SO much to catch up on!

I went to the doctor and, after being told that there was nothing wrong with me, I got a lecture about paying more attention to my health. I deserved it, but it wasn't necessarily delivered in the nicest way.

I made one top for community service with all scraps from my stash. I turned it in to the community service committee for my quilt guild at our monthly meeting last Thursday. If anyone wants to join us, the Golden Valley Quilt Guild meets the 4th Thursday at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on Kingswood in Citrus Heights, CA. We had a long business meeting. Thank God we only review the bylaws once every two years.

I started with Dear Jane. I am making this wonderful quilt. I have everything I need--book, rulers, fabric. I also found this great pattern using the churn dash pattern. I am anxious to begin this quilt. No pictures because I have misplaced my camera.

I went to the first Saturday Square for Quilter's Corner for 2011.

I have misplaced my camera. Have I already said that? I am trying not to stress out over it, but it is my camera! I am almost to the end of ideas fro where it could be. It is in a blue case. If you see it, tell me!!! Okay, you aren't going to find it, but I am out of options. I will have to have a new one and there isn't room in the budget. I have to find my camera.

Friday I went to the Church of the Good Shepard in Sacramento to hear Amy Barickman speak. She is the finder of things vintage. Go to www.amazon.com to check out her book, Vintage Notions. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. I thought there would be more showing of things--stuff she made or collected--but it was mostly talk rather than show.

Have a great day tomorrow.
Julie

Breathing.....

I have a cold. Of that I am sure. What I am not sure of is what kind of cold, but suspect it may have settled in my chest. So, off to the doctor I go. I haven't yet met my doctor. I had this nice little Chinese doctor, but he left Kaiser and then I had some guy from Pakistan. That worried me, after all, Pakistan is a third world country and have you seen how men treat women in that part of the world. Before I had a chance to decide to change doctors, the new guy got a promotion and I was assigned a woman, whose name I don't remember and again hails from that part of the world. Why I can't remember her name, but I sure can remember that she is from Bangladesh. What nationality is that? Anyway, I can hear the wheezing. I didn't sleep Sunday very well (woke up at 3:15am and couldn't get back to sleep even though it took forever for me to got to sleep), so I stayed home ill on Monday. I went back today, but one of the teachers I work with thought I looked bad enough to make me sit down and not get up--I am used to walking around the room. He might have been worried that I would walk around and infect all the children. It could have been a vacation for him....I have to admit that I am most worried about infecting Amy who is pregnant and due in March. She doesn't need this.



I did make a community service quilt this weekend out of scraps--as in I didn't buy any fabric at all! I will take a picture when I find my camera. I am getting a bit worried, but haven't asked my mother-in-law if she has seen it yet.



So, I am off to bed now......



Julie

Monday

It is a Monday kind of day. I was sitting here thinking about a show I watched tonight. How I Met Your Mother. One of the main characters lost his father to a heart attack--I think. I confess I wasn't paying much attention, but I did pay attention when they spoke of the last words. Do we think of our words as leave someone? What would your last words be? Probably not noteworthy to a lot of people, but I would remember if they last words were "I Love You."
It is important to say what you feel. Take a chance.....

I was working on my block exchange square this weekend. I got a bit ambitious and made two. I also worked on a few community service quilts. As a way to be proactive, I made a pot of turkey soup to bring to work for my lunch. I also went to the store and bought food for the next four days with the idea of NOT going back to the store. Then the daughter comes out and shares that we are out of beer. A crime in this house. My husband loves a beer in the early evening. My father used to drink a bourbon and water everyday before dinner. I am more of a wine drinker in that respect. To continue my day, I went to JoAnn's to pick up the daughter. While I was there I met up with a member of my quilt guild, Kathy. I hadn't seen her in a while. Turns out she had broken her neck. She was sitting on the edge of her Craftmatic bed putting lotion on her hands before going to sleep. She had taken a sleeping pill and it began to kick in and Kathy fell forward into the dresser. She had hit her head on the dresser, but didn't feel bad because of that. When she fell, she broke her kneecap and that prompted the trip to the emergency room. Not in an ambulance as you might be thinking. No, she had her husband drive her there. When she casually mentioned she had hit her head, she said the doctor insisted on a full body xray and they found her broken back. The doctor told Kathy she should have been paralysed or even died because of the injury, but miracles happen and she had a back brace on for 6 months and has even healed so well that she won't need any surgery. And, good new, we will be seeing her at the guild meetings soon.

