got home. We had a little lunch together and it was off to the grocery store! This is really the dreaded trip if it has to happen on a weekend but I guess today, the rest of the city had other things to do. It was pretty quiet and we got our shopping done in record time. Maybe they were camping with the boys.

The rest of the afternoon was spent folding laundry and the dangerous and always risky bathroom cleaning activity. At great personal cost to myself and threat to my safety, I donned the hazmat suit and in I went. It actually smells nice now! Sharing bathrooms with 4 men is NOT a pretty sight.

Tom's girlfriend stopped over after she got off work. She convinced me to go to Ross and get a new lampshade for a wonderful antique lamp Mom gave me. Sure enough, we found a perfect lampshade...and a few other things. Hmmmm, well, the lamp looks great! She ended up staying for dinner and a little TV. I think it's cute she just hung out with me, especially since Tom's gone camping.

I did get to spend some time in the sewing room. I finished the applique on poinsettia blocks for a guild challenge. I need to have the top done by Monday night so I'll have to do the borders tomorrow. I love how it's turning out. No one else has done applique, yet. It will be interesting to see what the others come up with.

No deep thoughts today. I think I was on autopilot all day.

Time for bed.

I Thought You Went Camping!

2006-05-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

Just when you think the menfolk are out the door, they have a nasty habit of showing up again. And again.

First they forgot the tent (guess who THAT was -- my hubby! The biggest Boy Scout in the room!). Two hours later they are back for the poles. I guess they aren't camping far enough away...

It's so hard not to laugh (at them).

I'm locking the door and heading for the sewing room now. Think they'll be back?

emi

It's a Cat's Life

2006-05-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

I think my cats are the luckiest animals on the planet. All they have to do is sit by the door and look at us and we immediately let them out. They have trained us extremely well. When they want back in, they tap on the window next to the door and, voile, the door magically opens for them. They have their own scratching posts; heaven forbid they should share! Only the best organically grown catnip for them, by golly. And if they think we are not paying enough attention, we get the little nudge on the arm. Sometimes with claws.

My female cat, Rose, likes to join me in my morning ablutions to strike up a conversation. She meows, I meow back. This goes on for some time. I wonder what she is trying to say to me. She seems fascinated with the bathtub drain. Where does all that water go? Likewise, she knows that all she has to do is sit by the sink and I'll turn the water on for her to drink. Who says animals are dumb?

Rose is not an outdoor kind of girl. I do take some perverse pleasure in escorting her to the "big outside," possibly as retaliation for the training I have received at her paws. When she taps on the glass to be let back in, I cheerfully wave back. Boy she hates that.

Rose's brother Roger loves to be outside but I think it's just so he can go to the neighbor's house and look in their fishbowl. My neighbor says its the best way to have a cat; he comes in for a visit, takes a nap on the couch, goes out when he gets up, and they don't have to feed him. Well, except for the fish.

I had a lovely dinner with my Mom tonight. Since all the men went camping, I found myself a free agent. We sat around and had tea and kibbitzed. Haven't had much time for that lately, what a treat. She is sure enjoying her new apartment. The view of the river is beautiful and she can watch the sun set. She counted the number of RV's heading out of town last Sunday and laughed at herself for admitting it. :) She said some of the old people in the building are kind of funny (peculiar, not ha-ha) and it went through my head that she's 81 but she must not be old, yet.

I hope I'm like that when I not old, yet

emi

May Day

2006-05-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

May begins auspiciously! (Or if you're a paranoid, suspiciously.)

Hilary found out she will get the summer job she hoped for as a peer counselor for Upward Bound. She will get room, board, and at least $1600 for 6 weeks! She won't have to miss her brother's high school graduation or her University trip to Belize, and it will be finished in time for her to work as a student ambassador for her University and receive a discount on her tuition. We will be able to get all the parts to fix her car from the wrecking yard for $190, although labor will still cost $$.

