what a week

Started out Sunday with the first of the California storms. Monday morning was my presentation for work...it was going OK...didn't think I was too nervous until my mouth was dry and it sounded like I was slurring my words. I think my body was betraying me! Came home and took the dogs for a walk during a brief lull in the rain and came back to find DH waiting patiently for me to take him to my place of employment...the ER. Poor guy tripped on a cord and was afraid he had broken his shoulder. He did :-(
So for several weeks, he is stuck with a sling and shoulder immobilizer till it heals. Fortunately, it is not likely to need a surgical fix. He is doing pretty well and knows from lots of experience how to treat his nurse, cook, chauffeur, and you name the skill...

Then sometime Tuesday, I think?, most of the town lost power and cable (read TV and internet!) Bummer...although, remember this? At least we had heat and lights and a refrigerator that kept food from spoiling. We were so glad that we finally got that job completed. The cable and town power wasn't restored till Thursday and then had a few more hitches Friday but we have been back online without further troubles so far.

Once I recover from this weekends shifts, I'll see if there is hope for any quilting but bigger priorities seem to be prevailing at the moment. Things could be much worse so I am just feeling grateful for the supports already in place...like a back up generator and NO trees falling on my mom's house or ours.
Take care y'all. I hope to have quilt progress pics to show again soon.

something fun I learned

I always crack up at what they call 'strikeouts' when I read them in others blogs. It is when you write a word then 'cross it out' in a fashion that still shows it for reading. Like I am enraged mildly irritated.
My DH helped me learn how to do it the other day when I asked. It was a treat to myself for learning PowerPoint :-) Now I just hope I can come up with another example to use.
He said it was my first use of HTML...hypertext markup language.
Like: I have my sewing room messily creatively arranged.

If anyone else is interested... I don't seem to be able to type the explanation...it keeps just crossing out the words! But I learned by googling the word strikeout and another person's blog came up with the explanation.

still waiting for the time to sew

The tiny baby quilt is being sent off today but not a single stitch or rotary cut has followed that finish. Instead I am learning PowerPoint and putting together a presentation on Strokes for next week's Base Station meeting...not all bad as there are handsome firemen and medics attending :-)

The funny thing though is that when I was in grad school, IBM Selectric was the big deal. PowerPoint and the Internet is quite a different playing field! Fortunately, I don't have to re-invent the wheel here and can use the wonderful information from the American Heart Association and some other stroke sites.

On a happier note...no strokes here...my mom celebrated her 88th birthday in style. And her sweet adorable dog, Ruby is still very photo worthy.

Next week however...I'm sewing!

some computer learning and blocks

New baby scheduled for a friend next month and I'm using up leftover blocks from the last baby quilt to make one for her. In trying to balance out the dark and the similar, I use my camera as a 'design wall'. In the camera software(on the computer) I finally figured out how to put the pictures side by side to compare and see which order I liked best. I think I'm going with the one on the left.

Next I want to learn how to attach the 'button' for Bunny Tales new block of the month. I've got the picture but want it to be a live button so readers can check out her site. Any hints?

And for work...I'm hoping to learn PowerPoint for a presentation I need to do soon. Busy year of learning already!

well, wahoo! I just figured out that 'button' thing. Check out Bunny Tales

December

Still a bit 'out of whack' here with quilting and blogging...but have hopes for better focus in the new year. Here are a few pics of crafty/sewing things I managed to sneak in during the past month. First is some fabric stuffed candy canes that I will stiffen and antique for completion...as soon as I finish stuffing the other ones. This idea is from Carrie and Rosie at Miss Rosie's Quilt Co


The next photo will hopefully not make you seasick looking at the awkward angle but it is simply a table cloth quilt with Debbie Mumm's Noah Noel fabric. I can't even remember how long ago that I bought it but it made me feel happy to pull out something that I could quilt quickly to count as finished. It is a good thing to go shopping in one's own cupboards!

And the last picture is of Mr Mosley sitting by the table topper I made from long ago purchased Woodland Santas...also by Debbie Mumm.

This season feels better to me than past as I got an early Christmas present from my boss telling me I can go to part time in the New Year. I am thrilled...more time to recover from those 14 hours days! More energy for family and fun things! I am blessed and grateful.

Following that good news the season got even better with a visit from my friend from the north who came and walked dogs in the rain with me, baked cookies, read by the fire and even stitched some (her first quilty project!). It was an absolutely wonderful visit. Thank you Tonya!

Thank you all as well for checking in on my blogging start this year. It is kind of fun seeing my projects and notes posted 'on the screen'. I have really enjoyed seeing so many ideas and wonderful thoughts shared by other quilters through the blogging world. I pray that you all know God's Peace and Joy this season and on into the new year.

back to plan A

My plans for the baby quilt to have scalloped edges fell by the wayside when I realized that I didn't have enough backing to cover a bigger quilt. There has been so little time to sew that I just wasn't willing to put it off long enough to travel to shop for more fabric...I just wanted to quilt it. So after re-timing my longarm to get the stitching back in order, I was happy to put some loops and hearts all over this little shabby chic (am I spelling that right?), romantic collection of red, white and pink fabrics.

So is finally on its way to sweet little Emelyn Kate.

almost back

As you can tell, it is over a month since I posted my whereabouts...it has been a focused and taxing time but I think it has been fruitful. I passed my 'lovely' CEN test almost 2 weeks ago, then worked too many days in a row and managed to earn a cold that I'm still trying to beat. Less whining from me about it this time because it wasn't the flu or something worse. And mostly just required drinking fluids, taking Motrin and reading some good books.
Absolutely no sewing has been happening here but will hopefully start soon.
I am participating in the Quilting the Psalms group. I am thinking I will use the Cherrywood fabrics leftover from the Women of the Bible quilt. My niece really liked that quilt so I'm thinking this Psalms quilt will be for her. I'll have to see how it turns out. She was pleased with the batik quilt..."Searching for Chili Pepper Red"... so I'm hoping she will like with this one.

I found a new author, Robert Whitlow and enjoyed reading Deeper Water and Higher Hope. There's a third book in the trilogy that I will need to order. He's a lawyer and writes from that background. Fast reads and good characters.

Now the real news is that the new baby arrived early October and she is adorable. Almost even more adorable though is her proud big brother. Emelyn Kate is one lucky girl to have Kian welcoming her into the family. This is the second grandchild for my brother, Ron. I tell ya...his kids are making him and his wife look so good! Alot of love passed on down in that family.