How Come?

It is SO hard for me to get up here every day and write on this blog?  It's a mystery which I cannot solve!

In spite of that I have finished G1 (pink and purple Granny 1)!
G2 needs for me to finish the back-oops had to go buy more fabric!  What was I thinking the day I bought that? Then Sandwich and it will go under Belle the Bernina for quilting.  I had hoped to finish it by the end of the month but that's looking unlikely.

I had enough of the two main purples to make two pillowcases to send along with the quilts.

I've spent more time on the cross-stitch but truthfully I doubt that you'd see a difference.

Other than sewing, I've been working every day on my Family History.  I received an Ancestry membership for Christmas that expires in June and I'm trying to see if it's helpful enough that I want to extend it.  So far, I'm thinking not.

I've been faithfully putting in my 15 minutes Scanning in photos every day.  I will never get done!  40 years worth of photos before I got a digital camera.  Maybe there will be light at the end of the tunnel by the end of the year?!

Also, practicing the piano most days.  Not the guitar though.

This morning I gave these

a serious haircut and set the off cuts into dirt for cuttings. They will all go into the front flower bed.  Then I watered-which I desperately needed to do.  My orchids are dying-this is my second and final attempt at them!  I do have a Christmas Cactus and an amaryllis blooming though, just a few months late!

All in all I manage to keep myself busy and now that I'm feeling better I have to get back to the walking.  Not to mention. . .Ok I won't!

Rain.

It began raining last night,

or maybe it was early this morning,

 I don't know I was asleep!

I only know I woke to rain.

It is welcome this rain.

We had a dry winter,

hardly any snow,

with lots of dry grass etc around there have been multiple

Red Flag Warnings.

Especially on windy days.

Here in Missouri we have average annual precip of 36" +/-.

That's a yard.

Or for the lucky metric folks nearly a meter.

It often comes in huge thunderstorms, 

the kind where rain drops bounce when they hit the ground,

gully washers my Gran called them.

The ground here is made of a few feet of topsoil

and under that CLAY.

The thing about clay is that once wet it stays wet

FOREVER,

but in a heavy rain water can't penetrate the clay so it runs off

and doesn't do much good.

Today's rain is steady but not hard.

A soaker.

Just what we need.

Unless, it goes on for days!

Then I'll be complaining!

(To see just how rain changes things:

Take a look at the grass under Ryan's quilt in the header

and the grass around the major puddles in my yard.)

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Somewhere in Donigal, Ireland. 2010

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Friday night updates

I've spent quite a bit of time on Nora's stocking this past week.

Once I got it out I didn't want to put it down!

So I made some really good progress on it.

(You'll have to take my word for it as I can't find a Before picture!)

I think I might have worked on it once or twice last year but that's it.

It's been on the ToDo list for at least two years.

It will feel good to get it done.

Then I can start on Ethan's.

 Which will be followed by Ryan's.

Sigh.

All the big blocks for G2 are finished!

I'll work at the sashing, four patches and borders next,

It really should be ready to quilt very soon.

It's a good thing that G1 is nearly quilted,

just one side of the border

then binding.

I have a small project to make just for me before I put G2 under the needle.

Then I'll be off on a black and gold quilt for Tanya.

After that I'm not sure which project will catch my fancy.

Happenings!

On Sunday I made my monthly trip to Columbia to visit Scott, Bri and Ryan.

It's only about 120 miles to their house from here

it was dripping rain here.

You know the kind that is too hard to just leave

 and yet not hard enough to leave the wipers on.

Annoying.

Then,

about 30 miles out it began to snow.

BIG (like a 2 1/2" circle)

WET ( SPLAT on the windshield)

SNOWFLAKES!

While the road was mostly okay visibility dropped 

way down.

Which means travel was slowed down.

So a bit exciting.

This kind of heavy snow sticks to trees and dogs!

Quinn LOVES snow!

Ryan helped his Daddy make macaroni and cheese for his lunch!

Scott says he could likely make it on his own.

Scott, however, isn't ready for him to try it!

He's such a cutie.

Such a happy, healthy little boy.

Full of hugs and kisses.

We had a very nice visit/play date!

And Scott made a really good dish for dinner, yummy!

Coucous, veggies and chicken.

On Monday, I had an eye appointment in Independence 

so I decided to run a few errands after.

Off to the museum to check in about the 8th grade tours.

to Joanns for batting and backing for G2,

then to Target.

I really only came home with the things I went for!

Had lunch out.

Hit the LQS on the way home for some pink.

G2 again.

Then home.

I really over did it, sigh.

those two days

plus the beginning of the hated Daylight Savings Time

left me exhausted.

Some lying about

Some reading,

Some stitching.

Some better.

Progress: Quilting and stuff

First up-

Pink and Purple Granny 1

(Forever known as G1)

is under the needle being quilted!

All the horizontal rows are done.

It will be ready for binding

and finishing next week.

Next-

Pink and Purple Granny 2

(now known, you guessed it-as G2)

has 6 of the 12 big blocks done.

It should be ready to sandwich and quilt next week as well.

I got out Nora's cross stitch yesterday.

I've been working on this one -

or not working in this case-

forever!

Hope to show you some progress next week.

Lastly,

I'm beginning to feel normal.

I still have some aches and pains.

My energy level is still a bit low.

At only 3 weeks post op I'm feeling good about it.

Went to the Symphony last night with Rob and Tanya

(fabulous by the way)

and managed it well.

Today,

Quinn and I will take a short walk and see how that goes.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday-March 7

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial-St Louis, Missouri
Tribute to the Louisiana Purchase
Also known as the Gateway Arch
Or locally as the Arch!

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."
_Thomas Jefferson