A day for eating

Again, when I woke up, it was 10 and my parents were already at the breakfast table. Mom was drinking Ensure and taking her pills. I kept an eye on the TV to see a man from CraigsList get his hair cut on the Kelly and Michael show. I took over feeding Mom. I put some coconut oil in the Ensure and gave her a packet of the liposomal Vitamin C. She ate yogurt too. When she said she was full (I about fell over from shock), I got dressed and made my own breakfast. Dad was worried about Mom's credit card that needed activating. I handled that and got them to issue him one too. She had to give them verbal permission to do it, and she did. Then Dad asked me to put some green bean stew through the food processor. That went well and Mom ate some. I asked her what else she wanted and she asked for chicken. So we cut up one piece and it 'processed' well. I ate the second piece. When I fed her some of the first piece, she asked for salt. Dad brought out another jar, this one with peas, potatoes and chunks of beef. Into the processor it went. It made another fine mess. Mom ate some of that too, and said she was full. When the excess food was put away, I rinsed the processor and suggested to Dad that we move the bread machine up to the attic to make more space for the processor. So he took it up the rickety ladder into the attic. After that there were a few more things to do, like packing and taking Mom out for fresh air. She was uncommonly lucid. I tried to post to my blog, but the laptop was not cooperating. I helped Dad put gauze on his knee and wrap it with an Ace bandage. It must have been about 5 when we said 'Good bye' and drove away. We went to Chris' parents house. They were at a retirement party. I was so tired that I laid down on the couch while Chris fixed himself supper and read e-mail. Then he rubbed my feet for awhile. When I had some energy, he got a few things out of the fridge for me to eat. His parents arrived after 8. The four of us sat around the table discussing events of the week, and other assorted topics. Cecily went to bed, and Al followed soon after. Chris and I stayed up to look at e-mail. I had almost 300 unread e-mails and deleted about 100 of them. Chris went to bed but I stayed up to answer e-mail and make three postings to my blog.
* yet another pic from Paducah. I think I am caught up on my blog now, but might have left stuff out on account of posting so long after the facts. *

A day for sewing

Thursday morning I was unable to get up as early as Mom and Dad did. When I awoke, they were already at the table. Mom was not eating well. I thought she might be saving her appetite for Ladies Night Out. Chris did laundry and I patched pants. I read to Mom for a bit. Chris made the Thai Curry from Dr. Joel Furman's book. I helped him by juicing the carrots. It was not easy since the on/off switch did not work. Fortunately it was stuck in the 'on' position or there would have been no juicing. And it did not want to come apart for cleaning afterwards. When supper was done, I was working on patching the knee of Dad's pants. The only way to get it under the machine was to open the inner leg seam. When I had finished multiple rows of stitching, I realized that the other side of the seam got caught in the patch so I had to rip out half of the stitching. Faye came over to get Mom for Ladies Night Out. After she left, Dad and Chris and I each ate a bowl of the curry. I thought it was good. It was also filling. Chris had boiled some cobs of corn to go with it, but I was too full to eat one. After supper I finished the patch, repaired a pair of Mom's pants, and shortened another for her and one for him. Just as I finished, the ladies came home from eating out. I got to hear all about it. Faye brought Mom's meal home in a box, uneaten. But Mom seemed to find her appetite then and I was hoping Faye and Peggy would leave so I could concentrate on feeding her. But they didn't. I tried hinting, but was apparently too subtle. It got late, But Faye had to work in the morning and left before midnight. I fed Mom and put her to bed. It was quarter to 1 when I got to bed, even without blogging.
* quilt pic from Paducah *

A day for napping

Due to late nights, I have gotten behind on posting to my blog. Wednesday morning we got up early. Dad had to get ready for his colonoscopy and I had to get Mom ready for her day. Chris came over at 7. At 7:30 he drove Dad to the hospital for the procedure. He waited until it was over and brought Dad home. Meanwhile I got Mom changed, dressed, splinted and ready for breakfast. Dad wasn't there to get out her usual foods and pills. So I tried to feed her Ensure and yogurt, but it did not go well. She was tired and I was tired, so we both napped and when I woke up, she was more alert and able to eat. When the men got home, Dad was unsteady on his feet. But he readied her pills. I can't remember if she was able to take them all. There were a few grocery items that we needed for the Thai curry that Dad did not find yesterday, so Chris and I went shopping. First we went to Hancocks for black fabric and thread to patch Dad's pants. Then we went to Food Lion where we found everything on the list except watercress. We even bought a half-cake for Faye's birthday party later that evening. I got a small tube of icing to write with and some Happy Birthday candles that I thought would be re-usable. When we got back, Dad was asleep and Chris napped, too. I stayed up with Mom out on the deck. We listened to audios and I picked acorns out from between the decking boards. I also wrote Faye's name on the cake. I woke Dad just after 5. I put on pants and he changed his clothes. He and Dad took his car while I drove Mom's car to Hong Kong King Buffet. William, Faye and Kevin met us there. It was a nice display of food. I got crab legs, and sushimi. Mom did not eat much. After we ate, the waitress put the candles on the cake and lit them. She helped to sing 'Happy Birthday'. Faye blew out the candles, but some of them had already burned down too far to reuse. I had forgotten Faye's present. So she followed us home. I gave her the snap/close pouch with the red tabs. It was nice to visit with her, and she helped to get Mom ready for bed. It was midnight before she left. It was later than that when I got to bed, even without writing to my blog.
* pic from Paducah that might get replaced *

