Opening Day

My favorite baseball phrase comes in February:  Pitchers and Catchers Reporting for Duty.  But my next favorite is just two words:  Opening Day.

And that was yesterday.  It was a perfect day, sunny and high 60's.  Reds won.  There was a pinch-hit three-run home run by one of the new guys.  And the Pirates stranded three men on base in the 9th.  Fireworks at the end, heard from my porch.  It is truly spring now.

Several years ago my friend gave me the quilt to turn face up when the Reds win and face down when they lose.  Last year there were a lot of face downs.  Hoping for a better year this year.

Yesterday my grand guy was home sick.  To chirk him up, we texted game updates.  Today he's better and back in school.

Spring Break 19

I feel as if it's my spring break as well as the grands'.  We've been to The Gruff, Scene 75, and Sky Zone.  Eating, playing video games, jumping (for them.)

I had hoped for warm weather for them, but that hasn't been the case every day.  This morning I went to Kroger early and scraped frost off the windshield.

Tomorrow I'm having company for dinner and I've done zero prep.  I thought that surely I could have my house looking sparkling, but no.  I do have a few more hours.  And a purchased apple pie.  And groceries.

For awhile I was keeping up my house so nicely and was so happy with myself.  Then came the virus and the holidays and things went back to their usual now and then cleaning.  Then the winter blues with no desire to do much of anything.

But, the good news is that my new mattress is here and it's as good as I'd hoped.  I have new sheets in the dryer now too.  And new pillows to try out.

Quilter's Day Out

I am terrible at Artist Dates but did have a good one yesterday.  My friend Carrye and I went to an outing sponsored by a nearby quilt guild.

They put a lot of effort into it.  Downstairs in an historic building were vendors, with a nice selection of things to consider.  Upstairs were lots of quilts, large and small.  One thing I found really interesting were all the recycled quilt magazines free for the taking.  I did resist taking any.

I did not resist getting a pack of fat quarters when we visited a near-by quilt shop.  They were in spring colors, sort of light-hearted Easter themed but not in an obvious way.  What caught my attention was the shop sample, in the Yellow Brick Road pattern that Joanne gave me.  I've been wishing for a spring table runner or wall hanging.  Not that I'll get this one finished by this Easter, but it will be fun to put together.

What struck me about the day was the happiness and friendliness of the quilters, mostly women.  They were having a good time connecting with their friends, enjoying the quilts, generally having a happy time.  They reminded me of why I used to enjoy being in quilt guilds.  

These days I seem to be more of a stay-at-home kind of person, less apt to enjoy being in groups.  Something to think about.

Hot Dogs

When I visited Sarah in Hendersonville, we went to a place called Hot Dog World.  It was notable because they had really good veggie dogs, along with their other selections.  Those hot dogs have been on my mind lately and I finally decided to just make a version for myself.  Mine weren't nearly as good, but it is a nice break from my usual food.  Veggie dogs, whole wheat buns, really good slaw.  I am still looking forward to Hot Dog World!  They use regular buns too.

At least these fit into what I should be eating.  Not too many carbs or saturated fats, pretty good protein.  At my last check-up, my cholesterol was up from before, my AC1 was at the bottom number of diabetic range.  I just got the results from my bone density test and that wasn't good either.  I thought I'd have another ten years before I started falling apart.  And I am pretty conscientious.  It will take awhile to work my mind into all this.  

Yesterday afternoon I was taking Nora to her bassoon lesson when the tornado warning alert came over my phone.  Another half mile down the road and the sirens went off.  We were pretty close to the music store at the mall, so we just kept going.  No tornadoes as far as I know, but the mall lost power very briefly.

And now it's colder again.  I so enjoyed the warm couple of days.  Even with only a few warm days, it's hard to adjust back.

Weirdest Ever

The first time I heard of this, a few years ago, I thought it was the weirdest thing ever, and I still think it's weird.  A mattress sale at school.  This time a fund raiser for the band.

I've needed a new mattress for a few years now, probably even longer, but buying a mattress is confusing.  No longer just going to the store and getting a mattress and box spring.  There are so many possibilities.  I'm a consumer researcher but felt so overwhelmed.  How can you know?

Now in two weeks my new mattress will be here, or rather a platform and a mattress.  Queen size, which I know I will enjoy.  That much I had figured out.

The band will be going to Disney Land in a year or two, which was the reason for the fund raiser.  I got to take a look at the practice rooms and uniform rooms, pretty amazing, it's a fairly new school.  Nothing like the band room in my high school was. 

