Thought I died ...

and the hogs ate me? Nope! I'm still here. I have been busy. Patti came over the last couple of days and sewed with me. I went up to northern MI last weekend to our cabin. Just Garry and I. The county fair was going on, so we went to that. Spend one day in Alpena, MI, just wandering and looking at lighthouses. The pic is an old one that I took many years ago, and one that we stopped at last Sunday. I've got lots of projects going on, but I haven't taken the time to take any pics of them. It's been very cold here in Michigan. Isn't August suppose to be miserably hot? I turned the heat last night. Could not get warm. Weird weather this year. It's not helping my tomatoes get ripe either. I think there will be a lot less tomato canning getting done here unless I go and buy them by the bushel. Oh well....there's always next year. The ones I have picked and we've eaten have been very good, just not getting ripe very fast.

Time to get ready for church. I'll try to take some pics and get them posted soon. My friends Val and Patti are thinking of going up to the cabin when the leaves start changing and having a mini-retreat of our own. I don't go up there often. I used to go a lot, but Garry and the guys use it for a lot more than I do and you know a man's idea of "clean" just isn't the same as a woman's in most cases. I got a lot done last weekend up there and I'd like to use it before they do much damage again. I'm off to the showers.....I know you all needed to know that......giggle!

Am I.....

a bag lady? Yep, I am! I've been busy making bags.

I have more cut out and ready to whip up. I'm on a bag binge! Other quilting has been going on, but just working on more ufo's that seem to never hit the finish line. One day.....

In other new, I spent yesterday at the Blueberry Festival. It was a perfect day, with good friends and wonderful weather. I've been pretty busy, but I can't think of busy with what? So....I'm off to the sweat shop now and back to the bags......

Have a great week!

Note to self: C:\Documents and Settings\HP_Administrator\My Documents\TUTORIAL Straight Sided Triangular Cosmetic Bag - PURSES, BAGS, WALLETS.htm

Thank YOU

to all who prayed, sent well wishes, and groovy vibes on behalf of my friend Val. She went to the surgeon yesterday and he believes it may be only a 1% chance that it is a cancer. He will be doing a biopsy, but he thinks it is not cancer. He's also decided to stop the MRIs every three months. Amen for that. They have been doing them due to the nonhodgkins leukemia that she has, but the surgeon seems to feel that they will always find something questionable and to put her thru this every three months is not a good thing. I agree with that. They will wait until there is a problem and then do the MRI. I can't imagine the stress that she must feel when she's told every three months that she has another lump. Then the waiting to see the surgeon has to just be devastating. She's the strongest person I have ever known, but how much can one woman take? So....I do believe in the power of prayer and again, thank you all for sending those to God. I hope He knows how much I need her in my life.

I haven't got much of anything done since my last post. I have one of those families that puts the "fun in dysfunctional". One phone call, and I've been a wreck for two days. All the reasons don't really matter, but suffice it to say that I have for several years refused to participate in the nonsense. Well, I blew that and unloaded on someone. The someone being my Mother. Yep, years of sucking it all up came pouring out. And her response? "Well, why don't you and Garry and Cindy come out for dinner?" Huh? My husband won't even speak to you. He's the most passive man on the face of the earth and you've even alienated him. Oh well....time to put it all away and live my life the way my Bible tells me too. I struggling with the forgivness part. I feel that I have to find a way to do that, in order to not lose my relationship with God. Man.....He sure knows how to make it hard to be a good Christian. For all my faults, that's my biggest worry. I'm sure at some point, I'll find a way to forgive, but any words of wisdom about how to forgive would be appreciated. So....on to something else more fun.

I got so many responses to my last post. So....yes, I must be insane to do 1/4" quilting. I'm hoping that when it's finished, it will be worth all the time and thread it's taking to do it. The last picture I posted with the blues, tans, and reds are from a pattern Amy posted back in March, I believe. I made the kit up for retreat and couldn't for the life of me remember where I got it from. Then Amy was so tickled with the pattern and it hit me that it was from her. She's too funny! And...if you haven't visited her blog, run there now. She puts me to shame with how much she manages to accomplish. She just finished a Double Wedding Ring, king size I think, and WOW!

Tomorrow is craft day at our church building so I need to be there by 9:30 to unlock the building. Val is having a euchre (it's a card game) party tonight, so I'll be there trying to smoke the rest of them. It's a lot of fun and Val is the hostess extroidenaire! There is nothing that woman can't do and do better than most.

I want to publicly thank my friend, Patti. During my meltdown, she's been there, calling me, stopping by and even brought me chocolate and fat quarters. Now who doesn't need an amazing friend like that? It'll help to me that I get to spend the day with Patti and Val tomorrow....and we'll be sewing at the church building. If that doesn't heal my spirit, I must be a lost cause!

Sew....I'm off....I think I'll go put some blocks together, or do some quarter inch quilting.....

Here's hoping to a great weekend for one and all! Thanks again to all of you .......

What's been keepin' me busy....

