So close to being done

I'm 24 HST away from being done piecing my Pick and Choose quilt. The HST are pieced, they just need to be joined to each other and then sewn on as the 4th and final border. I'm thinking of calling this quilt "The Kitchen Sink" because it is thrown in there, along with a little bit of everything else.

You're probably sick of seeing this quilt, but I can't seem to get enough of it. I love, love, love it! Thanks again, Nancy, for first bringing it to my attention back in May. The last border will definitely make it on tomorrow night, as there is a quilt guild meeting on Saturday morning, and I am so motivated by deadlines. It is not often that I have something for Show and Tell, so I'm not going to miss this opportunity to share.

My Leader/Ender project lately has been my GGG quilt. I have 9 completed blocks, and a number of partially completed blocks. Tonight, I laid the first 9 out on some dark blue carpet to start visualizing what I can do as far as layout. I feel fairly certain that I want blue to be the color of the new fabric that I incorporate into this quilt in order to stabilize all these old, threadbare fabrics. Perhaps an on-point setting,

or simple sashing in between blocks,

or maybe something else less traditional. Any ideas, anyone?

Finally, thank you to all of you who encouraged me to look at the bus incident in a different light. I'm feeling much better. I have, however, shared my concerns with the principal and have set up a meeting to talk with her in person next week about this issue and some other concerns I have (namely, the fact that my child was not given the option to watch the President's motivational and apolitical speech to schoolchildren nationwide earlier this week. What message are we sending to our children about respecting authority if we disregard his message to us just because we don't agree with his political stances? I was a self-absorbed college student in 1991, so I don't know the whole story, but I do know that George H. W. Bush gave a similar -albeit less eloquent - speech to schoolchildren nationwide, and that Republicans defended the President's right to address students. What has changed now so that it is NOT OK for Obama to do the same? How are we to encourage an informed citizenry that engages with its political leaders - which is how democracy works, by the way - if we shield them from those same leaders? How was this not a teachable moment, regardless of your political leanings? Isn't the best and most meaningful education one that is opportunistic and interactive, not just rote memorization? And how can anyone object to the President's message in that address, in brief that each and every student is in part responsible for his/her own education, that they should work hard, and that they should stay in school? And who really thought that this would be a ploy to brainwash and indoctrinate our children? Are we truly that cynical? I know there are many that disagree with me.)

Anyway, I didn't get on here to get on a soapbox. I should go to bed, as my office is going on a kayaking trip down the James River tomorrow as a team building experience prior to the start of our recruitment travel season. I want to be alert and rested so I can be safe and make the most of what is sure to be a fun day.

Bad Mommy!

We went to the circus this past weekend, and as always, I was enthralled by the juggling - how do they keep that many balls/batons/hats/burning sticks in the air at one time? But then, isn't that what we attempt to do in our daily lives? Yesterday, I dropped not just a ball, but one of the burning sticks. It could have been disaster, but it wasn't. Thank God.

Jason rides the bus to school in the mornings, but goes to daycare after school until I get off work and can come pick him up. It makes for a very long day for him, but it is the best I can do right now. I've made peace with that. Yesterday was the first day of an afterschool program that Jason loves. My intention was for him to go to daycare after his afterschool program, but somehow, there was a miscommunication with the school, and he was put on the school bus and sent home. When I arrived at daycare to pick him up, they told me he never came to daycare. I held it together as I drove home, called for him in and outside the house, then drove to three neighbors's houses looking for him. I found him at the third house. When he answered the door and gave me an exuberant, "Hi, Mom!", I burst into tears.

After a good night's sleep, I have stopped flagellating myself. We have, however, hidden a key outside for him. He knew our cell phone numbers when he started kindergarten, but he's never had call to use them, so he doesn't know them anymore. We'll have to work on that. Plus, I'll be having a talk with the school and the bus driver about how it is NOT OK to leave my 7-year-old on the side of the road when there is no one there to meet him. At the very least, I should have received a phone call - I know that they have my cell phone number. The bus stop is 7 tenths of a mile from my house. Poor Jason had to walk uphill 7/10th of a mile to an empty, locked house, then another half mile up to a neighbor's house (who wasn't home) then back down another 1/2 mile to another neighbor who was home. I'm going to look at the bright side and be glad he got lots of exercise yesterday. But I keep wondering about all the What Ifs - what if the other neighbor hadn't been home, what if it had been cold or raining, what if he had encountered one of the bears that lives in the National Forest behind our house, what if my neighbors weren't the good, trustworthy people that they are? I could go on and on.