Not a good day for eating

Last night after putting Mom to bed and writing my blog, I found her sitting in her wheelchair, hoping for a ride to the table to eat. It was after midnight. I fed her some coconut oil and put her back to bed. Then I went to bed, too, if I remember correctly. I woke up the next morning around 9 maybe? My watch is an hour behind. I found Dad in the bathroom getting Mom ready for the day. I took over so he could do other things. I wheeled her out to the den. He did not have her breakfast ready. And he wasn't working on breakfast. I fed her some coconut oil and liposomal Vit C. Breakfast still wasn't ready so I gave her some kimchi. All seemed to go well, but most if not all of it came back up later. Breakfast never did show up. I took her outside to have some fermented coconut milk and Ensure. She wasn't swallowing inside so I thought outside in the fresh air might be better. It wasn't. I got some time in the sun and tried to get her in the sun too. Last night Dad asked me to pick out some recipes in the Joel Furman book. So I did. He wrote down the ingredients. For some reason it took all morning to get it down on paper exactly what to buy and what form to buy it in. Then he left for the store. When I didn't notice any cars missing, I looked all over the house for him, thinking he had fallen asleep somewhere. No, he walked to the store. Earlier in the morning he called to schedule a colonoscopy and they gave him an 8am appointment, tomorrow. So he could not eat at all today. Plus he had to buy two magnesium drinks and start drinking at 3. Kevin showed up at 3 to clean and cook. Dad wasn't there so Kevin did not have the ingredients to cook with. When he did show up, he did not have much. So he drank his drink and went back to the store, but in a car in case nature called. I wheeled Mom to the front yard while I trimmed the bushes. Dad came home with more veggies the second time. Kevin had finished the cleaning. Dad gave him the veggies for Cruciferous Juice, except for the watercress and kale which he could not find. It calls for a juicer, but there isn't one here. So Kevin put it all in the food processor, then strained it and poured the juice in a jar. The pulp was in a bowl, and it was tasty. So was the juice. But Mom still could not swallow. And Dad was not allowed to eat. So I alone had supper. Kevin recommended the chicken, but Dad steered me toward the pork and sauerkraut. Kevin put rice on the stove to cook. He played his dulcimer for us and then went home. When the rice was finished, I put it in a jar. All day long I tried to feed Mom and didn't get more than a cup of yogurt to go down. This means she did not get her pills. However, somewhere around 10, 10:30 Dad decided she needed to eat. So he got a sub out of the fridge and started feeding it to her. After every bite he would look in her mouth to see if she had swallowed. It was a long and painstaking process. I took over so he could get ready for tomorrow. When she finished the sub (I couldn't believe it), she chugged a bottle of Ensure. He wanted her to take her pills, so we got out another bottle. But this time it went into her cup. He put a pill in her mouth and I pushed it back with a spoonful of liquid. It worked quite well and she finished that bottle too. Then I put her to bed while Dad doled out the pills for the rest of the week into containers. When I came out to write my blog, he reminded me of her nighttime splint. So I went back to put it on her. Then I went to bed, not looking forward to getting up early for Mom because Dad has to get up early for his colonoscopy appointment.
Yes, its Faye's party, but Kevin posed with her cake.

Chris' birthday

We got up without an alarm as daylight came into the room. We showered, and dressed. Chris went to the hotel breakfast while I fixed my own breakfast in the room. We loaded the car and he checked out. On our way out of Bristol, we stopped by the Amish store. They did not open until 10 and Chris did not want to wait. So we headed for Richmond. We stopped every hour or so to walk. We finished one book on CD and started another. We got into Richmond in the mid-afternoon. First we stopped to buy a large jar of kimchi and then we went to his parents house. They were glad to see us. We talked inside for a bit, but the weather was so nice that we moved outside. After a while Faye showed up with a casserole, then Mom and Dad, and Kevin. Chris and Cecily had food ready. Al grilled the steaks. We sat down to supper. It was all so good. We sang Happy Birthday to Chris and passed out pieces of chocolate cake with berry butter filling and ice cream. Faye helped Mom eat as best she could. Chris got Michele on Skype for a few minutes before she had to go to class. Then he opened his presents. Clothing and a gift card. The party broke up. Chris put all my baggage in Dad's car. I drove him and Mom home. I resisted talking to him, hoping that he would nap on the way. I even drove below the speed limit. But he remained awake. When we got to the house, he jumped out to turn the lights on, and left me to find the other wheelchair and bring Mom in. I wheeled her into the house and back to the bedroom and into the bathroom. Dad had the doorway widened to accommodate the wheelchair. He had to show me their new routine of getting her ready for bed. She gets wheeled every step of the way now. When she was tucked in, I got out my laptop to blog. But I could not connect without a password. I looked in the computer room but did not find it. I hated to ask Dad because it would slow him down getting to bed. But he found it for me and I was able to log in. Now it is after midnight, I am ready for bed, but he is still doing tasks for tomorrow. Maybe I'll post a pic tomorrow.