Daylight Savings Time, which I've been looking forward to.  It's still weird too, though, for the first few days.  I feel ok until late afternoon, then my adjustment wears off.  I feel old because of it, but probably everyone feels that way. 

Joanne Collaboration

Pieced by Joanne.  And quilted by me.  Joanne said she got the print with the little animals at Goodwill - can you believe it?

Nora's class left in the early morning hours for their trip to DC.  All day I wondered about the expected snow during their departure, but it didn't happen.  From Women Rowing North, "It's not time to worry about that yet."

Joanne suggested random prayers during Lent for people I see when I'm out and about.  I've always prayed for the people whose cars are abandoned on the interstate, but her idea is a good one.  A prayer for the person waiting for the bus, the person with the back pack and sleeping bag, the person taking a cigarette break.

And for my own soul, more music, which doesn't come naturally to me.  And so, a little music every day, plus looking at lyrics to favorite hymns.  So, for today, Mary's Magnificat:

My soul is filled with joy,
as I sing to God my savior:
You have looked upon your servant,
You have visited your people
And Holy is your name,
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and Holy is your name.

Lenten Reflection

Something about quilting this little quilt . . . very relaxing.  The little animals passing by my needle.  The red thread.  The developing patterns.  Thinking about the collaboration with Joanne, who pieced it.

Lent.  We are here.  I am admiring my friends who are developing a practice, who have a plan.  I'm still trying to figure it out.  I thought I wanted to use "Women Rowing North" as a base, but in my re-reading I feel as if I am getting from the book exactly what I should without further thinking or discussion.

A young couple are using the Mennonite cookbook "More With Less" as their Lenten devotion, trying the recipes.  That feels attractive, but in many ways I feel as if I've already lived that.  My copy looks well used.  I will look over the recipes again, though.

A group at church is studying the Enneagram and how it relates to spiritual practice.  That didn't feel attractive to me because I've studied and taught it so often.  I need something more, something that will stretch me.

So, here I am.  Still trying to figure it out.  Feeling a little stressed because Lent has already begun and I am floundering and I so need something to study. 

Littles

Those of you who follow along with me have seen my grands from time to time, fourteen and eleven now, growing tall.  But today Steph posted a picture from years ago when we were on the way to North Carolina, and those grands were little.

Like really little.  Wearing pajamas for the trip, because that's how they often rolled.  Aaron's feet have his beloved Woody cowboy boots, which he loved and wore until they were replaced, three pairs total.  And then he sized out.  I think he went to a John Deere boot for awhile in the transition to shoes.

And so, that's the sweetness for today.  I am quilting Joanne's donation baby quilt with the foxes and hedgehogs.  For all that I've been wanting to quilt with the rulers, this quilt begged for walking foot quilting, and that's what it is getting.  

Second Pink Baby Quilt Top

The second go-round of this little quilt.  Usually, I don't make two similar baby quilts, but this one has a story.

Through casual conversation, a friend in the baby quilt group and I realized that we have the same doctor.  What are the chances, in this metropolitan area?  Plus, people who live in Kentucky usually choose a primary care doctor on their side of the river, and our doctor is in Ohio.  Our doctor was on maternity leave, and we decided that we would make a baby quilt for her.

I did the piecing and my friend did the quilting.  My daughter works in the same building as my doctor and she said she would drop off the quilt.  My friend and I met in a new restaurant for lunch and for her to give me the finished quilt so I could pass it on.

The waiter noticed the quilt and really liked it.  He said he had a friend who would be having a baby girl in April and he wanted basically the same quilt for her.  What would that cost?  We worked out a nice deal for all of us - my friend and I would make the quilt in exchange for two lunches for each of us.

So now the quilt top is finished, and it will go today to my friend for her quilting magic.  I love a quilt with a story. 

Recipe Box

In my quest for a recipe for orange cake, I dug out this recipe box that lived - why? - with some rarely used kitchen items stored in the basement.  I never did find the orange cake recipe but did find the frosting recipe that went with it.  I used a lemon cake mix and substituted orange juice for the water and added grated orange rind.  With the frosting, I'm sure it was fine.

It was nostalgic to look at a few recipe cards from people long deceased.  My husband's aunt's cookies.  A neighbor's transparent pie.  There were recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines.  For things I no longer make.  I guess that's why the box lived out of sight.

I'm planning to finish piecing a baby quilt top this morning and then move on to a few alterations.  And laundry, oh, my goodness.  It should be a quiet weekend, snow on Sunday.  Temperatures heading down to single digits as the week begins.  

But, it's March, everyone.  March!  What a lovely thing!