Needless to say, I was a bit too wound up to get much sewing done last night. I couldn't focus on anything. I finally did get the last two pieced sashing borders sewn on my Pick and Choose and did a little squaring up of the HST border pieces. Maybe tonight the final borders will go on. We'll see.

The week in review

I planned to finish piecing together my Pick and Choose top this weekend, and made quite a bit of progress, but alas, it is still not done. All that remains to do is the half-square triangle border. Guess what I will be doing after work today? Last night, I spread out the quilt top on my guest bed, just to see what it looked like, and I couldn't help but smile and flop down on top of it. I LOVE IT!!! It is possibly my new favorite quilt.

So, no quilt photos to share, and those of you who know me know that I don't really like posting without photos. A big thank you to Molly for providing me with a photo op - check out the "not-so-squishy" mail I received from her this weekend - a crocheted rock!
Also to be known as a pattern holder-downer in my new soon-to-be finished quilt studio. (actually, who am I kidding. As with any construction project, I have NO IDEA when it will be finished, but I am hoping that it is soon!)


And then, there are always family photos. First, from last weekend's birthday party/campout for Jason. We roasted marshmallows for s'mores,
we took a night walk into the George Washington National Forest behind my house,

(check out the kid on the left looking nervously out into the darkness - he was regaling us all with stories of mountain lions and bears, much to the chagrin of some of the boys, so this makes me giggle to see that he was a little nervous, too! Of course, with the 8 of us stomping around and a dog to boot, I'm sure there was no wildlife within a mile of us.)


and we all (me and 7 boys) slept in the Taj Majal of tents with the dog keeping watch outside.




I've also rediscovered my porch. I cleaned it off, and all of a sudden, I love spending time out there again. Imagine. I wish I could truly capture the beauty of the sunset over the Allegheny Mountains from my porch, but this was the best I could get.


One of Jason's birthday gifts this year was the Karate Kid movie. He loves it, can you tell?


And then, last week, I mentioned our work retreat. It was just as wonderful as I had hoped. I didn't remember to take many photos, though. This photo gives you an idea of setting - here we are on one of the decks after our meetings were done on the first day waiting for dinner to be ready.

Then, after dinner, it was board game time in front of the fireplace at the outdoor pavilion - have you ever played Apples to Apples? Very fun!


Breakfast wasn't until 9 AM on Thursday. For someone who is up at 6 AM every day, that gave me lots of time to play in the morning. First, I went for a 2-mile run, and then I went kayaking on the Cowpasture River with another lunatic co-worker. Lunatic because it was COLD and the water was very low, so we were able to go downstream, but coming back upstream was another matter altogether. Live and learn - we weren't late to breakfast, but I didn't have time to warm up in the hot tub as I had hoped.


This weekend included karate, a birthday party, a potluck picnic for my husband's job, going to the circus, and sewing during every spare moment in between. Needless to say, being back at work today is a bit of a letdown...

Angela knows me WELL!

I only have a moment to write during a break at our office retreat, but I HAD TO SHARE yesterday's squishy mail. Any of you from the old blog remember Pay It Forward? Well, I received my Pay It Forward gift from Angela yesterday, just out of the blue. What a treat! Not only did she send this scrappy little mini-quilt (I think I'm going to use it as a placemat for my tea parties for one!), she also sent these romantic floral 5" charm squares. Thank you so much, Angela!


Speaking of scrappy, I have finished the blocks and the sashing for my Pick and Choose quilt. Here it is on the design wall, not yet sewn together.

I could look at this quilt all day - there are easily over a hundred different fabrics in there, from batiks and novelty to 1930s repro and Civil War repro and everything in between. Here's a close-up of some blocks chosen at random.

All I have left is to finish piecing the half-square triangle border blocks and sew it all together. Perhaps I can get it done during this long weekend. It is definitely one of my favorite quilts.

Anyway, we are on a two-day office retreat. Long meetings and lots of information, but my co-workers are some of the best possible, and we have lots of fun, too. We are spending tonight at the Fort Lewis Lodge. Check it out and see the hardships I have to suffer! I've got my suit for the hot tub and the kayak, and I am prepared to kick some butt tonight at ping pong and pool and whatever other fun we can rustle up after dinner.

