Where were you?

Today is September 11. 

"A day that will live in infamy." to quote FDR.

We all remember where we were when we heard the news.

I was home cleaning house an doing homework,

when I got three phone calls, 

one right after the other telling me to

TURN ON THE TV!

(I don't watch daytime tv so if anything big happens they call and tell me.)

I watched in shock and horror.

Those are the emotions I feel to this day.

We Will NEVER Forget.

Friday Night with Friends

 

Last night was the monthly Friday Night With Friends

Hosted by Cheryl!  

Thank you for inviting us!

So, I worked on Izzy's stocking-almost finished with the last snowman on the first row!

Then I made a 9-patch for the Civil War WISP.

So far I've made the 7 above!  

This one a day thing is working well!  

Only 14 more and I can begin sewing the sashing together.

September Goals

My favorite coffee mug! I try every day to follow that advice!

I didn't post August goals and while I did pretty well getting things done I think it helps to have it here.  I just always bite off more than I can chew when it comes to the "Want to do" list.

Anyway, for September:

Stitching Goals:
  Rainbow scrap challenge Hash tags, big blocks and flip flop blocks in red.
Cross-stitch:  Izzy's Stocking
Civil War hand piecing very old UFO: finish all the 9 patches for the sashing.  There are only 24 and I'm doing one a day so as long as I can keep that up I'm golden.
English Paper Piecing: Flower garden, a WISP-8 flowers finished
Paper Doll Quilt:  A new project (also for Izzy) 8 blocks complete
Small Project:A table runner.  I need something quick and finished!

Family History Goals:

Write Church for Baptismal dates

Work on the brick wall that is Phoebe

Work Newspapers and Ancestry Matches

Find out how to look for slave ancestors-as I have 1% African blood from an area that was prominent in the Slave Trade

Find out if there is any significance to Birth records where the Owner is listed instead of a Father.  (I am under no misguided notion that my white ancestors where any better than their contemporaries and I know several owned slaves.)

Most of these only require my writing a letter or email and waiting for an answer!

Blog every day.  Okay this one could be a problem!

House stuff;

Trim out the basement stairs

Replace the smoke alarms, add a CO alarm and replace the remote for my garage door opener-most of these will take nothing more than an internet search and order.

I had several Yard and Garden projects on the list but yesterday when I was out shopping and was all set to buy supplies I had second thoughts and decided to wait and see what 2021 brings.

Try some new recipes!

And in the same vein-make menus and stick to them!

Cooking for one person is difficult.

Go out in the trailer at least once.

I was set to go out with Beth & Co but Kolby has a soccer tourney so we canceled.  I'd have gone anyway but my spot was a back in and I need Lucas's help for that. (Actually, I need Lucas to do it!)

Finishing reading The Last Indian War , I've been reading it all year!  Just about 100 pages left!

There are always 15 minute projects:  They are nearly always the same.  Tidying the Studio,  and the garage

Drawing and lettering.

There are 4 ongoing 100 day challenges:

 Work out, drink 64 oz of water, Practice the piano and guitar and keep my house tidy.  So far so good but the piano will be tricky when I'm out in the trailer!

As always there is shopping-UGH! This year it will be mostly online.

It seems like a really long list but I think I can do it!

 

 

Shopping

I had to go up to Independence to have blood sucked-oops I mean drawn,

as I have an appointment with my primary care doctor in two weeks.

Then, I went SHOPPING!

First, I went to Joanns.

Where they have completely re-arranged the store and nothing is in the same place!

I did get almost all the thread I needed to finish Izzy's sock,

including the all important 666 (red)!

Then, it was off to the cross-stitch store:  C C and Company.

Hoping to get both the last thread and some needles.

I like to use a very small needle with my cross-stitch as it seems to slide through the fabric easier, but they can be hard to find

I scored both and some sale kits and patterns.

All of you, especially Lin, with your pretty pincushions made me want some of my own!

Then, it was off to the Quilt shop- Quilter's Station.

I needed red fat quarters to add to the tiny bit of red in my drawers for the RSC blocks this month.

The square piece on the bottom is for Izzy's bear.  I've dressed a bear for each of the Grands but for some reason I missed doing Izzy's and I need to fix that.

I also got a new pattern book

I can not pass up anything that has to do with the Rockies, I love them so much!  The photo at the top of the book is of the front range at Estes Park Colorado.  Strangely, the designers were all from Utah!  None from Colorado, Wyoming or Montana.  I find that very disappointing.  Not that I have anything against Utah just I love the other states more.

Izzy's stocking update

 Here's August's stitching on the final stocking!

About 1/4 finished with the x's.

This is proving to be an easy design,

it certainly helps that I don't have to do it backwards!

The toe on this one is facing the right direction already,

WHEW.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll finish this one in time to hang it with the rest in December.

That is if I don't run out of red-I'm a bit concerned that I won't

be able to find more.

More stitching on this tonight!

Another week evaporated

One of my succulents is blooming!

It's a strange looking stem!

The plant below the large base is covered with tiny plants.

Last year it was a stem like the one holding up the flower.

I like succulents.

That said I don't have a good place for them in the house,

and many of them have died from too much water,

or to little sun, 

or overcrowding.

I don't plan to bring them inside this fall.  

Just the Christmas cacti  

and perhaps a few herbs.

I may change my mind and bring just this one in, 

First frost is a ways away yet.

I've done a little stitching this week.

This is the quilt known as "The Quilt that will not be finished"

It was finished and put on the bed about 9 months ago.

At our first Chookshed Quilting Bee Deena asked if anyone had ever found a mistake after the quilt was finished.

This is a mistake!

I only found it last month!

It is over the pillows and I don't plan to fix it!

Yes, I have found mistakes after something is quilted!

(If you can't see the mistake look at the white design.)

Then because I kept tripping over the corners,

dragging on the floor,

I did this

Took some off the corners.

You would think this wouldn't be such a big deal,

BUT

it took several afternoons.

I've also make a couple of nine patches for the hand pieced Civil War Sampler I've been working on for a long time.

And

a couple of hexie flowers.

Then there was much stitching on Izzy's stocking.

I'll post an updated photo of it on the 1st.

Not a bad week altogether.

 

 

Learning Curve

This new blogger format is going to be a learning curve!  

I can't even remember where to find the NEW POST link from one week to the next!

I did find the place to make the photos smaller, yeah me.

PLUS,

Apple updated my operating system 

and now Picasa doesn't work.

UGH!

I apologize for the photos this is the best I could do in Apple photos.

We've had another week of lovely weather,

more like September than August.

That is changing this week as we hit the 90F mark again.

I finished all the RSC blocks 

Purple

And caught up the blue.

 

I've been a bit lost as to what I should do now,

so I took a couple of days off 

from the studio and just read.

One of the blessings that have come to me from THE VIRUS

is that feeling of freedom from should dos.

Now, I'm getting back with it again.

Although, I do want to leave the should dos in my rear view mirror!