Sunday, September 20, 2009
A Little Quilting Going On
Any way this is the project I am currently working on for my Wednesday sewin. Don't remember the name of the pattern right now, but the fabrics are batiks and I am enlarging it from a 40 x 40 inch quilt to an 80 by 80. Maybe that is why I think it is insane, lol. I love the colors in these batiks.
I have also finished my Figgy Pudding I was working on so diligently. It is off to the quilter's and I hope to get it next month so I can get it bound and on my bed for the holidays. Of course I have enlarged the pattern and it now covers my bed. I just grin everytime I look at this picture. I really love the fabric.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Story Behind the Picture
Aud before pink
I Think I Must be Taking a Break
Hope all is well with everyone.!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
A Little Quilting Going On
Here is the first panel all finished, yeah!!! This is the top, only 2 sides and the bottom left, lol.
Don't faint, I actually have a finished quilt. This is Gatsby and the fabric is by Timeless Treasures. I made it into a queen size so it would fit the bed.
This is a little Christmas tree made with yoyo makers. The dingy thing on the top is some yarn I was messing with trying to make a pom pom. I took this to my Tuesday quilter's meeting and some of the girls made some. We have little demos from members ever so often and I figured it was my time.
This and That
Where Does the Time Go?
A good friend of mine is the local Quilt Guild President this year, and she asked me to serve on her board. Sure, no problem, what is the easiest job you have? Well, we really need someone to write a new database for us to keep track of our members. Oh, I can do that, no problem. Hah!
It has taken loads and loads of time because I have completely rewritten it from scratch and membership chairman in this quilt guild is a busy position! Hopefully, by the time the year is over it will be a smooth running machine for the next person who takes the job.
It has not been easy and there are days when I want to just tell them I quit, but I haven't, and I won't. It is something that needs to be done, and I can do it. The small quilting group that meets once a month is what makes it all worthwhile, and I have to belong to the main guild in order to belong to the small one, lol.
I really am going somewhere with this conversation, I promise. If you belong to a guild, you need to realize how much time your board members spend in trying to bring you, the member, new ideas, pleasing teachers, and activities that will inspire you in your quilting endeavors.
Or, are you one of those who just grip because you don't like the way things are done? Well, let me tell you, get off your duff and join your local guild and volunteer and help change the things you don't like. I have really learned to appreciate the hard work and dedication some of these women in my guild have shown over the years.
And remember, the next time you don't like something that goes on in your guild, don't just grip, work to get it changed!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Just a Reminder
Life on the Funny Farm
These 2 "bushes" were planted about 5 years ago. I like crepe myrtle bushes, but I love them in tree form if they are graceful. I came home from work one day to find two fat little crepe myrtle bushes planted 18 inches from the side of the house and directly over the sprinkler system. So, the following year in spring when it was time to "prune" them, I decided they really needed to be trees and pruned them accordingly. I don't cut them down like most people do, I just trim the "suckers". I did a bang up job of trimming, and was informed by a furious Aud that she intended for them to be bushes to hide the side of the house because it looked like there was a crack started in the brick. Sorry about that.
Well, have I paid for that mistake. Up until this year they have scraped, and moaned and groaned every time the wind blows and that is often in this part of the world. So far, they have been propped up three times, are top heavy, lol, and really need to be cut down probably and every time they bloom I hear the ...I just wanted bushes.....whining. At times over the years they have awakened me in the middle of the night, due to the wind whipping them against the house. And this may be part of the reason our house is haunted.
Yes, haunted.
I think it was last week when Aud decided the house was haunted. This clock hangs in Aud's room, and she has had it forever. It chimes the hours during the day, and is silent at night. It quit working about 2 years ago, and even though the batteries in it were changed, it has never worked since until in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago. All of a sudden, it started chiming...the wrong hour and not on the hour, but it is chiming. Perry, are you sure you didn't fix this clock? No, I didn't touch it....well, it is chiming, of course it is the wrong time, but it is chiming. Well, mother, too bad...I did not touch it. Since it has started working again, Aud swears that every other day or so, she sees the minute hand move backward, and the clock starts chiming a different hour than it was. So we have a haunted clock. Actually, we have two of them.
