Spreading Cheer

I painted a few rocks this weekend.  I get bored when I don't have a project.  Haven't decided on my next scrap quilt yet, so took some time for a few rocks.  The bee with water droplets is my favorite.  No surprise there. I am keeping him for a while. I was so bored today, that we decided to go for a drive and hide a few rocks.

 I hid the tent at a local lakeside campground, Angler's Cove.

 I didn't hide the heart yet, but will do so before the 4th of July.

 Hid the masked nurse at an outdoor garden area on the grounds of the hospital in Midtown.  I hope a nurse finds it.

 Hid the friend rock at one of the pavilions on our lakeside walking trail.

And I hid the eye at the most appropriate place, The Eye Center of Midown.

Painting is almost as fun as quilting.

Third Scrap Quilt

Since I've got Quarantine, and Quarantine 2, I think I'll call this one Pandemic.  It is made from a 6" log cabin block I found in my EQ software. I printed it out to foundation piece but decided I didn't really need to, so I just measured each strip for cutting.  All the pieces except the 2" center (1 1/2" finished) are cut 1 1/4" for a 3/4" finish.

Oh, how I love a scrappy quilt...

I picked this backing from Keepsake Quilting.  I just loved all the colors and, at least on the computer screen ,they look like all the colors in the scraps.

 I decided to add a 5" white border all around to make it about 82" square.  I hope the backing comes soon. I am excited to quilt and finish this one.

I have a new obsession...I know it is trendy, but it is also so good.  Mashed avocado on sourdough toast with salt and pepper.  This and coffee has been my breakfast of choice for about 7 days now.

 I've found that Wandering Jew is so easy to propagate.  You make these little 'greenhouses' and let it sit for a week or so.  If you feel resistance when you pull on the plant it is ready to go in a bigger pot. I think they are good for outdoors shade and as a house plant.

 Hid one of my rocks the other day.  That is always fun, but so far out of about 10 I've hid, no one has posted them on facebook as found. I'll keep hiding, and looking though.

 This is one of my absolute favorite things about our home.  This window.  The glass opens outward with a hand crank. The ledge is barely wide enough for my violets and sourdough starter to get a little fresh air. I was thinking today, I wished I'd had the forethought to have the trim guy build the ledge just a little wider. But I'm not complaining. It is lovely having a window in my kitchen.

May 17th - 35 years ago

Today my son turns 35 years old.  I can't believe it. Really.  I remember the day/night so vividly. Living in the little dumpy apartment on the outskirts of the little town of Decatur.  I woke up on the 16th with a slight pain in my back.  My doctor's appointment was later that afternoon.  Was I in labor?  I had no idea.  My husband decided not to go to work that day.  I think originally I was to drive myself to the Knoxville appointment.  We were excited and not really scared.  We got ready and decided to head to Knoxville even though we were hours too early.  We stopped at his aunt and uncle's house for a little visit. Once we told them we thought I was in labor, they hurried us out.  Then we stopped at my mom and dad's house.  Again, "You are in labor! Head to the hospital."  I skipped breakfast thinking I was in labor, but by the time we made it to Knoxville I was starving and asked my husband to stop at McDonald's for some fries and an orange soda.  Maybe I really wasn't in labor.  Well, I was. At my 2 o'clock appointment I had dilated to 2 cm and was sent on over to the hospital.  I later regretted those fries and orange drink.

The little fella had a hard time coming in to this world. I didn't experience much pain at all but was offered an epidural when I was dilated to 4 or 5 cm. I took it. Around 9 pm I was ready to push, but he was facing sideways and wouldn't budge.  They tried forceps, a suction cup on his head, and finally around 1 am, on May 17th, decided to do a C-section. He was here! 7 lb 8 oz, 20" long. The baby I loved and tried to have for several years. I was 26 years old but think I looked much younger. I had braces at the time.

This baby, this child, was the absolute love of my life.  Our lives have taken some turns and twists, filled with happy days, carefree times, friends, loved ones, but also sad times, disappointments, and heartaches.  But isn't life like that for everyone? I will probably always ask myself, did I do a good job raising him?  Was I a good mother?  He has gone on to do some incredible things.  He is a doctor, a PhD, specializing in New Testament manuscripts. I am so proud of him.  It hasn't been easy. I am just so very thankful God let me be his mother. And he has blessed me with a wonderful daughter-in-law and two grandchildren I love every bit as much as I loved him when he was their ages. God is so good and can make good out of everything, even our mistakes.

