Bulletin! Bulletin!

I went to the market tonight!! $156 and I didn't buy anything that wasn't food or cleaning stuff! Not a magazine, nothing!

I was going to dive in and start cleaning tonight, but I think I'll wait until the morning. It's not going anywhere! Besides, I'd rather be quilting!

What a long four-day week. But we did have birthday cake for the VP today. I just ate a teeny piece because I figured all the guys wanted seconds. They did! LOL

I don't have a picture tonight of anything worthy of blogging. Tomorrow I'll post at least one Patchwork Party block because that's what I'm going to start on right now!!

The Week

I have absolutely nothing to blog about since last weekend except about my brother.

He's had a second surgery to correct his back problem. He was in an accident four years ago and has really been suffering ever since. A month before his house burned he had the first surgery where they fixed two discs, but it didn't seem to help much. So on Tuesday he underwent a second surgery where rods and screws were inserted. He called me yesterday morning and said he felt wonderful! I asked him if it was the morphine talking!! LOL He's so excited because he can feel his toes for the first time in four years!

Don and Gail have been through so much in the past four years. It all started with that bad accident. Then the house burning down from a lightning; Gail's mother dying; almost losing Don this year with the intestinal bleeding; another accident two months ago where Gail had a broken arm; and now this surgery for Don.

These two people are just the sweetest and loving, most devoted couple I know. I've never prayed so hard or worried so much as I have over them! They both laughed when I told them I was going to wrap them in bubble wrap the next time I saw them because I've used up my worry quota!

This weekend I plan to clean house and sew. Doesn't that sound boring? Hopefully I'll start the Patchwork Party blocks. If I can get half of them done this weekend, then I can devote another weekend soon to getting them finished. That's my plan anyway! And maybe another pumpkin block or two can get prepped. Oh, and I'm going to start Judy's string quilt. I'm way behind on my timeline for that one!

Kimberly at http://www.fatquartershop.blogspot.com/ is having a fun game and giveaway! If you haven't already done so, hop on over there and join in the fun! I never win anything, so your entry stands a very good chance!! LOL

Gratitudes:

~ My brother is doing well!
~ Weather report - the heat let up a bit yesterday; it was 87 at lunchtime!
~ A certain sense of peace that I haven't felt in quite a while.
~ As ever, my Daisy dog!

Buttons

When I was finishing up the gingerbread men blocks this weekend, I suddenly realized I had no buttons for the blasted things. And I sure didn't want to go out in the heat (had to throw in some weather here!) just to get buttons.

I put them aside for a moment, and then the lightbulb came on. I remembered I had gotten buttons a couple of years ago at a quilt shop near Jane's house. But where were they? I looked in a drawer of my sewing table first because that's where I would put them now. And there they were! Amazing! LOL

These aren't the prettiest or the best buttons in the world. But for $3.99 a bag, with probably over 100 in each bag, they'll do just fine! I saw them in a couple of booths at Road to California quilt show last January, too. There are all sizes and shapes in each bag. Perfect!

Just goes to show if you hang onto quilty things long enough, you'll finally find a use for them! At least that's what I'm hoping for that drawful of rulers that are still in the packages!

I Couldn't Stop!

Went ahead and finished up the other two sections of Thimbleberries Hometown Christmas to finish the first book. NOW I can clean my sewing area! LOL

Hometown Christmas Section 1

Yesterday when I was done with the gingerbread men, I decided to go ahead and do some cutting on Hometown Christmas. But once I have things cut, it's hard not to sew on them. Miss Bernina was real excited because I turned her on! But she let me know she was tired when she used up all the bobbin thread! All of my bobbins were empty! LOL. Time to head to bed.

There is a list of Hometown Christmas folks in Kim's sidebar. Has anyone else started?

http://kimsbigquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/

So I'm done with my commitment until September 15th! For once I didn't procrastinate. Amazing!

I really enjoyed myself yesterday. I sewed on whatever suited my fancy! Both Christmas things! I had no TV on, no radio. All quiet on the homefront, except for Daisy's snoring. It gave me a chance to ponder things a bit and reflect on the last year.

Last year this time I was worried sick about Don and Gail, and was scheduling my trip home to see them. Their house had burned in August and they had removed debris and started the rebuild.

Last year this time I was really stressed, not only with their sadness, but with work stuff.

Last year this time I was coming off of fabric depression month. I was good for a long time after that, but, boy, have I fallen off the wagon again. Maybe I need to check into one of those celebrity rehab centers to cure my addiction! Oh, wait, those don't work! LOL

Last year this time I was really wanting to get back into my applique. It took a while for me to do that, but I'm glad I did.

Last year this time my house was clean and now it's messy. I've decided I can't sew and be neat at the same time!

Last year this time it wasn't quite so hot.

Last year this time I was fretting over the giterdun fabric. A year later I'm fretting over the borders. Guess not much headway made there. :(

Last year this time I was happy. Now I'm happier.

Got them dressed!

I see a crooked button, but it's going to stay that way! LOL. I don't think it will take as long to do the rest of the wallhanging as it took to do these three little guys!

This is from the Possibilities book, "More Joy to the World." I'll finish it up another time. I'm tired of it now! LOL

Errand day!

Dip & clip at 8:00. Check!

Oil and filter change at 10:00. Check!

Car wash .........X X X X X X. Tomorrow.

Market ........ X X X X X X. Maybe after dark.

It was 94 at 7:45 this morning on the way to the hair salon. It was 100 on the way home a bit ago. High today in my town is predicted to be 106. Enough errands for one day!

I chuckled again that I have the weather so much in my blogs. It reminded me of all Dad's letters when I went off to college. Every single letter talked about the weather! And call my brother and we have a weather discussion right off the bat. It must be in our genes and chromosomes!

I figured out my confusion on the borders for the gingerbread men wallhanging last night, and appliqued one of the three men down. I was really engrossed in a Diana special and was just stitching away. This morning the first thing I thought of when I woke up was that I had forgotten to put the rickrack on the blasted thing. So I'll be unstitching part of it today and adding the r'rack. Sheesh!

Now to change into something more comfortable - and then try to round up this quilty stuff into my sewing room and stash room. I wonder if I could rent the condo next door, too. Hmmm...