My Blogging History

I started LA Quilter in the early part of 2006.  Reading back occasionally through those posts is like a walk down memory lane. 

There's been sadness and joy through this time, a small portion of which I've shared here.  I lost my sweet Daisy three years ago, my wonderful boss two years ago, and Penny came bouncing and yipping into my life.  I've been home to visit my brother and sister-in-law several times, taken a few other memorable trips, worried myself sick about a loved one going through an illness, and worked my fingers to the bone.  Sometimes I've been a prolific quilter, sometimes not.  In short, I've lived a normal life with the normal ups and downs that we all experience.

However, one of the total joys has been getting to know bloggers from around the world.  Okay, maybe I don't "know" you, but I feel like I do.  There's nothing better than to sit down at the computer to find an email from a blogger just checking in or wanting to share some exciting news!

I realized yesterday that one more post and I'll have accomplished 1111 blog posts!!  That's six plus years of blogging, an average of 185 blog posts a year!  And here you thought I had nothing to say!!

Well, you were wrong!  I do have something to say here, and I hope everyone who is reading this pays close attention!

This is my 1111th post and there's going to be a drawing!!!!!!!

And it's going to be a good one!  One blogger who leaves a comment will win a $100 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!  (Kathie, thanks.  I fixed the link!)

I was going to say your comment had to be about how wonderful it has been reading every single one of the 1111 posts, but then I figured that feeble attempt at humor would totally irritate those who do not enjoy reading my blog!  (Is it just me, or does anyone else find it humorous that even though someone may not enjoy reading a blog, they still read it?)

Anyway, those of you who happen to be followers, even when I don't post anything for weeks at a time, should leave a comment about what you will purchase from the Fat Quarter Shop if you win this drawing.  Maybe it's been something for which you've been searching, or maybe it's something that you just saw this week on the posts from Market now in progress!  How about a bolt of background or a solid that would work nicely with your stash?   Or how about a ton of new patterns?  Or a ton of fabric from the sale section?  Or a kit that you've been pining after?  There's an awful lot to choose from at the Fat Quarter Shop!!  The winner will have $100 to spend, and we want to know how you'd spend it!

The drawing will be held Friday, November 2nd, at whatever time I get home that night.  If I stop by to visit with Jane, it might be a little later, so be patient.

It'll be a totally random drawing!  Groveling is not necessary!   :)  :)  So head on over to the Fat Quarter Shop and start putting your lists together!  I'll leave the light on for you!!!

Lazy Days

That's what Penny thinks about our life lately!

I might ..... just might ..... be getting back a bit into the swing of things here.  I mean, I actually opened two boxes from the Fat Quarter Shop that were just languishing in the foyer.

I know, I know, more fabric in, more to move out.  I've hardly purchased anything for the past few months.  The requirement for a purchase now is (1) it's something for which I've been searching for a while or (2) it's for a quilt intended for someone in particular.  No more spec buying!   Both of these boxes met the criteria.

For the longest time I've been searching for a Civil War background with tiny red "things."  I found several but they just weren't right for one reason or another.  I've been carrying around several swatches in the hopes that I'd run across the perfect fabric. 

While meandering through the new fabrics at the Fat Quarter Shop one day at lunch, there it was!  This is from the Somerset Shirtings collection.  Since I didn't know quite how much I needed, although I thought it would be around ten yards for the front and back, I ordered a bolt.  Mark that one off my list!  I want to make a Civil War style Christmas quilt using a very old Judie Rothermel line.

Then I saw this .....

There's a special young lady in my life I've been thinking about a lot lately.  I thought this would be perfect for her.

I love the Flower Girl pattern by Thimble Blossoms.  I have been watching a lot of bloggers making this quilt, and, well, you know how that is!  Anyway, when the kit popped up at the Fat Quarter Shop, I went ahead and poked the button.  You know how that is!  This one is going to be fun to make!  At the time the backing fabric wasn't in yet.  I hope I remembered to order that.

Anyway, that's about it from my neck of the woods.  I went to a very nice dinner last night at the Raymond Alf Museum of Paleontology.  That was fun.  If any of you live in the area, you really should take your children there.  You'll like it, too!

There's a christening at noon to attend.  Must get a move on here.  So much for my lazy day! 

A Wasted Weekend

Well, it was wasted as far as technology goes at the Quilting Condo!

We had a loss of internet service in our area this weekend.  What a disappointment!  I had several things I needed to research, as well as some work to do. There's only so much I could do without a good connection to the internet.  Yes, I used the iPad as much as I could but I've decided it's really just for fun and not for doing serious projects........

Since I don't have a TV downstairs yet, I spend a lot of time upstairs doing a whole lot of nothing.  I piddled around doing a little organizing but my heart just wasn't in it. So I took a lot of naps.  Penny was happy when I curled up on the floor next to her.  We both fell asleep.  Of course, she didn't have a bit of a problem getting up, but for me, it was kind of funny trying to get up off the floor with a stiff back and tangled in a quilt. 

Internet is back up this morning, and I hope to get the TV connected tonight.  No, my cable provider won't come out.  I have to call them and they'll walk me through programming the remote.  That should prove to be interesting.  We'll see how that goes!

I'm Pooped!

Well, the kitchen is all put back together.  I threw away so much stuff.  The cabinets are still full but they're not stuffed like they were before.  Now on to the next stage of this renovation.  Don't know when that will be but I'd best start getting ready for it.

I bought a new TV for downstairs, and I'll call the service provider this week to come hook it up for me.  Don't tell me I can do that myself!  I can't!  I don't even want to think about doing it!  I did, though, manage to figure out how to hook up the new house phones.  :)

This week was so difficult.  It seems that everything went out at the office -- phones, voice mail, computer server, production software ...... I was glad to see the week end.  I just hope next week everything is back to normal.

Normal. 

I've missed that!

I Am SO Smart!

Really, I am.  I amaze myself sometimes!

I turned the TV on downstairs last week and no sound.  It's an older TV so I figured sooner or later I'd have to replace it.  Except I keep forgetting to pick up a new one.

So the other night I thought I'd watch "Jeopardy."  Forgot that it was broken as I kept trying to turn up the volume. 

But that didn't deter me.  I watched "Jeopardy" ..... with no sound. 

You know what?

I got every single answer right!!!

Finally!

They just finished installing my new appliances.  I'm so excited.  I'm "fixing" to start loading up the cabinets again.  I'm sure glad I waited because they had to remove a couple of cabinet doors, and were banging around so much that I'm sure something would have been broken.

I need to clean the fronts of the appliances.  There was some stainless steel cleaner that came with the units. I'm hoping water works okay because I know I'll forget to pick up that stuff when I go to the market.

Off to finish tackling laundry .... it has accumulated! 

Next weekend I should have a clear path to my sewing machine!  Hooray!!