Finally on the road

My phone alarm went off at 8, but since I wasn't going to Sunday school (it's over for the year), I did not get up then. We got up a little later, showered, dressed, ate and packed. We left about 11am. Chris got some books on CD at the library so we popped one in the car player. I put on my eye shades and leaned back. I peeked out when the car stopped. Chris turned off the engine because traffic was sitting still. That lasted about 20 minutes. We saw an ambulance drive in the other direction and then traffic picked back up. The rest of our trip was uneventful. We stopped several times for me to get out and walk. At one place Chris bought a chicken sandwich. I guess it was all that talk about Cluck in a Bucket on the CD book. We drove into Bristol before the book on CD ended. I walked around as Chris checked into the hotel. Then we moved our stuff into the room. I wanted curry for supper so went through all the restaurants in the phone book looking for Thai. I only found one and when we checked the address, it was 45 minutes away. So we settled for a Chinese place. It was a hole-in-the-wall place like the one in Augusta near Food Lion. I got curried beef and Chris got the beef fried rice. We took it back to our hotel room. The rice came in little white boxes like the ones in episodes of Bones. Mine was very good. I added some salad from home to finish the sauce. We watched NCIS re-runs on TV and read our e-mail. I finished off the last of the salad greens with a packet of Chinese mustard. The mustard was not good. At 10 we turned off the TV and went to bed.
* This pic was taken at the 2013 Paducah show *

Better, but still a ways to go

I woke up still in bad shape. I called Chris for help but still couldn't get out of bed. We were supposed to leave for Virginia but obviously I was in no shape to go. I read some e-mail and did the hot/cold thing with a bag of frozen fruit and a heating pad. I tried to go back to sleep. Around 11 I did manage to get out of bed with Chris' help. I fixed my usual breakfast. It felt so good to be up, but I did not want to overdo it. After an hour, I took the oxycodone and Aleve and put on the BWE CD. After two hours of not sleeping, I got up again. I had lunch, I packed food for the trip. I took a book outside to read for a bit. I talked to our next door neighbor. I laid down again for awhile and read e-mail, but I could not type in that position. So I brought the laptop out to the diningroom to type yesterdays events. We went down to watch three episodes of Bones, and then I wrote this post before going to bed.
Remedies tried: meds, hot/cold, BWE, FREED, EFT, meditation, visualization, prayer, positive thinking, Access Consciousness, Quantum healing, aromatherapy
* Another pic from Paducah *

Friday events

Just before breakfast on Friday I was sitting on the floor, scooping coconut oil from a 5 gallon bucket into smaller containers. My lower back seized suddenly and I yelped and rolled backward. Pulling my knees to my chest, I stopped the spasm. But somehow the damage was done. I could not get up. Suddenly, like when my ankle hurt, distances within the house became vast. Turning myself 180 degrees, I was able to finished filling the small coconut oil container. My back did not improve. I was in the den, my phone was in the diningroom and the bathroom was in the opposite direction. It was tough to decide which way to go. Both might not be possible. I inched my way into the dining room to get my phone. I called Chris and he offered to come home from work. I tried to wait for him, but nature called too loudly. I inched my way toward the bathroom (with my phone). I could not use the toilet so I crawled into the tub. By the time Chris got home, I was back in the den. I crawled to the bedroom and he helped me into bed. He set me up with my laptop and CD's. He did not know how to fix my version of breakfast, so I asked for lunch. He made the most delicious salad. I had to eat it lying on my side. I spent the afternoon calling people, reading e-mail, and listening to CD's and audios. He brought me Oxycodone and Aleve. It did not help. And I was surprised that I could not get out of bed even with help to go to the bathroom. Always in the past we managed somehow. This time we had to use a towel over a garbage bag. It was embarrassing and humiliating. I applied cold and then heat. At bedtime I took 2 Aleve. Chris slept in the guest room. I stayed up late with my laptop then went to sleep until nature called again. I called Chris for help, and asked for an Oxycodone. I slept for awhile, and used a BWE CD. I slept again.
Remedies tried: EFT, visualization, imagineering, meds, heat/cold, Silva Method, BWE, switchwords, crying, positive thinking, Access Consciousness, liquid luck
* Pic from Paducah *

Grounded!

As I was following my morning routine, sitting on the floor, my back seized. I spent the rest of the day on the floor, or in bed. It is very hard to type while lying prone because I can hardly see the keyboard. I took two Aleve and hope to be better in the morning.

Mercury free!