I was asked to hang some of my quilts at the revolving art show at our church. They went up last weekend. What an honor! I picked some fairly diverse quilts; all sorts of patterns, sizes, colors and shapes. I experienced a strange mixture of feelings when I stood back and looked at them. An odd mixture of pride and humility. (You'd think they would be mutually exclusive emotions, maybe that's why it feels strange.) They'll be up for about 6 weeks along with works from another quilter (a very good friend of mine) and a rug hooker with the most beautiful sense of color! They all looked so great hanging there next to each other.

We also basted the Schoolhouse quilt. I'm looking forward to quilting on it. I realized I have the next three weekends practically testosterone-free!!! :) I love my sewing room. All I need is a porta-potty and a refrigerator and I never really have to come out. It's not very neat and tidy, it looks like a mad scientist has run amok. Frank says it looks like the fabric monster threw up in it. Ha-ha, Frank. Only your really good friends can insult you and get away with it.

The only thing that really gave me pause today was when stories of the rallys for immigration reform came on the news. All those people who circumvented the laws of this country to come here are now demanding their civil rights. Wait, you're not a citizen and you have no legal right to be here...you have no civil rights! If I went to Mexico or Germany or the Middle East or the Phillippines, or any other country on the face of this earth, they'd throw my ass out without so much as a "How do you do" if I so much as made a peep about my civil rights in their country! (Or they might shoot me!) What is it about the US that causes such feelings of entitlement?

I have nothing against immigrants; I am one. My parents' families emigrated here around the 1900's from Japan, legally, I might add. My dad's family spent four years in an interment camp in California during WWII, just because they were Japanese, if for no other crime. The Japanese have a saying: "Shigata ga nai" meaning, it can't be helped. When the laws were changed in 1951 that allowed them to become US citizens, they did so immediately. They didn't break any laws along the way. We are all patriots summed up by the Kennedy era, "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."

Where has that gone?

emi

Where has the week gone?

2006-04-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Too much overtime this week. I think the photocopier repairman, the FedEx guy, the fire extinguisher inspector and the computer tech all got together and timed their arrivals. Good grief.

My daughter called and said she wrecked "her" car. Thank God she was not injured but she was quite upset to have been the one ticketed. I think the car is totalled, we only had liability on it because it's a 1990. I guess it's a good thing her university is only an hour and a half away since we can't afford to replace the car. Perhaps it's a good lesson for her; resources are not unlimited and freedom does not equal car. And, I won't worry so much about her if she isn't driving all over kingdom come.

I have been listening to talk radio lately. I know, I shouldn't. It's like watching a train wreck; you know it's going to be horrible but you can't drag yourself away. There is one female host I particularly detest and I won't dignify her by naming her. She does like to put sound clips on the air of democrats and entertainers and then play sound effects like gagging and wretching or insane screaming in the background. All I can think is "How juvenile." That's the kind of stuff we did in junior high school. This woman is getting paid big bucks to act like a pre-teenager on the air.

I also think the term "billion" should not be thrown around so casually. I read something the other day that put billion into perspective. A billion seconds ago, it was the 1950's. A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive. Hmmmmm. These talk radio hosts go on about how many billions of dollars some oil company is making or the government is spending. They are becoming so cavalier about it. I will never in my lifetime make a million, let alone a thousand millions. I can't really even conceptualize it.

We who live in this post-modern era really need to examine our lives. Define what is necessary, essential to live. I know I do not need to drive a BMW, buy $200 slacks, have a phone with a camera and access to the internet or buy lattes every day (even though I like them). I don't need the biggest house on the block or a swimming pool. I went to a shopping mall not too long ago and found myself surrounded by useless trinkets and clothing that should not be worn by anyone! (Who invented hipsters, anyway? Aaaargh!) I made myself walk all the way around and at least look in every window. I left without buying a thing. I left with a feeling of sadness for the shallowness of our culture. I left in my little used car and drove the speed limit home.