This clock is also a chimer, but it chimes every hour day and night. It seems to be softer at night however. About a year ago it decided to move up its time by an hour. This was not due to daylight savings time, it just moved up one day, and then about 2 months later moved up another hour. I got it down, and reset the time. I have now done that twice this year, and it is up to 2 hours ahead again. Unreal, and neither of us knows why.
We also hear people talking through the floor vents after we go to bed at night, at least it sounds like it. They sure throw a lot of parties.
When things like this happen, Aud usually blames Dolly Parton, the Bijon Frese (sp?) dog she had that passed away before we moved up here, or my husband, who also passed away before we moved up here. And since I had him cremated and he is in the house with us up here, she may be right, lol.
I can't tell you where I keep him in the house, because my oldest daughter does believe in ghosts and she doesn't want to know, and sometimes she reads my blog. Please don't harass me about this, it is a choice I have made. When I pass on, I want him around so I will bury him with me. Since I know where he is, I don't have to worry if I want to move to another town or state, right? I can still visit with him.
Well, I guess that is enough "stuff" for one night. If you hung around this long, you must be taking a nap by now. One of these days I will post about the animal residents we have had in the time we have lived here. That was definitely a "funny farm" experience.
Hope this week is going well for everyone. This is hump Wednesday, so hang in there!
Hugs to all!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Musings of a Muddled Mind
Case in point. Mothers are mothers, evidently it doesn't matter whether they are animal or human. I am sitting outside last weekend at my daughter's house with one foot propped across my leg and Aud is sitting beside me. You have a callus on your foot......said in a voice that can be heard by everyone....yes, I do. So? Can't you just see a monkey going over her child with "a fine tooth comb"?
And, the week before that while I am eating breakfast......you need to arch your eyebrows....I can't see the damn things, mother....well, do you want me to arch them for you?...no thank you. Why are you bringing this up?...well, they look unkept....they are so light you can't even see them...well I can and you need to arch them.
I was telling a friend about this and she had a good story to add to the mix. Her elderly aunt announced in a loud voice (at the wedding of my friend's son), you stopped up my toilet and it overflowed. Everyone there stopped all conversations and just stared. My friend has no idea when she was talking about, but somewhere in the past she had the idea it had happened. It makes you very wary of being around senior citizens when you both are around other people.
Mothers always seem to tell stories in front of you to other people that will embarass you also. I just shudder at some of the ones Aud has told about me, and I am sure you have some you shudder about also.
The other thing I have decided is the men in Oklahoma between approximately 25 and 40 have to be the rudest drivers in the universe. They all think they are macho men and act like idiots when you say anything to them that doesn't sound like pleading. Case in point...will you move your car so I can get out?.....well, you don't have to show attitude, you could ask nicely.......at this point I have been waited on Mr. Redneck to move his care for about 5 minutes.....and I am not the most patient of people at certain times.....needless to say I did yell at him, and what I yelled was not very nice....something to the effect of you cretin....#^$#^^# I'll show you some attitude....he moved his car. Mother is still laughing about that one, and I am still half way mad about it. Of course at this time of the month I always seem to be on edge......so don't even think that when you hit menopause you get over that pms stuff...don't think it happens.
Also, there must be a handbook for all Okie males that reads.....you must have a truck and you must follow the car in front of you no further away than 2 feet, and harass every female that is driving in front of you regardless. Oh, and be sure you play your radio at an ear splitting level.
I can't remember the last time I have driven anywhere in any city that I didn't get to hear the choice of music from some idiot driving with his music turned sky high. No wonder the younger generation can't hear anything.
Back to the senior citizens. I really don't understand why some older people are so kind and gentle and a joy to be around (like my mother most of the time) and others are just so unhappy and mad all of the time that they can't enjoy themselves. I personally am about half and half of each I think, and I can talk about them because I will be 70 in August. Trying to get some of them to do something different is like pulling teeth. Ask me how I know, lol.
And, speaking of music, have you ever noticed that the music in most restaurants is so loud you can't carry on a conversation without yelling? And most of the speakers are out of tune, so you can't really hear anything but a lot of noise. I am to the point where I am going to just turn around and leave. It is just insane. The reason the music is played so loudly is because(and this has been proven) you eat faster when the music is loud and the crowd turns over faster, which increases the amount of money you take in within a given time, like lunchtime.