I am off to bed now!
Julie

The Weekend

Sometimes I am just too dense for words. A bit of history....my friend, Gran, had to drive to Utah to collect her son who was in the hospital and needed to come home to recuperate. One of his ailments is mono--you know, the kissing disease. My friend, Kim, had mono in high school (1978) and we just couldn't figure why it called that since she was only kissing her boyfriend, David, and he sure didn't have it. I had forgotten that there was a time she was contagious and I wasn't allowed to visit. So, now it is 2010 and a bunch of women are scheduled to meet at Gran's house for our embroidery group on Monday. On Saturday I get an email cancelling our group for Monday evening. I was so darn supportive. Yes, you should cancel, not because you have someone with a really contagious disease staying with you, but I was thinking he might not like a bunch of women trooping around so soon after he was out of the hospital. Either way, it does work out for me, so all's well that ends well!

I spent Saturday sewing with a friend. I have never seen a quilt go together so well on the first try. All the squares are truly 12.5" and the sashing is going on like a dream. That it be well done is important because it will be a gift to someone who is becoming a U.S. citizen this year! Go Francisco! The fabrics are all reproduction 1800's for that whole Civil War look. I love those fabrics.

Yesterday ended the Be Mine Blog Tour. I found a new blog that I liked and will go back to visit, www.misspunkiepie.blogspot.com and I think I will be making her project, a valentine's pillow. I went to check if by chance I was a winner in any of the giveaways, but none have posted as of yet. As I was checking on www.aquiltinglife.com I was reading Sherri's post titled Stash Week 3. Go there and scroll down a bit to find her picture of her top the Luna Notte quilt. That is the exact setting for the quilt from above that my friend is making for Francisco. In the book that she is working from, there is no border, but I emailed her to have her look because a border would be great.

Today I spent the morning working on my square for a block exchange. I have put this off because I was having trouble picking a background fabric. So, here I am making this block and I might have found an even better pattern on Sherri's blog (see above). I also decided to join secret sisters for my guild this year. I really miss that.

So, I wrap up the weekend playing with a new pattern. I only need one block for the exchange, but I may make extra blocks anyway as it is a 9 month challenge and I like the idea of 12 blocks. We shall see when September comes and I get all my blocks.

Have a great day tomorrow whether you work or you are off like me!!!
Julie

So Little Time

I am incorrigible. I see someone else's quilt and I desperately want to go home and start my own. What kind of disease is that??? Last night Kim showed her quilt made from her own pattern (Eye of the Beast--see her blog at Kimsbigquiltingadventure.blogspot.com). I wanted to rush home and start pulling fabric. I was forced to give it second thought as I found my daughter having coffee with her friend, Pepper. We had a lovely conversation and then it was a bit late to start pulling fabric. Today just got away from me and here I am on the computer. So, it is now a Saturday project as I am having company tomorrow. But, never fear, I am this close to a new project.

Speaking of starting new projects.....I saw a quilt in a magazine at the local quilt store. The display was really just giving ideas for the red and cream fabrics from the French General collection. While the fabric was just fine, it was the pattern I was most interested in. I asked around and finally found someone who had the magazine (asking for a Jan/Feb issue of anything in November is pretty iffy). Thanks to Phyllis who sent it to me and it came today. I stuck it in with my stash of red and cream fabric I have been collecting. I don't have enough, but now I have the pattern and will be able to collect the right amount. Wish me luck!

