Voice of the Children 5K

I have a running blog, Lateliferunner, but since I print this blog each year, if there is anything I want to remember, I put it here. Two work friends and I ran a 5K this morning. Proceeds went to support a children's home in Haiti. The young man who organized it is the son of my favorite dental hygienist.

My friend, in green, and I took first place in our age groups. She is incredible. She just started with the couch to 5K app about a year ago and at age 62 can run a 5K in 30 minutes! I'm quite a bit slower than that. Because it was a small race, there weren't many in our age groups. Guess that is one good thing about getting older, you don't have a lot of competition when it comes to running.

 

A new hobby?

This was so much fun! I know, I know, I really don't need a new hobby, but it was a blast. Can't wait to do to again.

We live really close to the lake. I just may have to get one of these. They say I t is a great upper body and core exercise, although I am not sore at all today. The hubs said I could load it on his boat and go with him when he fishes. It is kind of like learning to roller skate. Balance is the big thing when standing. It is even easier if you get on your knees. It is a feeling of freedom gliding across the lake.

Thirties Swoon

Six down, three more to go.

....and my DIL sent me some pictures of Mamaw's little wiggle worm....

...the hair bow cracks me up.

 

Restoring wood deck

I am so thankful for a hubby who wants to take care of things. He can't power wash and stain the wood deck himself any longer due to his weak legs, but he hired the young, strong teenager who lives next door. The young man did a great job.

The second picture shows the truest color - the color of clean! It looks great. Hopefully it will dry out enough today to roll on the stain.

 

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!  Thank you to those who gave their all for our freedoms.

Jesse was feeling rather memorial, and chose the patriotic quilt for his nap while I sewed all afternoon.

He didn't even mind my DIY air conditioner sitting on the bed softly humming.  I elevated the bottom and put several smaller frozen water bottles inside. It made a difference. The air was cooler.

I worked most of the afternoon on my Swoon quilt.  The one, I had as a 2014 goal finish, but forgot about until I found my goals the other day.  I am making great progress.

There are a lot of leftover triangles from the flying geese units.  I want to use them somewhere, maybe a border on the top and bottom.  Or maybe make a few throw pillows to go on the bed with the quilt.

This is how the border would look.  Hummm.....just not sure if that is what I want to do.

DIY Air Conditioner

I saw this on a YouTube video and just had to try it. My sewing room upstairs gets pretty hot in the summer time, unless we keep the AC on "ice" downstairs. You use 1 1/2" ID PVC pipe pieces, a five gallon bucket with lid, either a form styrofoam bucket liner (I couldn't find one), or other insulation, a small desk type fan, and frozen water in a gallon milk jug.

Use a 2 1/4" circular drill bit to cut the holes (easy).

 

Then I used the rolled foam to put a few layers inside. I think I did three, then another three layers above that. Taped them together to hold them in place with duct tape. I also put 5-6 layers in the bottom. I cut the insulation around the holes and then sealed up around the holes with the duct tape. (easy)

You cut a hole in the lid of the bucket to fit the fan. This was difficult. I used a utility knife but it took some time and was hard to do. Drop in your gallon of frozen water and wallah!

 

It said "make a $454 air conditioner for $15"....well, not exactly. The air blowing out isn't as cold as an air-conditioner but it is cool. My cost for everything was $34 tax included. It was about $5 for the bucket and lid, $2 for the PVC, $10 for the fan, $9 for the circular bit, and $6 for the foam insulation. My friend thought a styrofoam minnow bucket might work too in place of the styrofoam bucket liner and may be easier to find, especially this time of year. I turned it on last night around 9, and ran it until about 2-3 am. When I turned it on this morning around 8:30, I noticed the air was still cool. The ice had hardly melted, so I think my insulation may have worked better than the styrofoam bucket liner.

So, there you have it! I do plan to use it upstairs or for the hubby in his boat garage in the summer.

Update: I've had it on upstairs for a few hours. It really isn't cooling very much. It might help in a very small room, maybe 10x10 or smaller. I can tell it won't be of much help in the hubby's garage.

Well, I've been thinking about this....I've got a few ideas to improve it. Stay tuned...

 

Lists

I admit it. I am an obsessive list maker. But the truth is I love making lists, and I love marking things off my list. I've even been known to put things on my list just so I can mark them off. Evidently I am not alone....there are ...at least three of my coworkers the same way.

I've started my list for my staycation in June. I get so excited thinking of ten days off from work and all the things I will get to accomplish. No major projects planned this year but hopefully a lot of sewing, cleaning, and organizing. Oh yeah, and I plan to make my own DIY air conditioner. Hint: a five gallon bucket, PVC, small electric fan. Google it. Can't wait to try it. My sewing room is upstairs where the summer heat rises.

I also made up my next half marathon training plan. I used Jeff Galloway's run/walk method but stretched it out from now till November. I hope to do one half marathon at the first of November and another at the end of November. Hopefully I can progress so slow and easy the knee won't give me any trouble.

Lists keep me on track and help me to accomplish my goals. Are any of you list makers?

 

Swoon quilt

Two blocks finished, seven more to go. Nine of these 24" blocks with some sashing will make an 80" x 80" quilt. I'm finally jumping on the swoon bandwagon, just a couple of years late. If you want to see more, go to google images and type in "swoon quilts." Pattern is by Camille Roskelley.

 

Strawberry time

It is that time of year again. Time to make some strawberry jam!

 

Swoon

One of my 2014 goals was to finish my swoon quilt. I cut it out months ago. Finding my goals list today motivated me to do a little sewing on it. There are nine huge blocks. I decided to make mine up in some thirties fat quarters I've collected over the years. I've still got a bit to go before this one block is done.

