A year or so ago, I saw a quilt on the cover of American Patchwork & Quilting that really spoke to me. The designer had used medium to large scale Halloween prints in two different blocks with sashing and two borders. I carried that issue around for the better part of a year until I decided I’d give it a try.
It turns out that I had a lot of orange fabrics, and a fair number of black Halloween fabrics, but not as many of the big print fabrics. So far this quilt is a bit more understated than the one on the cover of the magazine.
Today, I laid out some of the 27 blocks I’d made on the living room floor, to see if what I had would work.
This is what it looks like so far:
These blocks will be put together with a dark green and black sashing, and then surrounded by a border made of strips of all of these fabrics cut at a 45 degree angle. The last border should be black with stars, or possibly black with pumpkins, depending on what I can find at this time of year.
The extra blocks will be used to make a table runner, as soon as I find a background fabric that I like.
My other project for the day was to make muslin bags for dried catnip. I think I may have erred in storing the catnip in a ziplock bag for several months. I think the essential oil may have evaporated. It’s either that, or I have an incredibly lazy cat.
A Quiet Evening
We’re having a quiet evening. Dear Husband is watching “Cast Away,” and surfing the t.v. guide. I’m going to finish a book this evening.
I was out late this morning for a hair appointment, and returned home about 12:30. We had lunch and I went to sit in the rocker for a few moments. Right…a few moments! I was out until 4:30!
I’m trying to decide just why I’ve needed so much daytime sleep lately. There are a number of possibilities. I’m trying to shift around to earlier morning hours. By itself that wouldn’t be a problem, but I need to be asleep by 9:00 at night to get up at 5:00 the next morning. I’m getting the early morning part down, but I need to work on getting to bed earlier. To that end, I’m going to ask my stepson for lessons on how to tape programs using our VCR.
It’s possible that the medication I take for neuropathy is working against me when I’m short on sleep. I tend to think it aggravates an existing situation rather than being the primary cause. Should I have to increase the dosage, I’d expect to be snoosey for a while, but I’ve been at a static dosage for some time.
It’s very possible with the bitter cold and snow that I’m not getting enough exercise. The exercise might tire me out enough to put me in bed at the right time, whether there was a program I wanted to see or not, so I need to get to a regular daily plan.
So….I’m trying to put it all together. I figure that it’s going to be small changes here and there that lead to a better life. It would be nice to have things straightened out soon, so that I have the energy to get out and work on the grounds as the weather improves.
A New Food Processor
Lesson #1
Don’t put onion, celery, and carrots in the container and chop all at once. Chop each type of veggie separately.
Lesson #2
Pulse, don’t puree the onion, celery and carrots for the minestrone soup.
Someone Had to Uphold the Honor of the Family!
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You Are 0% Massachusetts |
 You Yankees loving homo! You probably think Starbucks coffee tastes better than Dunkin Donuts. |
I’ve been adopted into the Bogie–WichiDude–CopCar family. I noticed over at Bogie’s that she is disgustingly Massachusetts oriented, so I went to take the test to save the family honor.
Ya don’t get any better than THIS, Bogie! *G*
We’re Boycotting Valentine’s Day
I know that sounds like heresy, but I no longer wish to celebrate non-religious holidays just because the candy shops and flower markets and restaurants want to make more money.
I love the idea of Valentine’s Day. What woman wouldn’t want her husband or boyfriend to give her gifts and tell her how much she’s loved? I love the idea of getting dressed up for a special date with someone I love. I love the romance of the day. But, the cost has taken the joy out of it, at least for me.
I’m incensed that a dozen roses are more than double what they cost the rest of the year. Even mixed bouquets of flowers are more expensive. You have to make reservations six weeks ahead for your favorite restaurant, and then you’re likely to have shoddy service because the waiters see you as a captive audience, or they are so overwhelmed with the number of diners they have to care for they can’t do their job well.
It just doesn’t sound like fun to me. I’d rather Dear Husband asked me out on a day when just the two of us could celebrate. I’d rather have flowers when it’s unexpected, not when it’s a duty. I want to be told I’m loved throughout the year, not just on the day when it’s said because it’s the custom.
I’m a romantic. I just want the romance to be on my terms. I want loads of romance in my life, not just one day. And I want that romance to be spontaneous.
Yesterday, I saw a quote that I should have written down. Probably one of my readers will be able to help me with this. It had to do with the idea that we will be known by the little things we do, not by great achievements. I’d rather share a little bit of love every day, than go all out for just one day. Forget the chocolates, the jewelry, the flowers, the sumptuous dinner, the dress up clothes, and the cards……and just love me.
It’s Quite Clear
…that the deer found the seed and corn that I put out yesterday. You can see the tracks through the snow where several of them came into the yard from the north, and then circled around to the back door. They didn’t eat everything. There was a little left for our early morning visitors.
I have an older feeder that has four vertical posts, wrapped with a length of close-weave hardware cloth. I filled that for the birds this morning. The cardinals were just coming to check out the seed when I left the kitchen to work. We’ve had several hawks hunting though our grove. When the trees are suddenly bare of birds, we know to look for the hawks. Yesterday there was a VERY large hawk sitting on a branch close to the ground. The only part of him that moved was his head, as he watched for prey.
I have more ear corn to share with the wildlife. I’ll have to toss it to an area that doesn’t have the big drifts, or it will be there until spring. The walkways of the herb garden were filled with snow yesterday. If it weren’t for the wind currents creating drifts, you might not know the raised garden was there.