Julie

Catching Up

I just went on the first blog for the Be Mine Blog Tour (www.spunsugarquilt.com). The project posted is a heart pattern to make heart ornaments. If you are contemplating a Valentines Day tree, this is the place to go. Although, watch Kim's blog (Kim's Big Quilting Adventure) for paper hearts with glitter!! I saw the hearts and they are cute. The amazing part of this, is the amount of comments that have been left for Vickie of Spun Sugar Quilts. I was #364! Okay, there is an incentive of winning a gift certificate for the Fat Quarter Shop. That would be lovely!

Yesterday I had a day with some of my favorite people. I hosted our once-a-month
get-together. We had Lasagna for lunch with rolls and a luscious green salad. There was strawberry cake and a cherry dump cake for dessert. I did warn everyone how rich the lasagna was as it is full of cream cheese and sour cream. Yummm!

Marty's Lasagna
Brown 1 package Jimmy Dean Sausage (1 pound) with 1 pound ground beef. Add 1 chopped onion and 1 large jar of Marinara Sauce. Set aside. (sauce)
Mix 16 ounces of cream cheese and 16 ounces of sour cream. Blend until smooth. Add 3-4 chopped green onions. Set aside. (white mixture)
Grate two balls of Mozzarella cheese (or more if you like). Set aside.

You can either cook the noodles or just start layering them with the above mixtures and the grated cheese. Layer in the following order:
1. A little sauce
2. Noodles
3. White mixture
4. Grated Mozzarella cheese
5. Continue layering and end with Mozzarella cheese

Bake covered for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes and serve.

It was a truly wonderful day.

A New Quilt

I have this love for 30's fabrics. I saw a quilt that was just pinwheels--white fabric and 30's fabrics. I didn't like the design in the magazine, so I adjusted it and will be working on a new quilt. Out the window goes my idea of finishing up what I already have partially done....A package of triangle paper and here I come.

Today one of the teachers was asking her students to pick a topic for their memoir. The teacher specifically said that you can't write a memoir about a stuffed animal. I am taking up the challenge and writing about my bear--Steam Roller Bear. It might take a day or two, but stay tuned for the story of a pink bear.....

Snow, Snow and More Snow

I am so disappointed. It snowed in Santa Clarita and not here. Okay, I am happy for my sister, but darn I love snow. I will have to drive up the highway until I reach snow and that won't be for a couple of weeks cause I am BUSY! Fun busy, but busy still.

I cleaned out my filing cabinet and got organized. Funny thing is that my husband still thinks there is cleaning out to do. You can't be too careful. You never know when that outdated manual for the VCR we no longer own will come in handy..........Okay, I threw it away.

Julie

It's the new year!

I have three items on my mind:

1. I passed the mom test. Okay, it is my own test, but I still passed. My children are adults, but adults who still live at home. For the first time ever, my son had plans for New Years Eve that didn't include his parents. He drove to Davis and was supposed to be going to a bar with his friend Erik. The original plan was to go to San Jose. I didn't panic that my son and Erik wanted to drive 3 hours away to attend some party....I was rewarded when those plans fell through and the Davis plan appeared. I made it all the way to 1pm today before I started worrying. In my defense, it was raining and he was driving.... So, he showed up at 2pm and I never called him once! He did tell me the plan to go to this bar lasted an hour when it became apparent that it was cowboy night and the highlight was line dancing! The group walked over and stuffed nine people into a taxi and went back to Erik's to play beer pong. Erik has a roommate, Dat, who is from Vietnam and just stepped off the boat last week. Welcome to the U.S.!

2. I confess. I love the show, Glee. I had never paid attention to it. There always seem something else on. Then, this December we did secret Santa at work. I was Santa to Jinne. She loves Glee. Even though we had to stay within $20.00, I found a Glee CD for her. She seemed so thrilled that I decided to watch the next episode. I loved it! It was a Christmas episode and there isn't much I love more than Christmas music.....I will be glued to the T.V. each Tuesday evening at 8:00pm--Channel 40.

3. It is a new year. I can't decide if I should make the same resolutions I have made for the last 3-4 years and have yet to keep them or if I should make new ones. One I will make is to pay more attention to everything. And I will begin to again keep up with my scrapbooks. I will start this month.

Okay, I could be better at answering my cell phone. Wish me luck!