Nora and I

Nora and I are traditionalists. She always gets chocolate chip ice cream at Graeter's and I always get raspberry or strawberry sorbet. And we mix them. Always.

It's been a long week, and it's only Wednesday. Quilt guild Monday night, late work night last night, Worship Committee tonight. The late nights are over now . . . except for posting pictures of the quild guild and doing the minutes for the Worship Committee. And I'm tired.

Interesting discussion at quilt guild about how some big shows don't want any entires that have been posted on the internet. They publish their own photos in booklet form and make some of their money that way. I always post pictures, but I'm not entering any national shows either. Something to think about though.

In the Studios

You never know what you'll find in the studio. When I visited a friend's yesterday, I found a tub of baby chicks, 8 days old and ready to go outside. It was cold yesterday, though, so my friend was keeping them inside just a little longer. Her studio was pretty incredible, on the second floor of her house, lots of windows, lots and lots of fabric nicely pressed and stacked by color.

I like my studie too, and I like Nora's new little dress that's hanging there. About half the squares had been sitting on the sewing table for about a year, and it was finally time to cut the rest and put the dress together. It's an Indygo Junction pattern. I appreciate Indygo Junction because their patterns have the casual look I like plus their kid patterns grow nicely with the child. This one will probably last at least a couple of years, with the long skirt getting shorter and the straps let down. I have a feeling that for slender little Nora the top will need to be made a little smaller - we'll see.

I Love Spring Red

It's spring and time to give up the socks. At least on some days. I got my pedicure on the prettiest day in spring and the next day it was cold again. Furnace-coming-on-again-cold, but my toes are ready for nice weather.

It was a happy Mother's Day, with a red plant picked out by my grandgirl, who knows that red is my favorite. And from Sarah and Winnie, a Petzl head lamp with a red LED option, perfect for going to watch the fireflies in Elkmont next month.

There was pretty red origami as Crohn Conservatory was all dressed up for the butterfly show. The kids didn't care for the butterflies at all but they loved the waterfall section.

And then there's the best red of all, showing up on the heads of the grandbabes.

And the red on a cup of Graeter's ice cream is nice too.

Friday Fill-In # 175

The Friday Fill-In answers are in bold.

1. Salsa and blue corn chips are the best, especially with peach mango salsa. Just the right combination of sweet and salty.

2. MorningStar veggie dogs are awesome and you've even got mustard to make them taste like the real thing. I wish they had them at the ball park.

3. By the time I get home I'm really hungry and am apt to grab for nuts or cheese and crackers or some other calorie dense food. And sometimes that turns into dinner.

4. Checking out the home dec bargains is what I look forward to most when grocery shopping. Followed by checking out the wonderful cheeses and the soup bar and the produce. Last stop: the magazines to see if there are any sewing or quilt magazines that I've got to have.

5. And I was dreaming about people and places and about camping and about projects yet to come. And I was happy.

6. Kentucky in the first half of May; is there anything else better? I think not. I heard it described this week as heaven on earth and that about says it all.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm planning to help pick up Nora and Aaron at child care at the end of their day, tomorrow I'm planning to work then have a longer grand babe time, and Sunday I want to make a dress for Nora. From an Indygo Junction pattern with lots of green and pink squares.

Happy Friday, everyone.

UFO

I am such a fan of UFO's and have a box of them. All that work, then maybe I was just tired of it. Maybe I couldn't figure out where to go next. Maybe I was disappointed with how it was going.

But sometimes there's something in that box that's just waiting for the perfect time. I did the fireworks for a Quilt University class, then couldn't get it nice and square and didn't know what to do with it. It was done on Timtex, with a pieced background and fireworks made with embroidery threads. I recently got some Mary Ellen's Best Press, which was just the thing to wet the piece and steam it into shape.

My quilt guild is having a place mat challenge this month, so all I had to do was put on the borders, make the quilt sandwich, do minimal stitch in the ditch, and bind it. Easy, but there's a lot of work in the piece and I won't be reluctant to show it.

And now I have something to help me decorate for the seasons, which was one of my goals for this year. I love UFO's.

Yard Update

The plants around my house are old varieties, like this spirea. And forsythea and peonies. Still nice, though.

I forgot to empty my rain barrel at the end of the season and it split. I'll have to order a new one. Same with one of my favorite ceramic pots. I'll have to try and do better this year.

I have pansies to plant, and rosemary and peppers. And lots and lots of weeding to do. Things seem to get away from me.

Jungle Jim's

I'd heard of it - but I'd never been to Jungle Jim's. What a grocery store my friends introduced me to. Tonight I'm having roasted asparagus and cooked carrots made with yellow, orange, and red carrots. And strawberry chardonary cheddar and the best fresh mozerella ever.

The store is a long way from home, but what fun. There was a greenhouse too, and I got some rosemary and the gardening gloves I've been needing.

Thanks, guys.