I woke up early this morning for two reasons: one, Chris' alarm went off and two, I had to get up early for a dental appointment. I tried to sleep until Chris was ready to leave, but I was a bit nervous. So I got up, took a shower, ate breakfast, read e-mail, but no exercise. I brought a book to read in the waiting room, but got into a conversation with the receptionist until the assistant came to get me. I requested a vibrating chair because I saw it in the list of amenities. Jill brought a unit that straps over the back of the chair and covers the seat. She also brought me a blanket and pillows. A student came in to observe. She was almost 20. Jill numbed my gums and the dentist injected the anesthetic. After it took effect, she drilled out the two amalgam fillings and replaced them with something white. I was uptight during the drilling, but a little more relaxed during the filling. Afterward I went out to pay. They are so nice there and schedule long appointment times so there is no rushing. I elected not to have the cracked filling on the other side done at this time so that I would have one side to chew on. So they made me another appointment for that but it isn't until August. They stay so busy. I went home and took three packets of lypo-spheric Vitamin C. I also ate lunch and read e-mail. I finished the sewing project from yesterday and made a second one so I will have one to show off. I tried to get some outside work done, but just didn't feel like it. Twice I found myself lying in the grass, basking in the sun. I listened to lots of audios and almost fell asleep. One ended just as Chris came home. We had leftovers for supper, and went down to watch Bones. I kept getting distracted by the strong scent of rat urine. Chris said he did not notice it. I am thinking they sprayed something in the room, like the rug, couch, or pillows. Then Chris went to bed, and I am sitting here thinking how good my teeth feel considering that they were drilled only this morning.
* This picture was taken in Paducah *

Finished and ready to hang

Before I went to bed last night, I did a little tapping for the overwhelm of getting this place ready for my peers to come over. I also sent out a request for the missing tape measure pieces. As I was falling asleep, the thought of where they might be came to me. I slept in until almost 9. I think I was having a dream about looking for a hot tub to relax in. I read e-mail, exercised and remembered to call the property management lady about the exterminator. She hadn't called, but did so right after hanging up on me. The exterminator called to say he had a cancellation and could come in 30 minutes. I think it was sooner. I showed him where I heard the running feet, and the garage where they can get into the ceiling, and around the outside of the house. He found mouse feces in the garage and said he could smell rat urine in the basement. Ugh. He showed me a possum he had in a cage in the back of his truck. It was kind of lethargic, even when he took it out of the cage, but I didn't pet it. He gave me his card, and he left. He is going to recommend setting out poison stations, and starting a monthly treatment. He did not think the landlord would pay for the monthly part. After he left, I finished the CD I was listening to and the binding on the quilt. I even stitched down the rod pocket at the top. I laid it on the guest bed to photograph. I mowed the side yard, the front ditch, and the part that is really hard to mow between the new ditch and the fence. The mower wasn't done, but I was. I came in for water and e-mail. I watched a tapping video. Just as it ended, Chris came home. I went outside to trim some bushes, easy ones. I carried the trimmings to the pile near the carport. I moved boxes and stuff in the garage to make way for ladies to gather around the pingpong table. I swept the floor. It looks so much better. Then I went into the sewing room to examine a box filled with instructions for various sewing projects that I taught in Korea. One of them was the pouch I worked on last night, and inside the bag were the missing pieces I needed. Chris was ready to watch TV then, so I postponed finishing the project. We watched at least three episodes of Bones season 6 before going to bed.

Finishing the fruit

Before I went to bed last night I finished sewing the binding on the front of the quilt. The binding strip was just a few inches short of encircling the perimeter so I had to spice in a short piece. It took longer than I expected. No surprise then that I slept in this morning. That meant less time to read e-mail and exercise before breakfast. I did have time to start a loaf of bread for Chris. After breakfast I listened to more of the CD's that Jennifer lent me. While I listened, I worked on the binding of the fruit quilt. I sewed the binding to the back by hand, completing one long side. I went outside to mow, finishing the backyard and most of the front yard. I plugged the mower in while I raked the leaves in the side yard. Then I finished the front yard and started mowing the side yard. But I did not get to finish. Oh well, gotta have something to do outside tomorrow. I went in for water and to check e-mail. I listened to another CD and completed another side of the quilt. I did one of the tapping videos, and then went back outside to water plants. Some of the tomato plants and pea plants have grown appreciatively. Chris came home and had supper. I came in and took my laptop downstairs to listen to an audio while working on a pouch for my sister. I got it almost finished before I came to the part where I need sections of a metal tape measure. I am certain I had some left over from Korea, but can't find them anywhere. So I told Chris it was time to watch TV. He came down and we saw episodes from Bones season 6. I forgot to mention yesterday that some of the season two episodes involved Eddie McClintock, who I remember from Warehouse 13. When I watched Warehouse 13, I thought he was also the guy who plays on Bones. So it was interesting to see the two men together. David Boreanez makes Eddie look short by comparison. I thought he looked taller on Warehouse 13, but Chris said that was because the whole cast was short. They looked normal sized to me.
* I saw this quilt in Paducah *

How many words can you find?