I guess I have ranted and raved enough for now. If this headache I have had for 3 weeks would just go away, maybe some of this drivel wouldn't bother me so much. Yeah, right! lol
I hope everyone has a wonderful Fourth of July. Our flags are flying in the neighborhood and thank goodness we have the freedom to rant and rave and fly flags and say about anything we want to (not as much these days as when I was young) without fear of being thrown in jail or worse. We live in a wonderful country and I hope and pray it will continue to be that way. Hopefully, the crisis going on is just a bump in the road on the way to grandma's house. Hugs to all!!!
Monday, June 29, 2009
A Little Quilting Going On
Figgy Pudding....I could not pass this collection up. Ordered it from Fat Quarter Shop about 2 weeks ago and I am trying to get it done and to the quilter's as quickly as possible. I want it ready for my bed come December 1. I just adore this line, and the pattern. You can download the pattern from Moda, or, if this doesn't appeal to you, Kimberly also has a kit from this frabic.
These are the large blocks for Figgy Pudding. I am enlarging it, of course. I seem to do that a lot.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Just a Tad of Ice Cream
Saturday, June 27, 2009
"Don't Close the Door"
Last night Miss Aud is standing in front of this and talking to me, don't even remember what about. She turns to leave and starts to close the door.
"Don't Close the Door"
Ok, what is that noise I hear. Is your phone ringing? Is that an alarm. Miss Aud is looking around and up and down and I am grinning from ear to ear.
I don't hear anything
Yes you do
No, must be your imagination, and I am grinning like a cat.
Perry, I know you know what it is
No
She starts out the door
Mom, it is the door
Ok......
I don't think she realizes yet what was causing the sound.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I Really Will Post Soon
Aud and I are basically doing ok and I appreciate everyone that has emailed me asking if we are ok. Thank you so much for caring. And Aud says to tell everyone thank you also.
I hope to have the time to take some pictures etc after this week is over and I will try to get some of them posted.
I have been reading people's blogs, so I am trying to keep up with you'll. Hope this week is going well for you, and, yes, my hair still has purple in it, lol.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Rain and Shine!
The Oklahoma City Great Strides walk was this past Saturday, and boy did it rain! There were three rain bursts that came through over the course of the morning and drenched anyone that didn't have an umbrella or rain slicker. But that did not dampen our spirits and everyone had a great time. There were about 700 people there, and 60 of them were our friends and family members that came out in support of Katy! All of the kids absolutely loved splashing through the puddles and I'll bet their shoes are still wet. :)
Here is Katy with her Hero of Hope award. I know this is a crazily cropped picture but, Katy is draping her arms around her school friends that came to support her, and I didn't get permission to post their pics on the web. Suffice it to say she is so so happy here and surrounded by love!
We were at the Myriad Gardens, which houses a lovely conservatory located downtown. Our event took place on the grounds, where there are hills, trees, and a lake. It is a two-level venue, with an upper plaza and then down the stairs a stage over the water. Our team was stationed on the plaza. We had secured a sponsor for refreshments - two cotton candy machines and a popcorn machine. Cystic fibrosis families and their supporters are absolutely worn out from the day-to-day grind of the disease and the fundraising efforts leading up to Great Strides, so it was fabulous to be able to offer these refreshments for free. Thank you Doyle Chiropractic Clinic in Yukon, Oklahoma!
Of course its not enough to pick up the machines from the party place, drive them to the event, and set them up. Somebody(ies) have to operate them! That is where our amazing family came in to play! If you have never run a cotton candy machine, you should put it on your list of things to do. Once might be enough. Imagine standing over a 3-foot wide metal bowl, in the middle of which is a spinning head spitting out pink and blue threads of sugar. Throw in a little Oklahoma breeze. Now try to catch ALL the sugar threads on a tiny white cone. My sister and sister-in-law were completely covered with cotton candy from head to toe.
But they ran those machines for 3 hours straight and handed out hundreds of bags of cotton candy. Meanwhile, my brothers-in-law and another SIL ran the popcorn machine. They were total pros. They made over 36 batches of popcorn, and I'm telling you it was the best ever! Thanks to my many nieces and nephews as well for all of their hard work, and the newly-adopted member of our family, Desiree!