Tonight I also made four more of the blocks for our church project. These are so fun and easy.

Lots of ways to put these together.

 

 

Goals

At the first of the year I like to think about and write down my goals. I did that this year. The simple process of writing down your goals increases your chances of reaching them. I found my 2014 goals this morning.

I've completed a few, on track for some, forgotten about some, and blown some. However, just seeing the list is motivational for me. So, I am going to try to set a few goals for the weekend --- finish a book club book, sew on a quilt I cut out ages ago, do a little research on making a wooden quilt block for my porch.

...but in my task oriented life, I need to remember what I read this morning in Jesus Calling,

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

—Proverbs 19:21

 

Happy Mother's Day

Hope all of you mothers out there had a great day. I had my mom over for dinner after church. Then got busy on the little baby quilt.

Quilted with Ebb and Flow pantograph. Even got in a three mile run today! Yay! Very, very slow with 3/1 intervals, but that is the most I've been able to do since I hurt my knee.

.....and got a text, call, and video of my baby girl, sent by my son, for Mother's Day! I am one happy momma/mamaw.

 

Saturday sewing

Just like old times......spent about all day up in my sewing room. As one friend said, I think I've got my quilting mojo back. Thanks for you quilters who gave me permission to stop on the mega project. After I decided it was ok not to finish that one right now, I did get some excitement for quilting again.

Made all four of my blocks for the church project. Even asked for another piece of floral to make four more. And I whipped up one of those simple baby star quilts. The backing and batting are ready for the quilting machine, and I've already made the binding. I love that everything for this one came out of my stash. It will go to a baby boy as a gift.

The print is little fish, and the light teal has bubbles. I am going to use the green for the backing and binding. The background looks white in this picture but it is actually a light gray.

 

Back in the groove? Maybe.....

Last night we babysat a six year old boy and a seven year old girl for some friends. I may have introduced a little girl to the art of quilting! She made her first quilt top. She picked out the scraps, determined how to put them together, and I showed her how to cut, press, and sew the pieces. I thought she did so good! We had a great time. I look forward to the day when I can do the same with my Emma.

She also helped me pick coordinating fabric for the blocks we are making for our next church quilting group project. Having this little enthusiastic girl around helped me to realize the joy I get from quilting. Maybe I am getting back in the groove! Yay!

For our church project we handed out the floral fabric and everyone is supposed to make as many blocks as they want with coordinating fabric and some white background. These go together so fast! We will put them all together, make it a quilt, and put it in the annual church auction to benefit the youth mission trips.

By the way, the hubby and the little six year old boy "fished a tournament" out of the boat while it was sitting in the boat garage. He came in and told me they won the tournament and even won "big fish" and $80. Kids...gotta love 'em!

 

My version of "bulletproof" blended coffee

Ever heard about this stuff? I am a big snacker and could easily eat my weight in sweets. I have to get up so early for work, at 4:30, so normally even after eating breakfast I am starved by about 9 am. Thought I'd try this.

To your normal cup of coffee, add one tablespoon of organic butter, one teaspoon of coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon, a bit of vanilla, some honey, and I still do just a tiny bit of my normal vanilla creamer. Mix with a battery frother and yummy!! Keeps me satisfied for almost six hours! If I pair it with a piece of cheese toast, like yesterday morning, I went seven hours before I felt hungry. Supposedly it jump starts your metabolism for the day.

The butter and coconut oil are supposed to be the good fats we need. They take longer to digest so you don't feel hungry so soon. I am going to try to work up to a tablespoon of coconut oil. If your system isn't used to that much fat you need to slowly work up to it. So far so good with me.

You can do this in a blender or magic bullet but if the coffee is hot, it will spew and make a mess. The frother can be purchased at IKEA in the check out asle for $1.99 I've read, but since there isn't one around here I found it on amazon for $6.83. It is a cheap little device but works great!

 

Is it burn-out?

I wonder if any other quilters have felt this way. I am afraid that I am experiencing quilting burnout. You see since April 2007, when I first started quilting, I've made 139 quilts. That is a lot. That is passion. Of those, I've given away 96, then I chuckle when trying to figure out where the other 43 are?? I don't have that many on my beds. I suppose a lot of those are the smaller wall hanging, table cover quilts.

Anyway....I am having trouble working on my latest.

I love the pattern, the scrappiness of it, the fact that I am using fabric scraps I have, but still.....I am finding it hard to work on it. This is the first time since 2007 that I haven't made at least one quilt a month. Here it is May and I have only one finish this year.

Have any of you quilters out there experienced quilting burnout? There are so many beautiful ones yet to be made. I wonder if my trouble is I can't see the finish line for my current project. I've learned my driver is to finish something....I figured this quilt, to be a nice queen size, needs over 200 blocks...I've made 32. The end is not in sight. Each block takes a while to make.

I'm looking for advice here......should I start something new that I know I can finish fairly quickly? I do have the fabric and pattern for a twin size, large block quilt for Emma. Maybe I should start it

I've spent a lot of time with my running passion the last few months, but right now I've cooled it a bit trying to get my knee to heal. Maybe now is the time to start something new and exciting......but UFOs drive me crazy, I hate to leave this one. I am a finisher.

Advice, anyone?

 

Spring day

Love, love, love days like today. So beautiful outside, hubby gone fishing, so I got to sleep late and do "my thing" today. Funny, my thing is normally cleaning, cooking, and organizing. It's what I love. Today I made some homemade reuse able fabric softener cloths, some homemade stain cleaner, hung my pillows out to air in the sun, swept the pollen off the porch, did some general house cleaning, did a little cooking, and walked four miles with my walking buddy. Such a great day! Honestly, this is my favorite kind of day.

Everything is so green, I don't even mind the pollen....