Beware, grand baby overload. Can't help myself. Love this child so much!
Playing with her daddy....this shows her true happy personality.
I love this last one.....her little "cross" look....Katie said it was freezing cold and she wasn't that keen on being out in the weather. Happy first birthday precious little one!
This little quilt is what we will be making in our next quilting class. I wanted to pick something very easy for a beginning quilt maker. Hopefully we will have a few newbies want to give it a try.
On today's schedule was my last long run before next week's 15k race. Eight miles. I tried to keep it very slow because slow = no injuries. I finished with a salty face! I kind of like that rough salty feel to my face after a really long run.
I received my retirement blocks today too! Yay! Oh, how I loved reading them and I have a very special project in mind for them. It will be an original design. Of course some blocks are so universal it is hard to be original, but I did design the layout and am excited about it.
Since I retired the end of December I so enjoy getting to visit and see my old friends and work buddies. I've had the chance to visit with many the last couple of days. I went to a double baby shower last night for two young couples. One of the young mothers and one of the young fathers both worked in my group. Great young people. Smart, talented, hard workers.
I was able to deliver the last two baby quilts I had made.
I also was able to deliver the remembrance quilt I made recently. She loved it.
We all had a great time.
Then today a bunch of us met to celebrate the retirement of a friend. This was such fun also. Most of the group are already retired. I think retirees especially like getting together!
I've been pretty sick. Now we think we've had the flu. Maybe a milder case of it since we did have our shots. The hubby is priding himself a bit on not being nearly as sick as I've been. My temp has been higher and for longer, and my congestion is worse. Yuck! I am so ready for this to be over. Got things to do!
Of course it helps to have a big warm kitty and a nice soft quilt to wrap up in.
The hubby was generous enough to give me his cold. So I am not feeling that great today. Didn't go to church.
...but I still have a lot of stuff on my to-do list for the week, so I decided to get one thing done today. Make a run of homemade laundry soap. I've read that people either love it or hate it. I have gotten to where I love it. I put lemon and orange essential oils in one gallon to use for whites and lights. I put lavender essential oil in the second gallon to use for colours. You just can't beat laundry detergent that only costs 40 cents a gallon.
The recipe I use is from the book Dining on a Dime Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper. If interested I'm sure the recipe is on the Internet.
On today's schedule was seven miles. So for my birthday present to me, I did seven long, slow miles at 5/1 intervals in the cold rain. Today I dedicate my run to those who can't, those who are battling injury, illness, or disability. Those include my mom, my pastor, and my husband. Love them all! Thankful I can. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
...and on the track....a little boring....
Busy day. The hubby woke up coughing, which was a good excuse for me to make a recipe I was wanting to try -- homemade cough drops...
Worked on the pantry today.
I think we have enough pasta, beans, and rice....
Seeing all the rice let me know I need to be cooking more of it. Seriously, I was thrilled that I only had one bag full of expired stuff. Organising will help me know what I need to use before it expires. I see that I need new labels. On a different topic, I found a recipe for homemade instant vanilla pudding. I thought that was neat. I've been using a tablespoon of instant pudding in my protein shakes to give them a little more flavour. Might have to try this.
I tried to put together a collage of my favorite quilts. They all wouldn't fit in one picture. Here are a few....
The most intricate are those I did as block of the month quilts. I should do another. It is a great way to make a fantastic quilt without the stress of hurrying to finish the project. The ones I've picked have stretched my skills too, which is something I need every so often.
Life happens. My 86 year old mom fell yesterday and broke her leg. She had surgery last night and has a long plate from her hip to her knee. She has been very, very unstable walking for quite a while now and I think this is her third break out of 4-5 falls in the last few years. Hip, ankle, now femur. The future is a little bleak but it is part of life for all of us if we live that long. She did really well with the surgery, better than with the others. Recovery will be hard. An assisted living facility or nursing home is probably in her future. She says she is fine with being on this side or the other.
After a hospital visit I came home to get busy. Working with my hands or running helps me deal with the stresses of life. I made a few more remembrance quilt blocks...
We love homemade chicken pot pie......I forgot to add a bit of fresh rosemary.....it was still yummy though.....