I heard Chris run the garbage out to the curb this morning, and then close the garage doors. I particularly noticed the doors closing since I had left them open yesterday. Oops. I could not go back to sleep, although I tried, so I started my day early. I hoped to get to quilting at a more reasonable time. I read e-mail, exercised and listened to a CD. I folded laundry and decanted the kombucha. Then I answered the phone. Mirna called to say she wasn't feeling well. So after she hung up, I labeled her number in my phone and realized that I had a message from Saturday. It was Andrea. I listened to her message and called her back, which meant leaving her a message. Then I tapped for Mirna. But that was cut short by a call from my dad. He can talk. Then it was too late to be earlier for quilting. I packed a lunch and gathered my sewing supplies. I hunted for a metal bobbin, having seen a bag of them recently, but had no luck today. Finally I gave up and left. When I got to the church, there were lots of cars and a hearse parked in front of the entrance we use for quilting. I parked and tapped, seeking clarity. By noon police cars arrived, people exited the building and the caravan drove away. I loaded up my rolling cart and headed toward the building. Two other quilting ladies did the same. It was a small crowd today, but we had a good time chatting and sewing. I brought the fruit quilt and stitched in the ditch on all the seam lines. Sheryl came by for a quick visit. We were surprised to see her since she just had cancer surgery. But she looked great! Barbara mentioned that we can't meet on June 3rd because the church needed the room for Bible school. I offered my house. It was accepted. Am I insane? When I finished my quilt, I packed up and went home. I had some food and water, then mowed the back yard. It was hot outside which made the cool basement more inviting. I cut 6 strips of binding for the quilt and sewed them together. I pinned the top over a broomstick handle to see if it hung straight. It did. Chris and I agreed to watch TV at 7:30. That gave me time to start sewing on the binding. I would have finished too, but had to fashion a rod pocket out of the trimmings from the backing and pin it in place. Then we finished season 2 of Bones. Actually we missed two of the DVD's because they were damaged. Then Chris went to bed. I stayed up to blog and figure out how best to host a quilting bee: tables, lighting, outlets, parking...
* Faye asked me what was on the last square of the quilt, so here it is. *

The Quilt that went to church

The alarm went off at 7:15. I was in no mood to get up. But I did, eventually. I fixed breakfast and read e-mail. I took a shower and dressed in red. I wondered why we don't have a Sunday for dressing in blue, or yellow, or green. How about Rainbow Sunday? How cool would that be? Ok, so I gathered my purse and quilt. When I got to my car I had to run back for my choir folder. Today being the last day the choir sings 'till after summer meant that we had to sing at both services. I arrived a few minutes before the target time of 8:45. I needn't have rushed. By the time our part near the end of the service arrived, it was after 9. We sang a long amen. Then filed out as the last hymn played. I went to the car to get the quilt. I laid it on a table in the fellowship hall. I also brought in a dish of dates for the kids party. I helped Shannon blow up balloons. A few people saw the quilt and commented positively. Tamara told Pastor and he asked me to bring it up during the service to show to the congregation. While the kids were playing, I cleaned out the craft room. I separated what I bought from what came from the craft closet. I put things like glue, scissors, markers, etc back where they belong. The rest went in my car. I sat in the sanctuary for a quick rehearsal before the late service. Then I got my quilt and folded it into the pew with me. After the announcements, the pastor asked that all the Sunday school helpers come up front. He said a few words and a prayer. He and Shannon held up the quilt (because they are taller than me). Then special gifts were given to Tamara and Shannon for heading up Sunday School. Later in the service they recognized graduates. Only one was in attendance. After the service, I spoke to Linda who donated the backing fabric. She and several others also made positive comments about the quilt. I stopped by the fellowship hall to pick up the bag with Michele's name on it. When I got home, I was hungry. I changed clothes and then Chris and I went to Publix for groceries. After we put the food away, I put away the items I brought home from Sunday School. Then I mowed part of the front lawn and part of the back. I was worried about critters getting into my fabric, so I cut up a really tough box to make faux ceiling tiles. I filled in the gaps left by missing tiles so the animals won't have a way to get in. Then it was supper time. I read e-mail and watched a video online. I was also playing solitaire and for some reason the touchpad quit working. When the video was over, I restarted the computer. I started listening to a CD that Jennifer is lending me. When Chris was ready, we went down to watch Bones. Then we went to bed.

Radish pods

I was supposed to teach a quilt class today, but when I suggested to the one person who was taking it that she come to my house instead of both of us going to UAH, she said she'd like to reschedule the date. So my day was free. Sort of. After my usual morning of e-mail and exercise and tapping, I ate breakfast. I made up 8 days worth of vitamins. I put together a Swansons order. Couldn't put that off any longer because I need it to be delivered this week. That seemed to take hours. Then I worked on the quilt, hoping to have it ready for church on Sunday. I got the last row and the borders sewn on. I took a break to mow part of the lawn. I ate one of the hamburgers Chris made, and some radish pods from the garden. Then I ironed the backing and taped it to the pingpong table. I found some batting that was just barely big enough. Well, except for the missing corner. I located a remnant that was the same fiber content and loft. I cut it to fit and whipstitched it in place. Then I stretched the top over the batting. I folded back the top and batting and sprayed the backing with quilt basting spray. I replaced the batting and sprayed it and the underside of the top. When it was all stuck together, I did a large running stitch around the edge to keep the layers from peeling apart. I left it there in the garage. I came up to read e-mail and listen to audios. I ate a piece of chicken. Chris played with the voices. We got to talk to Michele briefly when the game was over. We made the bed with freshly washed sheets. Then we watched 2 episodes of Bones before putting the sheets to use.

