Monday, October 19, 2009

Sweat and Pillowcases







Just in case you are thinking that this is going to be an adult rated post, I assure that is rated for the entire family.




As Halloween approaches, I can just feel my little step-grands winding up for the candy grabathon. J is nine and A is 3+. They are about as excitable a pair of little boys as you have ever met and just as cute. (No prejudice here). Since we are in Virginia and they are in Indiana, we rarely see them. I'm not really sure that they understand that I am married to their grandfather and how that all works. Anyway, I took on the project of sending them pillowcases for the major holidays. I figure that if they associate my name with something fun, that we will have some kind of positive relationship eventually. I had intended to get all the holidays covered in one year, but some of them slipped past me. The road to hell is filled with unmade pillowcases, apparently.




Unlike the 4th of July (the flag and fireworks fabric is still lounging in my sewing room) the Halloween fabric is now real pillowcases that are ready for the post office today and just in time to help with the wind-em-up for the sugar overdose on the 31st.




The sweat part of this post is completely unrelated to the pillowcases except that it happened this weekend, too.


For the first 56 years of my life, I believed that I would only sweat if the air conditioning went on the fritz. I can truly say that I have not had the pleasure of having water run out of my hair except in the shower. I have never been exactly what you might describe as an athlete. I was the kid who was picked last for the kickball team and would not have been picked at all if the other girls had a choice.


I started feeling really stiff and having lots of pain in my joints. I thought I might have some sort of arthritis or some other old people disease, but I just wasn't content to let it get any worse.


I read in the local recreation center publication that they were having a boot camp type exercise program outdoors in our new City Center. Sounded interesting, right? NO?? I signed up in April and put on my tennies.


Anyway, I figured I would either get in shape or go out in a flame. The flame looked really promising for the first ten weeks. Than I started actually getting better at the exercises and could run more than a half a block.


Never one for half measures, I entered a 5k run sponsored by the local shipyard for employees and family members this weekend. My daughter (the employee) and her husband also ran. It felt so good to be there with them.


Oh yeah, I am still not an athlete, but I finished the run with a time of 31 minutes 10 seconds. Not bad for an old gal. This gives me (limited) bragging rights. Everyone who finished recieved a medal, and here is mine!


If anyone is reading this and knows how to get those blasted pictures to go anywhere but at the top of the post, would you PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!! Thank you.


Monday, October 12, 2009

Plethora of Pumpkins--- That's a lot




I was temporarily sidetracked from my pumpkin blocks by the shower for my friend's daughter yesterday. It was a lot of fun and the house is cleaner than it has been in a long, long time. I wish I had taken pictures, but I was too busy cooking and making sure everyone had a good time.


So last night I finished the 40 pumpkin blocks. I even squared them up. I can't wait to put them together in a quilt top.


Here's a sneak peak.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Me Time........Finally



What with working with my husband (pays the bills), and doing the longarm quilting for the quilt shop (pays for my habits) and working in the bead shop (only rarely, but it is so much fun), there isn't much time for me to do the things I really love. Namely quilting and making jewelry.




So in the last few days, I caught up on the longarm business, put away the beads and got to work on a fall quilt. My friend, the very talented Isobel, designed a pattern for a pumpkin quilt block for the monthly lock-in that she so graciously organizes. She meant it for the monthly drawing, but it is so cute that I found myself cutting up every orange and black scrap in the house. Now please understand that I am a "serious" quilter. I use mostly reproduction fabrics and traditional patterns. For me to be swept away by a seasonal pattern really says something for the block.




So far, I have cut and partially assembled 40 blocks. 36 for me and 4 for the drawing. Yeah, I got carried away. Feels so good.