So many things going through my mind at such a late hour.

Feeling terrible for feeling inconvenienced when so many have lost their lives.
Saddened that cities I love to visit and shop are in ruins.
Spared...this time.

We lost power around 5 Monday morning. This one was a little rougher than Dennis considering it hit so far to the west of us. Our power was restored. Life back to normal. It will be a very long time before our neighbors to the west are normal again. Casinos picked up and deposited like they were stones skipped across a lake. A man whose wife's hand slipped from his grasp wandering the streets not knowing where to go or what to do. Looting taking place but it's so hard to blame them with no food or water. It would all go to waste anyway.

Still two months left of hurricane season. Two long months. I'd have to say we are all a little on edge.

31st Birthday

(Shudder)
I don't know whether I'm shuddering at being 31 (where has the time gone?) or the embarrassing picture above. The picture is compliments of my favorite Japanese restaurant where apparently it is tradition to stand on your chair (I didn't want to but they made me do it) while being serenaded. If that's not humiliating enough, they have to snap your picture. I am holding a pineapple boat complete with umbrella which was delicious by the way. My family came to celebrate and we had a great time. Our chef was hilarious and I don't think we stopped laughing the entire time. I received some great gifts, too. One of my birthday presents, (thanks sister) was Egg Money Quilts which includes patterns from the 1930's. I could sit and look at it all day.

Which reminds me. I did miss quilt class last week and I am nervous that I am going to be behind. It doesn't look like Hurricane Katrina is headed our way but schools are cancelled for Monday here. Looks like if things go well, I'll be able to make it to quilting class on Tuesday and hopefully catch up.

Since the sickies are still attacking our house, I'm curling up with some old Trixie Belden favorites. There is just something about these books that take me back to a simpler time. I remember sneaking the first Trixie Belden book I ever read off my sister's bookshelf. From there, I was lucky to find a few in our town's library and the library at my school. There were 39 Trixie Belden novels released between 1948 and 1986. I have read probably half of them. If I'm lucky, I can find them in antique shops for a fair price. Recently on E*Bay, I won three of them.

The books were out of print from 1986 until 2003. I was happy to hear that Random House had re-released the first 15 books in the series. Now a whole new generation can grow up wanting to be a member of the Bob-Whites of the Glen. The new editions just don't seem quite right to me, however. I guess it's the feel of an old book. Wondering how many hands held that book and minds wandered to the safe haven of Sleepyside.

I never quite got into Nancy Drew. Trixie just seemed more real to me. There was just something too perfect about dear Nancy that didn't appeal to me as a child.

The weekend was pretty uneventful. Mr. O has an upper respiratory infection which he has kindly passed on to his mama. We aren't feeling very crafty.

My sister (who puts her toilet paper on the roll the correct way, thank you very much) has done a super job planning our fall vacation to WDW. My sister and her family, my mother, Tommy, Owen and I will be spending fall break in Orlando this year. I can't wait.

I don't know if I'll make it to quilting class tomorrow. Depends on how the little man is feeling. Poor little dude.

Major organization is taking place. Since sewing/craft/scrapbooking room is now complete with shelves, I am on the hunt for attractive baskets and such.

No quilting homework this week. It seems funny not to be frantically piecing and cutting in preparation for next week's class.

Does anyone else besides me have to fight the urge to turn the toilet paper around on the roll when at someone else's house? It just about drives me crazy. I'm a toilet paper over the roll kinda gal. Toilet paper coming off behind the roll is just wrong. What about you? How do you prefer your tp?

Quilt Top Almost Complete
The four pieces of fabric are put together with the center squares toward the middle. One would think that the center squares would be the middle of the completed quilt. But, that is just not so. In order to complete the diamond pattern, a strip must be added to the sides of each piece and a square of fabric for the very middle piece.

Next week, we are adding the border and discussing the backing. I can't wait until it looks more like a completed piece. I am pleased with how it is turning out.

Mistake
If ever you open a box of instant mashed potatoes and find a bug among the little flakes, do not attempt to pour the whole box down the garbage disposal. It would be a very very bad idea. Don't ask me how I know...I just do.

To Owen at Nine Months

I have to admit that I think boy toys are so much cooler than girl toys. (No offense to your girly cousins intended) I remember before I had you I always knew that if I had a little boy, he would have to have a Tonka Dumptruck. I envisioned I would put your Easter goodies in it when you were two or three and it would serve as the greatest Easter basket. But, when Daddy and I were shopping the other day, he spotted this and we knew you had to have it. Right now.

It is a little early but you love it anyway. You have almost grasped the skill of standing behind your truck while walking. You will take a couple of steps then sit down like you've just run a marathon. You absolutely can't stand for there to be toys in the back of the truck so daddy and I put them there just to hear you squeal and watch you frantically remove them. Daddy sat you in this truck so that years later you could see exactly how little you were and think, "I fit inside this?" Yea, little buddy and mama's belly is a whole lot littler than the bed of your dump truck. Or it used to be.

Quilt Progress
Last week the 2 1/2 inch strips were cut and sewn together to make a new piece of fabric. With that done, I had to sew each piece of fabric (right sides together) to make a tube.

From that tube, I had to cut new 2 1/2 inch strips. Shown above. These are called rings. Next, I had to unsew (fancy word for "using the seam ripper" the rings for my quilt layout. Each ring is unsewn at a different place depending on the layout of the design. Since Trip Around the World is a diagonal design, it took a while for me to come to grips with this part.

To keep myself on track, I labeled (love that label maker) each strip from the center outward to the left. There are ten strips sewn together sewing pairs together at a time.

Each new piece of fabric will make one fourth of the finished quilt. I must make three more of these.

(Up close)

Someone's Unfinished Business

Not that I don't have enough unfinished business of my own...
I recently acquired these quilt pieces from Eb@y. My absolute favorite? The little girls playing tennis!

There are about fifty or so ladybug hexagons and only one flower in the whole box? I would say the ladybugs must have gotten hungry but they only eat aphids (not flowers) to my recollection.

I don't know what I am going to do with these just yet. I just thought they were too interesting to pass up.

I am so not one of the cool kids.
Sigh.

Channeling Betty Crocker

I don't know what exactly put a bee in my butt to make homemade pretzels this morning, but I am going to be sure to think twice before I attack this project again.
Not that it was so bad, but right in the middle the little one decided nap time should be cut short today.

A little vegetable oil,flour, yeast, and warm water make this pretzel dough.

After the dough has been kneaded for five minutes.


Shape dough into a rectangle approximately half an inch thick. Cut dough into strips.

Pretzels of different sizes (purely an accident).

I got tired of wrestling with it so decided to make hearts with the remaining dough. I think they turned out nicely!

Quilting Homework
I am a terrible student and waited until the last minute to complete my homework for class today. I just finished sewing the strips together and pressing them. It is now 2:30 in the morning and I think I am going to stumble to bed.

These are the strips sewn together. Tomorrow (wait that would be today) our instructor promises "magic" will take place. Somehow these strips are going to be cut, rearranged, and sewn into the Trip Around the World pattern. I am quite skeptical...or maybe just too sleepy to comprehend it all.

Meet Oliver

He is wearing the latest in baby fashion. Padded newborn diaper, newborn tee and stripey socks.



Apparently his feet are hot.


Hey, That's mine!