Ok, enough of the reminiscing, but it does feel good to do that every so often, agree?

I've started my third scrap quilt.  Quarantine, my first one, will be published in the Jan/Feb 2021 issues of Quiltmaker - yay-hoo!!  The second, Quarantine 2, I've hung in my sewing room.

Um, don't think the room is always that neat.  I just try to do a good cleanup after I finish a project.  And now, I've started a 6" block log cabin.  Not paper pieced, but still some tiny pieces.

Trying not to obsess about finishing this one, just trying to take my time and enjoy other things besides just sewing.  I'm still running and did a 3 miler this morning before church.  I did a long run on Thursday and hadn't run since, so I needed it.  It was hard to make myself go, but wow, I felt so very good afterwards.  Enjoyed a wonderful church service. Social distancing - no hugging, handshakes, and sitting in every other pew, but it was so good to be back in church.  I have also restarted my wild yeast sourdough.  I wasn't that pleased with the taste so I stopped for a while and put some in the freezer.  Took it out a few days ago and started feeding.  Wanted to try the parker house rolls today.  Haven't tasted them yet, but they smell divine.

I definitely should have made them smaller.  Live and learn.

My son and his family are planning on coming back to the US in August.  We can't wait.  I've ordered car seats for the kids.  Without cars there they haven't needed them.

May seem silly but I 'tried them out' in my car.  My granddaughter and her momma have been propagating plants and little Emma was sad about leaving her Wandering Jew plant.  I found one, and have pulled off some small pieces of it to try to make her a couple of plants just for her.

 Also was able to get some herbs planted -- basil, chives, parsley, to go with my rosemary from last year.

Life is good.  I am blessed.  I am thankful for these days.  I'm also thankful I have a past that I can visit from time to time, to enjoy the memories.

Finished

Received the backing and decided to do a feathery pantograph called Plummage by Willow Leaf Studio for the quilting. So happy with how it turned out, I decided to hang it in my sewing room for a while before I put it on a bed.

New projects

I'm having to think of some new projects to fill the time.  I don't have the backing yet to start quilting on the big quilt, so I've been doing a few other things around the house today.  I did hang a curtain rod and a panel today in our dining room.  It kills me they only sell the panels singly, not a pair.  I only ordered one thinking I was getting a pair.

Painted a couple of eyes...

 And did something I've been wanting to do for a while -- tried to make macarons.  I thought they were awesome even if only one turned out like what they are supposed to look like.  The hubby didn't like them. I couldn't believe it!

Also, did a little thing to our screened porch.  Finally hung my quilted "window." We enjoy this porch so much.  The other end has a swing my daddy built me 27 years ago.

The hubby went fishing yesterday and brought me these locust blossoms.  They smell heavenly. He found them along the riverbank.

Still waiting on the backing for this big quilt.  I got a woven look light green, a summery green color. I've pretty much decided to do an overall pantograph, probably something feathery.

I've done quite a bit of reading via audible/overdrive for audible books since the quarantine.

• The Lake House by Kate Morton - really liked it, suspense, mystery, set in England
• In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick - liked it too, documentary type book about the Essex whaling ship disaster
• Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn - first of hers at the recommendation of a friend. Did not like it.  Just too light, unrealistic to me
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tart - can't say I really liked it but I kept with it and it is long!  A lot of insight to a drug addict, a lot of emotional insights.....nah, would not recommend it although it won a Pulitzer Prize - really?

I have a subscription to Audible but only get the only 'free' book a month.  Usually try to get long books to get my money's worth. I also read via the Overdrive app through my local library.  Lots of books to choose from, can put a hold on those you want to read if they are unavailable, and all are free.

Getting close to the finish line

I worked most of the day on the quilt.  Decided to make it about 81" square.  Thirteen big blocks.  I'm tired tonight.  Still need to order some backing.  The plan is to get the corners on tomorrow and then set it aside until I get backing.  I don't think I'll do anything fancy on the quilting.  I fear it will be a little difficult to quilt with all the seams.  May do a simple pantograph all over, something wide and forgiving.

 Easily the most complex thing I've ever made.