The rescued quilt

There was nothing unusual about how I spent my morning. Well, except for taking pics of the rescued quilt to send to Shelly. It was cool and rainy, which is normal for the season but unusual for this week. It is supposed to be rainy for the next few days so our ditch might get a workout, but today wasn't that much of a challenge. I did check the basement for water. What I found is that the critters running between the floors have been chewing on the boxes in my sewing area. I fused a piece of old sheet to our regular sheet which ripped. It is also threadbare in that area so the patch won't save the sheet for long. Then I fused lightweight interfacing to the back of the handprint. I sewed the square into the quilt, and finished as much as I could without the second square. I cut out a piece of yellow. I taped my alphabet grid to a square ruler and put it over a light box. Then I taped the yellow square over it. Very carefully, I used my forefinger to put orange paint on alphabet stamps and stamped them on the fabric. I only made one mistake. I found some yellow paint to touch it up so hopefully no one will know. Then I added it to the rest of the quilt. Before I could finish the borders, Chris came down to watch TV. He came home early so we had time to watch a lot of Bones, now into season 2. It was after 11 when we went to bed.

I need a hand

I did not go to bed after writing my blog yesterday. Instead of lying awake wishing I were asleep, I elected to listen to another audio and draw the diagrams for the class on Saturday. It was after 11 when I went to bed, but before 9 when I got up. I had my usual morning with breakfast about 11. I put out the recyclables. I watered the young vegetable plants. I trimmed the holly next to the front steps. Last time I trimmed the bushes I hurt my achilles tendon, so I figured trimming one bush a day was safe. But I could probably get away with two, which is what I told myself as I trimmed the second one. I was done talking to me as I trimmed the fourth one. I used a hand pruner and a ladder. William had given me a large hedge trimmer, but I did not feel safe using it on a ladder. But at the end, there was this one holly that was REALLY prickly, and the back was unreachable, so I got a folding chair and the electric trimmer and made short work of it. i really don't like that bush and would not be sad if it died. I could easily fill in the space with something else. I raked up all the trimmings and loaded them onto a tarp so I could move it all to a pile near the street. I think on Mondays a truck comes around to gather up stuff like that. Having spent enough time on yard work, I came in to have lunch and some water. I re-drew my diagrams on graph paper. I used the desktop computer to scan in the graph paper and save it in a file. I also printed it out, but it printed larger so some stuff on the side and bottom got left off. Then I traced my hand on a piece of paper and re-drew the line with a large marker. I placed another piece of paper on top and wrote the 9 fruits of the spirit in it, following the outline of my hand and fingers. I taped a piece of thin red material over it and copied the words in dark marker colors. Now I have one more block for the quilt. Chris came home from work and made his usual burrito. I had some salad and took my supplements. I got ready for quilt guild meeting. It was a little early, so I went down to look for some lightweight stabilizer or interfacing to put on the back of the red block since the fabric was so thin. When I found some interfacing, I left it on the table and went to guild. It was later than I thought. I found some friends to sit with. I was glad I brought my jacket. The program was a talk by Shelly Zegart, the executive producer of the documentary Why Quilts Matter. She made the topic come alive with her enthusiasm. At the end, I asked her about a rescued quilt that had come into my possession. She said if I sent her a pic she would offer an opinion. I thanked her so much, and went home. It was almost 9. Chris and I watched two episodes of Bones before going to bed.

Sunny day

It was after 9 when I got up. I did not feel like getting up, but life must go on. The morning held nothing unusual. After breakfast at 11, I searched the internet for reasonably priced hammocks. Then I put on my bathing suit and laid in the sun before doing a bit of yard work. I weeded an iris bed. It is tough to dig the weeds out when the irises are so shallowly rooted. Then I worked on the Fruits of the Spirit quilt. I noted a bad smell in the corner of the basement where the water comes in. I opened the garage door to get air and heat in, hoping the smell would diminish. I finished stitching around the letters. I put on the borders of the panel, and trimmed the hand squares. I sewed together all the ones I could, leaving out the two that have nothing on them. Chris came home. I came upstairs to check e-mail and take a shower. I loaded a bowl with dates to take to choir practice. I watered plants just before I left. At church I saw that other people put their food on a table in the fellowship hall, so I did too. We practiced two songs for Sunday and she told us we had to come early to sing one of them at the end of the 8:30 service. I am not happy about that. After the short practice, we gathered for our end-of-the-choir year party. There was fruit, cookies, brownies, ice cream, and assorted non-diet food. I had some grapes, a date, and a small cheese. One man brought brownies made with Jack Daniels. I took one home for Chris. He and I watched several episodes of Bones before going to bed.
* These are Rebecca's paper-pieced blocks from last night *

The Fruits of my labors (so far)