Well, the insanity continues. Here's what I've been doing .... a lot!

Quarter inch quilting. Some will ask "why?" I don't know. I saw a quilt that was quilted sort of like this and thought "hmmmm...I think I'll quilt lines 1/4 inch apart on this one. I was doing pretty good until I started to get so much bulk. I'm using my quarter inch foot and the little flange thing "rides" in the line of stitching. That only worked for so long, and now, I'm using a different foot that marks the 1/4 on both sides of the foot. It's a lot of stitching, but I keep thinking how cool it will look when it's finished and washed.
And then yesterday, Patti came over for the day. We sewed! ALL DAY LONG! It was fun. We're working on a quilt and you can find Judy's free pattern for it here Great pattern and a big "Thank YOU, Judy" for being so kind to share it with all of us...and for free! My friend and mentor, the Scraptastic Jen is working on one along with Patti and I. Jen is sooo not a scrappy quilter, but she's steppin' outside the box and doing one in yellows. It's going to be beautiful and I'm so proud of her for getting scrappy with us! So...here's how far I've gotten on mine....

And last but not least, I've been working on these blocks. I put together these blocks as a kit for the retreat I went to in April. They had just been sitting around screaming for me to put them together. The blocks are all made and now they are aging a bit before I put the blocks together into a top. Don't wanna rush that! So, I have been sewing. I have been quilting. But ... nothing that will be a "finish" any time soon, I suppose.

Ya'll have a wonderful day....Wednesday...hmmmm.....hump day? Yeppers....

Gimme my badge.....Hahahahaa

Ok...so a group of us are suppose to be on a mission to finish/make some stuff. I have failed miserably. But ... no more! I have a start to finish completed project. That's right! And you all thought it couldn't happen! Ha! And not just one ... but a matching pair! So....gimme my badge ... whoever is in charge of badges.....pweeeeze?

The Proposal

Oh yeah! It's a great movie. I had the pleasure of a girls night out. Patti, Val and I went to the movies tonight, and while I readily admit I'll sit through almost any movie for buttered popcorn, this one was great! I had no idea Betty White was even it it and she's such a hoot! After the movie, it was french silk pie and coffee before heading home. It's so great to have good friends!

I'd really appreciate any and all prayers for my friend Val, as her latest MRI shows a new lump at the base of her tongue. This is her third round of being told she has cancer and I think as tough as she is, it's starting to wear on her. I just hope she knows how much she is loved and I'm sure she knows she can count on me! Her hubby along with mine and a couple of other guys have gone to our cabin for a weekend of dirtbiking. Woohoo! She'll be here tomorrow night, and we'll be sewing together. Patti has to work, or she'd be here too! So...send out some good wishes, groovy vibes or hit your knees like I'm doing that I'll have my friend around for a good long time to come. I'm planning on us growing old and senile together. I'd hate to have to do that alone!

Regarding my last post..... I hope you'll all forgive my rant. I try not to do that on here, but I felt it was time to make a stand and hopefully end the drama. Funny thing about that post....I got more comments on my rant than I ever get on my quilty posts..... What up with that? You'd rather hear me rant? Cause I can watch CNN for about an hour and rant for days about that....Giggle!

Hope you all have a great weekend.....that's my plan!

Welcome to sixth grade!

So ... here is a story....
I have two online friends. Actually, I have more than two, but this is about two. They had a disagreement. Fine. We're all suppose to be adults. One of them, let's call her #1, didn't say a word about it to me. The other, #2, texted me and was immediately going to end all connections with 1. We have all been in an online group for quite some time. Now....I, being an adult and no longer in sixth grade, simply told 2, that I thought it was a bad choice. I suggested she take some time and let it all pass and basically get over it. Now a couple of weeks have gone by. I, minding my own business, get a text a couple of mornings ago stating that she had a "tally" going and was I not speaking to her either? HUH? Again, I'm no longer in Junior High. My response? "Excuse me? what did I do?" Emails went back and forth, and I was informed that she could no longer continue this discussion and if all I wanted to do was that, then ...blah blah blah...... I do not want to discuss some ridiculous, childish imagined slight with this woman any longer. I didn't even bring it up. She did. I think it's sad that she can't see past her own selfishness. I wouldn't have even known about a problem had she not told me....over and over.

So....the point of all this? To all my online friends: I think the world of each of you! Some of you, I have gotten to meet in person and I'm so grateful for that. But...here's the deal. I'm an adult. I don't have time or the energy for the she said this or that, she defriended me, she didn't agree with me crap. I think those of us with families, husbands, children, have a clearer idea of where this blogging part of our lives goes. It's not foremost in my life, but I do enjoy it. I'm never going to be the person who will just agree with someone to keep them as my friend. Friends disagree, argue, and it's ok. We are inconsiderate with one another sometimes, knowing full well, that a true friendship will survive that and more.

That's my take on all this nonsense. I think it was blown way out of proportion and I hope since 2 has decided to sever ties with our group that this will be the end of it. Live and learn.......