A Special Day

Seven years ago this morning, they handed me the scrawniest, hairiest, but cutest 5 lb, 5 oz baby I have ever seen. I knew my life had changed forever, but I didn't realize how much I would change. I am stronger, braver, goofier, smarter, more humble, more patient, more compassionate, more resourceful, more resilient, and more hopeful than I ever thought possible. Thank you, Jason, for making me so much more.

Gifts!

Last night, I caught up with a couple of blogs, but no sewing got done. I've been so exhausted lately, I was asleep by 9:30. That's OK, I guess, since I am going to need stamina today with both karate and cub scouts after work.

So, no new quilting photos, but I can share with you some of the squishy mail I received during the summer that I didn't get a chance to blog about. First was the prize I won from Lisa (Old Batt) on my old blog before it crashed. Since we were such a small, close community of quilting bloggers, she had this neat giveaway that was almost a quilting blog scavenger hunt. I came in second - yay! (What you don't know, and what I probably shouldn't tell you, is that only two of us completed the scavenger hunt! Oh well, a prize for me!!!) She sent me this beautiful kit.

It looks complicated, and I'm not sure I can do it, but even if I can't, I can certainly use the gorgeous fabrics! Thanks, Lisa!

Then, a couple of people sent me squishy mail as a thank you for sending them the Pick and Choose pattern - not necessary, but SO thoughtful and definitely appreciated. Look for these fabrics to show up in my current scrappy projects. First, from Marlene, (why can't I remember her blog address to link to her? Marlene, if you are reading this, please comment so I can give credit where credit is due!)

(beautiful fabric, awful photo - sorry!)

and then from Janet. Isn't that tiny postcard just the cutest thing!


This camp-out/sleepover/birthday party I am hosting for Jason tomorrow night (he turns 7 tomorrow) got me thinking, hey, my birthday is less than a month away! I'm sure my family is going to start asking what I want, so I guess I should start figuring out how I'm going to respond.

Books are always good. I am forever looking to expand my quilt fiction library, and somehow, I keep uncovering new-to-me titles. Have you read any of these, all quilt fiction?

The Name of the Quilt, by Carolyn McPherson


The Fortune Quilt, by Lani Diane Rich


Happenstance, by Carol Shields


The Healing Quilt, by Lauraine Snelling


A Purple Thread for Sky, by Carol Bruneau


I KNOW that I want this one - Hearts and Gizzards: Motherhood in Motion by Clara Alcyon - although I don't think it is fiction...


And then, of course, FABRIC is always a good idea.
And if I had more pretty little teacups, I could enjoy tea with a friend. After all, I can't drink an entire pot of tea by myself in my lone little tea cup!

Is anyone in my family reading this? Is this helpful? Probably not, but what a fun little diversion from work!

A stolen moment

I should be working. After all, I'm at work. But this summer has been so fun and busy and there was always a new trip to look forward to, that now that all the excitement is over, my humdrum daily existence is nearly numbing to me. No more weeks off until Christmas. Barely any days off until then. After Labor Day, I am working or traveling for work every Saturday until mid November. Ugh!!!

I should stop complaining. My life isn't really that humdrum. After all, I'm hosting a 7th birthday party/campout/sleepover for Jason this Friday night. On Saturday night, I am volunteering at the drive-in, one of my favorite places to go on the weekend with the kids. Bathing suits are in the car, and I'm taking my kids to the pool to cool off after work/school today. Besides, this is travel season for work - I'll be in Atlanta and Baltimore and West Virginia and Ecuador and Costa Rica all in the next 6 weeks. I guess I just rebel against the lack of work/life balance in the country as a whole, and in my job in particular. My job gets so much of me, my family gets so little. I wish it weren't that way.

After putting the kids to bed last night I cut and prepped all the fabric for my last 3 Pick and Choose blocks. It is all just sitting there now waiting to be sent through the machine - hopefully tonight after the pool. I've decided that tonight is leftover night, so I'm not going to be spending time making a big meal. Except for fresh veggies. One of the many things that I love about summer is the fresh veggies! I can't get enough!

So hopefully I'll have some quilt pictures of my own to post sometime soon. For today, the only graphic I have for you is the one in the top right of my blog for The Breast Cancer Site. Most of you probably already know this site, but please click there once a day, EVERY DAY, to help fund free mammograms. It is a simple something that you can do that can make a big difference in someone else's life.