The OKC Thunder, our pro basketball team, lent us their mascot Rumble and two beautiful cheerleaders to hand out the Hero of Hope awards. These awards are given to those at the walk who have CF, and anyone walking in honor or in memory of someone with CF. There is a quick video here - http://www.nba.com/thunder/video/2009/05/11/cystic_fibrosis_090509.thunder/index.html
At one point you see the back of a girl's head with pigtails - that's our Katy receiving her award. My husband keeps watching this over and over - those cheerleaders sure are cuties!
I can't say thank you enough to everyone who read our CF blog post here, watched Katy's video, and/or purchased quilt chances. Our fundraising results were down this year, and we understand that; these are tough times. But even just taking the time to know about CF is enough. As a CF parent, raising awareness is part of my job so thank you for your attention and kindness.
And I'll wrap this up by thanking Judy again for the beautiful quilt, congratulating Vicky for winning, and assuring you that Peri will be back with all things quilty very soon!
Dana, mom to Katy and daughter of the lovely Peri. :)
Thursday, May 7, 2009
And the winner is!
Drawing held via Random.org
Step 6: Drawing Completed
The winner of your drawing is...
Ticket 199 - V*
Congratulations on the drawing! It was completed on 7 May 2009 at 21:33:49 UTC. The winner was drawn from a list of 338 entrants using true randomness, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs.
Thank you to everyone for your wonderful support!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Katy's Hope III Quilt Raffle
A Huge Thank You to JudyL for donating a quilt for Katy's Hope III Quilt raffle! Judy designed, pieced, and machine quilted this beautiful contemporary quilt, and some lucky person will be the winner.
This year the Katy’s Hope Quilt raffle will be completely virtual! (In prior years, ‘real’ raffle tickets were completed for each purchase and a physical drawing was held.) This year’s raffle ticket numbers will be assigned beginning with ticket number 1, and the winning number will be generated using a random number generator. The screen shot of the winning number will be posted here on the drawing date of Thursday, May 7th, at 4 p.m. Central Time.
Tickets can be purchased three ways:
Visit Okperi’s Great Strides page to donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides Campaign for 2009 www.cff.org/great_strides/okperi
If you want to purchase tickets by PayPal send to dldale@aol.com
If you see Perry or Dana out and about, you can purchase tickets from them in person
Tickets are two for $5. All proceeds will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Please leave an e-mail address so that you can receive confirmation of your ticket numbers and for notification if you win!
This link explains why we support the work of the CFF:
2009 - Support the CFF Quilt Raffle The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation funds the science that develops effective and efficient treatments to control the symptoms of CF. We even dare to hope for a cure. Thank you for your support, and Good Luck!
Any questions at all should be directed to katysvoyagers@sbcglobal.net.
Please feel free to place a link to this information on your blog. We need all of the exposure we can get.
UPDATE:
Henrietta of Red Ink Diary has graciously agreed to donate additional money for everyone who takes a chance on the quilt raffle if you put the words "Henrietta Sent Me" in the comments section of the CF page. Read this post, it says it all. Thank you so much Henrietta!!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Quilty Things
I Promised Pictures
We had some jewelry appraised and this was the table that the appraiser used for such things. See all of those "things"? They are diamonds....lol....small, insignifcant diamonds. Not worth anything supposedly, but used in "pave" and fillers for rings, etc. He told us he had to change out the carpet every 4 or 5 years because it got so full of them. Isn't that wild?
Iphone...the only thing pleasant that came out of the "changing my telephone" experience. It is such fun and I have downloaded some apps so I can play Tetris, do Yoga, build bridges, etc. I also downloaded 2 dictionaries, a thesaurus, and some books from my Kindle because I can read them on this phone. Love it, love it, love it!!
New drinks that don't have a lot of calories, taste good, and don't appear to be full of sugar. Come in lots of flavors.
Coconut cupcakes. The recipe was on here and it is wonderful. Aud and I almost fought over them. Thank you Kim for posting this recipe.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Joe B is Still Hanging Around
Since the first of March I have had continuous problems with my computer and AT&T. Unreal. If you heard screaming about the 15th of this month, it was me yelling at the Tech Department of AT&T. Talk about a horrible customer service experience and a worse technical help experience. I still get mad when I think about it. My internet has been intermittent....that should read practically non-exsistence....
