Retirement Phase 2

I now get to celebrate being retired again.  No More shows.  Going to concentrate on skills, art and web page this year.  Next year after I have restored my inventory I will hit the shows again but  only 6.  It takes to long and is too stressful to make handmade items for a deadline.  I have 2 baby quilts, another 2 t-shirt quilts and 2 star quilts to complete.  Oh! How I love shopping for fabric.  Fondle, Fondle Fondle.  When I had a closet full of sweaters:  I used to say:  you can never have too many sweaters.  (especially when they are downy fresh: or stained w/ spaghetti).  I do miss sweater weather but I don't miss the snow and slush.  Now I believe you can never ever have too much fabric.  The problem is I have only scraps.  Time to make scrap quilts.

Walking do I hear "W" a four letter word

Never thought I would appreciate walking.  Always heard "it's so good for you".  Never took it serious.  I chose to swim instead.  But, now I have a walking buddy.  Yup!  Ms Maggie.  Whether it's sunny or icy:  she wants to go.  For the first 6wks I barely made a quarter mile.  Today me and Maggie made a mile in record time.  42 degrees and the old lady was panting.  Good for me.  My thighs hurt, my heals hurt, even my toes hurt but she insists every morning "Walk".  And, walk we do.  I'm stronger, have my gait back and almost have some of my back strength back.  May even try swimming again.  It has been a long battle

                                                            Maggie and Lily

            Baby's first broken puppy heart  :  George, Maggie and Uncle Max went on walk w/out her

Never thought I would say:

Gather around the laptop and watch:  Do you know Sandra Boynton.  Children's author and illustrator.  I have purchased many of her children's books for the library.  If you google her site or go to her facebook face and click on her links:  You will discover Josh Turner, Kevin Bacon, B.B. King all singing in videos.  A friend sent me her link for Christmas.  What a great present.  Happy Holidays and have a safe 2015

short days, cold days

I have a small sewing studio.  Me and George last year put 2 6 ft tables together so I would have a 6 x 6 cutting space.  Now I can lay out large quilts and keep them straight when adding the back.  However we have had some really cold days.  I can't believe I'm not sick.  I'd run outside and cut and cut :  sew and sew and back outside.  I guess its true :  you only get sick when you are a round sick people.  Good thing kids don't come and visit.  But the flaw in my outdoor cutting set-up is it gets dark awfully early.  But! tomorrow is the shortest day and then the days get longer an longer. 

Shortest day of year

Dec. 21 is only 3 days away.  Then the days start getting longer again.  Oh how we depend on this.  Lots of scientific reasons:  but I'm just glad not to wake up at the crack of dawn.  Puppy and Maggie are doing just fine.  No longer have to worry about Maggie hurting puppy.  Lily is pretty tough.  Can't wait until she is old enough to learn:  "take it outside"  "outside".   Raising puppy is full time job.  Housebreaking starts this week.  What a joy.  However, I want to give a shout out to Eleanor,  I just used her ruler for making perfect flying geese.  Can't wait to find her perfect ruler for "storm at sea".  I will need 2 to make this lovely quilt block.


   Go!  Eleanor Burns.

Recognition

We all need recognition.  I  have been to 3 shows in 2 months.  I am grateful that people like my art work.  It is rather rewarding.  Almost all  my quilts have sold.  I have only 1 table runner left. And, only a few pet items left.  I start an art class at MSU and have registered for the Jennifer Day Class in September.  I am so excited.  It's nice to be all about me.  I now have time for formal art training.  I wonder how my fiber art will transform beyond what I am doing now.

  made w/ only fiber :  cotton and thread

Meet Lily Miller

How much does a free puppy cost.  Well for starters nothing.  But, keep her out of sewing room.  She ate the cord on my new sewing foot.  $40 for cord.  $50 for labor.  Oh My!.  Now I have to move my sewing machine to back of house and all the cables before she eats more.  Having older pets you don't worry about such things.  My sewing table is next to the doggie door.  Now I have to puppy-proof the garage.  Yup!  One weekend I was out of town and my husband moved me and my sewing stuff to the garage.