It was almost 9 when I got up, and I think I went back to bed, so it was after 9 when I got my day started. The morning passed uneventfully. I started a loaf of bread for Chris. After breakfast I took my laptop downstairs to listen while I traced and cut fusible letters. I smelled the bread baking. When the battery ran down, I came up. The bread was done so I took it out of the pan. I could not resist breaking off part of the crust that formed when it rose a little too much. I put the rest in a bag for Chris. While the battery recharged, I went outside for some sunbathing and yard work. I watered the seedlings. I pulled some weeds and dug up others. When I came in, the laptop was ready for another session. I remember e-mailing Deb to see if she needed a demo for tonight. She e-mailed back that she would appreciate one. So, during the second audio, I prepared a block for the demo. And I fused letters in place and stitched around them. Before I was finished, I heard Chris upstairs. That meant that I had to get moving. I took a shower, and dressed. I got all my demo stuff, BOM stuff, and show-and-tell stuff together for the meeting. I left a little early which was good. The car was unbearably hot (even though the heat was turned off) and the seat was too far forward. That would have been ok, but it wouldn't move back. When I got to the college, I had time to examine the seat. I could not figure out why it wouldn't work, and then it moved. Maybe there is a safety feature that won't allow it to move when the car is in motion? Anyway, I proceeded to the building only to find several members standing outside. They said it was artic inside and that all the tables and chairs had been put up for cleaning. So we stayed outside. When the others showed up, we sat on blankets in the grass and held our meeting. I wasn't quite able to complete the demo without a table to cut on, but Deb said everyone got the idea. Rebecca lent me a sheet of graph paper to show the BOM on since we didn't have a whiteboard. The group also wanted next month's block so I drew it, but not sure I got the dimensions right. I did not know they would want it, so I wasn't prepared. I asked who was taking my class on Saturday and only one person responded. I promised to e-mail her the requirements. After the meeting broke up, we chatted as a group and then in pairs. Deb returned a bag of stuff that she did not need for the library display. I did not stop at the Asian grocery on the way home so I arrived by 8:30. We watched several episodes of Bones season 1 before going to bed.

Fruits are done

It was cold when I got up this morning. The thermostat read 64. I wore my housecoat through most of my morning activities. I read e-mail, did my tapping videos, exercised - all the usual before breakfast. I even folded the laundry. I skipped two ingredients of my repast. This is my way of isolating what it is that makes me feel sluggish after eating. I am keeping a list so I will know when I have found it. I felt sluggish this morning so will continue the search. I googled coconut mayonnaise. I laid down for awhile, then got dressed, packed a lunch, and took my Project Linus materials and a 40 inch sheet of paper to the church where we quilt on Mondays. The parking lot was full of cars, but not for our group. In fact we had fewer people and fewer tables. Barbara left early to be with Sheryl during her surgery. We waited for updates, but it didn't happen until 6 even though it was scheduled for 2. I sectioned up the piece of paper with a ruler and pencil. Then I drew the letters of Fruits of the Spirit in their proper place and size. Then I worked on the Project Linus blocks. I stayed longer than I meant to because I forgot to wear a watch and time got away from me. When I got home, Chris was already there, with his burrito steaming on a plate. I ate a piece of chicken and made a salad. Then I mowed part of the front lawn. I came in through the garage and proceeded to work on making fusible letters for the quilt. I completed Fruits and came upstairs. Chris reminded me that I was going to cut his hair. So he sat outside while I trimmed away. Then we watched several episodes of Bones. We finished season 5 and started season 1. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but the first two seasons were checked out when we started watching.
* Paaducah pic *

Can you see the baby birds?

My phone alarm went off at 8am, same time as Chris' alarm. I rolled over for another 40 winks before getting up. It must have been a long 40 winks because by the time I finished breakfast, it was almost 8:45. I jumped in the shower and then got dressed. I noticed that there was more slip than dress, but I pulled the dress down and rushed off to church. I was on time, but got embroiled in a conversation. I am not needed for the opening to Sunday School so it didn't matter. I was there in time to lead the Grapes to the craft room. I made them raise their right hands and swear to tell the fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit. Ha, ha. They weren't nearly as amused as I thought they'd be considering that we have been studying the fruits of the spirit since September. They did enjoy making cardboard binoculars. Sadly I forgot to bring my camera. Katheryn used her iphone, but has not sent me the pics yet. One girl told me she had 50 rolls of colored duct tape. another girl showed me the purse she'd made out of duct tape. Then they went to Storytime. I cleaned up the room until it was time to practice with the ladies. The ladies were singing a song with the children for Mother's Day. I took some supplies from the craft room back to the craft closet. Then I sat in the sanctuary to wait for Chris. Jennifer had the kids pass out roses to all the adult women in the congregation before church started:) Chris arrived and the service began. After we sang our song in front of the church, Chris whispered that my slip was showing. He was not the first person to tell me, nor was he the last. Mental note: wear a shorter slip with that dress. The sermon was good. And afterwards I sent Chris home with the rose so that I could tie up loose ends at church. I let Tamara and Linda know about the Fruits of the Spirit quilt. They both agreed to make suggestions if I e-mailed them a pic of the proposed piecing. When I got home, I changed clothes and we went grocery shopping. When we got home, we put the food away. We read e-mail and then I got out my fruit and veggie fabrics to find some that would be good for the letters on the quilt. I replaced the salmon panel with yellow and it looked less like a calculator. I opened the garage doors for air and light. I drew and cut out large letters from today's bulletin. But although they were the right height, they were too wide to get them all in the length of the panel. I decided to google some smaller letters. But then I realized that it was time to call my mom for Mother's Day. I think Dad talked longer than she did. The call lasted until Chris told me supper was ready. He made chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, and a garlic scape and sweet pepper stir fry. Not long after that we sent down to watch TV. Then Chris went to bed while I stayed up to blog.