I did get an IPhone through AT&T for my mobile phone. It is so much fun and I am using it for everything. I can even download books from my Kindle to read on it. I had my land line disconnected and only have the IPhone to worry with. I am not getting all the gimme calls and surveys now, YEA!!!
Then we decided to buy a car, which was interesting. We ended up buying a Toyota Venza and it has been so much fun to drive. I need to take a picture of it to share, but it is dirty now and needs to be washed, lol.
Then my doctor informed me I needed to get some weight off and eat better so I have joined the Silver Sneakers at Pacers, which is attached to one of the hospitals here. For all of you senior citizens who have AARP Supplemental Insurance this should be a service offered to you through AARP at no cost. It is a great program.
I was screened and all of my vitals recorded plus the sterling numbers of strength I am capable of, not! Programs were suggested and I will try to go at least 3 times a week.
So far I have tried several things and today I tried Pilates. I have hamstrings that have been sleeping for 15 years! They are screaming!! I don't think I have used some of these muscles in forever!
I am feeling much better and have started back to sewing on Wednesdays at a local quilt store. Maybe I will finally get some sewing done. I have some pictures to share, but that is going to have to wait a day or two.
Aud is doing ok, but her blood pressure is 20 points higher than usual, so we are going to have to really watch her diet. She had a doctor's appointment today and he is not happy about it. Tomorrow a dietician is going to come see her and put her on a strict diet. Not looking forward to that for sure. I think she is concerned, but hopefully we will get her back on task. She is still on coumidin and that is going well. He did increase her diuretics. She is in good spirits.
Aud had her hair cut and I took a picture. I swear she looks younger with it cut, lol.
JudyL has kindly donated a quilt to be raffled off for Cystic Fibrosis this year. I am waiting on my daughter to give me all of the details for those of you interested in buying tickets. It is a gorgeous quilt and a worthy cause. More on that as soon as possible I hope.
I think that catches me up. Thanks for all of the messages. It is wonderful to have blogger friends who keep up with you and encourage you to do things. I will try to get back on this week with quilty pictures.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Anybody Seen my Lost Brain Matter?
Aud is doing OK I guess. She just seems to be struggling to get better and it worries me some. She doesn't feel like getting out, and I haven't gotten out much either.
Katy's "bone" problems have been weighing pretty heavy on my mind; I think it has finally bought home the reality that so far there is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis and that is a very sobering thought.
On a lighter note, my ex daughter-in-law and husband are expecting a daughter early in July so I need to get something pink sewn up for this child. I hope they call her Emily rather than Zoe; a good old fashioned American name would be wonderful I think. Please don't post that this thinking is un-American, lol, because I really don't care. I just want this child to have a nice peaceful sounding name I can relate to.
On to other things. I did get a little quilting done. When I picked up my BOM for the Posies quilt (haven't started it yet) I could not get past this pattern at Oklahoma Quiltworks. I just love it. So, it came home with me along with the Perle Cotton. Not a real good picture but you will get the idea from the closeups below.
The next 3 photos are of the area across the top of the quilt. I have prepared the fabric and am ready to go on it. Of course, as usual, I don't always have all of my brain together so there is a funny story to go along with this.
I was talking to one of my friends there about this pattern and she has made the one previous to this that was a winter scene with black and brown flying geese. She was telling me that rather than hand stitch a backing down she ironed wonder under on her fabric.
Ok, I can do that. I prepped this much of the fabric the other night and ironed on the wonder under, and I am thinking, hmmm, have to take the paper off. So I take the paper off, and, I am thinking to myself, this is sticky. I cut the pieces of fabric, get out my light box, lay the pattern on it and start tracing it all off. The whole time I am doing this I am really concerned about sewing on this sticky stuff.
Are you laughing yet? About the time I get through drawing the pattern on, it dawns on me....idiot, you have to iron the muslin on the back side of the wonder under....lol....ooops! That's your laugh for today!
I have been doing the button hole stitchwork on my Gatsy quilt. All 88 squares (I think...somewhere in that vicinity anyway). This takes a long time and is boring!!!!! I want to get this stitching finished up so I can get it put together and to the quilter. It has been a whole year since I have finished a quilt and I want a new quilt for my bed!