We live close to the earth. I am a farmer's daughter. My husband had many relatives who farmed. I can sew anything and I love to quilt. My mother taught me how to can food. My husband hunts and taught our children to hunt. We camp and fish and read books. These are our primary pasttimes besides spending time with each other and our friends. Our needs are pretty simple. The Waltons we're not. We might sound dull as dishwater but I am content. My children are attaining adulthood as good and resourceful people who love their family and respect their friends. Nothing else could make me happier.

Chacha, I hope your cookies turned out.

emi

A Chore Accomplished

2006-04-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

Mom's old apartment is emptied and cleaned. Funny how it looks smaller with nothing in it. Seems like it should be the opposite. She was pretty tired when we left her. So much activity for a little old lady. We need to get some picture hangers and put some personality on the walls.

I love it when I walk into a house for the first time. The first thing I do is walk around to see what is displayed on the walls. It tells me alot about the people who live there. It's so disappointing to see blank walls. It's as if there's no depth of character, no attempt to make the house a personal haven. It seems two-dimensional. I have lots of things on the walls, not just art and pictures, either, though there are plenty of those. I have plates, an enamel washtub, a Finnish children's paddle toy that looks like chickens pecking the dirt when you swing the ball underneath around. They are all things I love. When people come into my home and look around, they see me. I hope I'm interesting.

Mom's not the only one that's tired! I'm going to take a nap.

emi

Here Comes the Sun

2006-04-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

We've awakened to a beautiful, sunny, cloudless day. So rare here on the north coast. No wind either. The birds are swirling and racing through the air, no doubt thrilled not to be dodging raindrops. It seems like the ultimate picture of freedom to me, watching birds fly. I used to envy them, now it makes me happy.

It's supposed to be almost 70 degrees in Portland, it won't get that warm here but Portland is the next largest city the news will report. Warm enough after the long gray winter. My friends young daughters have planted spring flowers and I gave them a packet of sunflower seeds in anticipation of summer. They are all coming up, pushing their way to the sky. My blueberry bushes are shedding their blooms, leaving behind the immature fruits. It promises to be a good harvest...if I can keep the deer out of them. The roses have already been sacrificed to their dining for the second year. They did my pruning for me. That was thoughtful.

My favorite part of spring is when the daffodils bloom. They are the heralds of the earth's reawakening. They are everywhere, so cheerful. They take the rain with grace, bobbing their heads back up after the showers. I strive to be like them; roll with adversity and come up smiling.

We'll get my mom moved today and take some time to enjoy the sun. I wonder how her cat did her first night at the new apartment. Poor jumpy thing. We found her mouse toys under the sofa, she'll be glad to have them back. Maybe it will make her feel more at home.

Lots to do today.

emi

Aaaaaaaah! Blessed Friday

2006-04-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Friday, end of the workweek. Two days respite from the demands of the public (and my co-workers). I anticipate Monday with some trepidation. After doing the same job for 20 years, I am on a job development assignment in management. Monday, I will be the officer in charge for an entire week. Poor slobs. I ponder my fitness to command others. My friend Lloyd said the hardest part of this job will be going back to my old job. I begin to see what he means.

Somehow, I don't think I will find much time to quilt this weekend. We've almost moved my mother into her new apartment, a beautiful, new space. We need to clean her old place and placate the equally elderly woman she was renting from. Placation will be about impossible. I have seldom met anyone so frugal and so completely centered around money. I am certain we will not be able to leave the apartment clean enough to get my mother's deposit back, no matter how much we scrub it. I guess we will do the best we can and let the chips fall where they may. I told Mom not to worry, there are some people beyond pleasing. Maybe her landlady is grumpy because she will miss her.

The best thing about my Mom's move is she will be in an apartment building where she will meet other people her own age. It's so hard to start over in a new town after 40 years. Thankfully, she is in excellent health and makes friends easily. She talks to total strangers at Safeway. Sometimes when I shop with her, I turn around to find her two aisles back, deep in conversation. "Who was that? I have no idea." :)

She unpacked the quilt I made for her years ago. I had forgotten how interesting the colors were. A simple pattern made interesting by the swirls of color and design. I think that's how life should be lived; simply but deepened with colors and designs of your own making.

emi