The temperature has dropped. In return for a beautiful sunny day, we have frigid temperatures. Right now it’s 8 degrees F. and it’s only supposed to get to 12. I’d be surprised if it warms up more than 2 more degrees today. My area of the Chicago suburbs has been cooler than the rest.
I’m thankful for small things. We didn’t get a foot of snow. I don’t think the faucets have frozen. It’s sunny outside, and no matter what the weather, I get to go OUT tomorrow. I think cabin fever is already setting in! *G*
Hunkering Down
A major snowstorm is headed our way. It’s supposed to move in this evening and drop up to a foot of snow on parts of the Chicago area. We’re hoping that we will end up in the six inches or less part of the storm. Of course, the snow plow on Dear Husband’s truck is still not repaired, so we’ll be up to our ears in snow. That’s the one bad thing about having a driveway that is more than 200 feet long.
We’ve been craving comfort food lately. I was planning to make a new soup featured in Rachel Ray’s magazine. It’s a tomato based soup with crab, leeks and corn. But, I ended up cooking what Rachel calls “Chicken a la Queen,” a version of Chicken a la King, with a LOT of veggies, and a lighter sauce. Both Dear Husband and Elegante Mother liked the meal, but they’d prefer that I thicken the sauce, and DH would like to leave out the tarragon and use more black pepper. I was very satisfied with dinner, but next time I’ll probably dice the chicken smaller than a one inch cube.
I plan to hole up in my office tomorrow and fly through a load of paperwork that needs to be done. I expect to stay in until Wednesday morning at the very least. I don’t have the appropriate clothing to be out in the cold for any length of time.
I’m in count down mode for our trip to Florida. There are a number of things that have to be done before I can go, so one of the things I’ll do tomorrow is to make a check list. I feel better when I can see in black and white that things have been accomplished. My-Sister-The-Nurse is on vacation at the moment. (She threatened us all…..told us NOT to get sick while she was away). When she returns, she’ll come to stay with Elegante Mother while we are in Florida. I want to be sure that there’s nothing extra for her to do while we are away. She’s planning to go out to dinner each night with EM so nobody has to cook OR clean up! Smart woman!
Spring must be just around the corner. I have this urge to buy new things for the house, and read nursery catalogs! Like clockwork…..that urge hits me every year. Janet was moaning about the need to clean out “STUFF” at her house, and I told her that we could sing a duet. I’ve GOT to clean a two by two square of the basement a day or it’s NEVER going to get done!
Remind me….I need to make arrangements for a rental car, and make a vet’s appointment for Ed.
Ed Went OUT!
Edward Scissorhands, the cat who runs this house, has been housebound by HIS choice for the past six weeks.
Ed’s been an “indoor-outdoor” cat all his life, and has seen no reason to change this routine now that he is at least 15 years old. It used to be that Defer, our dog, would bark when Ed wanted to come in, but with Defer gone, Ed has to hope that either EM, or my stepson or I, might be there to let him in when he returns.
When the weather turned so cold and blustery just after Christmas, we would open the door for the cat, and stand there while he tried to make up his mind if he could brave the cold. He’d shake his right front paw and retreat to a warmer spot.
He’s taken up residence on a Christmas tree skirt that partially covers a floor vent. The cat has warm air ruffling his fur half the day.
So, we were incredibly surprised to find him running down the front walk this morning, when the door was opened. We have at least five inches of snow, probably more, and it’s still VERY COLD out there, with a high of 16 today.
Ed made a half-circuit of the house. He checked to see that the birds were still using the feeder, and visited the herb garden to see just who was claiming it was THEIR territory, and then he ran for the back door.
I told him he was lucky he had a grandmother who would open the door for him on demand! *G*
Time outside……maybe five minutes!
Now all we’ll hear is “Let me OUUUUUUUUUWWWWWWWWT!”
Friday
I’m taking the day off! I very rarely take an entire day for my own interests, so this feels a little odd.
I rose a little later than usual. Rather than starting my Friday morning at the clothes washer, I jumped into the shower, and then went to exercise.
When I got home, I did a few quick chores. I fed the birds and put out corn for the critters. EM and I planted bulbs that have been waiting for attention, and I cleaned up the mess.
I decided to check my stash for the fabric for a quilt I want to make. I need 22 fabrics in blues and greens ranging from the lightest to the darkest. It’s possible that I have half of the fabrics in my stash, maybe a little more than half. The largest amount of fabric required is for the borders. The fabrics for the design need anywhere from one eighth of a yard to a yard and a quarter. There’s cotton fabric all over my bed!
The design I want to make looks rather like a puzzle. It’s incredibly easy to piece, but selection of fabric is crucial to making it a beautiful quilt. I’m looking forward to a pleasant morning at the quilt shop choosing fabrics to make this top work.
I’ve spent the rest of the early afternoon reading e-mail, and checking on my blogging friends. The sun is streaming in, keeping me warm, and making me think that a nap might be a good idea.
I wonder if I can persuade my family to go out for dinner! *G*
Wouldn’t a soak in the whirlpool, with a good book, and a glass of wine be a lovely way to end the day??
We did our part
Or, at least, Elegante Mother did!
I was startled to find that my Elegante Mother had her nails polished in navy blue and orange in honor of the Bears going to the Super Bowl. By the half, she’d given up hope and went to bed.
I’m very disappointed. I know I’ve talked about them “winning ugly” this year, but I thought they might have one last game in them, especially when they ran back for a touchdown on the very first play.
Yeah, I know the Colts were a pretty tough team to play, but I hoped we’d be champions once again.
As the Cubs say…..there’s always next year. Good luck, guys!