Class notes (and alternate version of quilt)

Because there was nowhere I needed to go, we stayed in bed late, or later than usual. I still had time to read some e-mail, exercise and eat breakfast by 11. It rained in the morning and part of the afternoon. I went out to see if water was flowing through the ditch, and it was. It let out onto the grass, flowed to the end of the fence, and then took a right turn down the slope of the back yard. I spent hours looking through quilting designs to find one that looks like the flower of life symbol. The sun came out later and I raked leaves under the magnolia tree. The grass wasn't dry, but it had achieved a certain level of not-so-wet, so I mowed under the tree and finished out that side of the yard. I mowed the ditch in the front of the house and then started on the three feet of backyard that actually belongs to the next door neighbor, but it is outside his fence. When the battery ran down, I gave up. I opened the garage doors and swept out the water that collected at the front. I disassembled the Vax that Bob used so it would dry out. I moved the towels that were drying on the fence To positions in the carport. Since it seems to rain a bit every day, they never quite got dry. I moved my rug inside the garage. It seemed dry, but I am going to give it another day. I checked on my planted seedlings. The broccoli ones look the best. The others aren't showing much change in size. I traced around my hand and wrote the fruits of the spirit in the fingers and on the palm. I want to put it on a quilt block, but it just doesn't look quite right. Chris gamed with the voices. I listened for awhile, chatted with Michele on Skype about how to make the words fit my hand, then spent an hour or more writing up the notes for my upcoming class. It still needs diagrams, but at least I have something I can print out for the class. The rest of the evening was spent trying a new self help technique called Matrix Reimprinting. When I finished, Chris was done too and we went to bed.

'Fruits' of indecision

It was almost 9 when I decided to get out of bed. I had woken earlier to the sound of heavy rain, but it slacked off by the time I got up. I checked the ditch from the dining room window. It was wet, but there was no water in it. I listened to audios and exercised before eating breakfast. It was still raining lightly at noon, but it quit in the early afternoon and the sun eventually came out. I spent most of the afternoon in the sewing room and garage, cutting border strips for the handprint quilt. Making the backing first allowed me to know how wide the borders could be and still fit. I ran through options for the two missing or blank blocks. I googled a word search program and entered all the fruits of the spirit and other words from the Sunday School song. It created a word search, but I had to play around with it to get one small enough to fit in a block. So now, do I want to embroider the letters on, or use a pen? And for the other block, I drew an outline of a hand and entered the fruits of the spirit in different arrangements. However, drawing on fabric is not nearly as easy as writing on paper, so I'll have to practice to see if I can pull it off. I gathered some wild lettuce and dandelion to make a salad for supper. At 6:30 I decided it was dry enough to mow. I finished the backyard and the part inside the fence. Then I started remowing the ditch to get the parts I missed. But the battery ran down before I finished. Earlier in the day I had put some quinoa in water to soak. Well, I thought it was quinoa, but it turned out to be flax seed, so I drained the water from the bowl, and spread the seeds on a paper towel. I spent the evening picking seeds from the paper towel. Some would not come off, so I put the towel in a zip-lock type bag with dryness packets from previous supplements. Maybe tomorrow they will come off easily.

Quilts with due dates

My day started before 9. I exercised, read e-mail, and took out the recyclables. I finished the audio that I started last night. It was a beautiful sunny day, so after breakfast, I put on shoes and mowed as much lawn as I could. I finished the front yard, the side yard and part of the back yard. I hung Sharon's towels out to dry. I finished the center of the quilt top for class. I worked on preparing materials for Sunday School. I noticed that the rug in my sewing room smelled badly. I took it outside to dry thoroughly. I pulled some weeds and laid in the sun for a bit. I tried eating some of the seed pods from the radishes. They were pretty good. According to an internet article, some people pickle them. I laid out the handprint blocks from SS. There are 18 of them. They look nice in an arrangement of 4 by 5, but that would give me two empty blocks. Maybe the head of SS would put her print on one? I took the fabric that Linda gave me for the backing and trimmed the edges. I cut it in half and sewed the selvege edges together. Can't work on the top until I make a few decisions. So I went through my blue fabrics to find a suitable border for the center I finished earlier. I cut the strips and sewed them on. I took notes for the class handout. By then it was 6, so the lawn mower was mostly charged. I was able to almost finish the back yard. Then I came in for supper. Chris had already had his. As I ate, I googled Fruits of the Spirit artwork looking for an idea of what to put in the two empty blocks. Then Chris and I watched several episodes of Bones season 5 before going to bed.
* pic from show in Paducah *

The solution to all of our problems?

I guess it was about 8 when I woke up to see that it wasn't raining. I read e-mail for awhile, then exercised. That is when a truck drove into our driveway, but no one got out. So I waited. Another truck joined it about 15 minutes later. It was Bob's son-in-law, the one who just finished his post-graduate exams in engineering. The first truck must have been Colby's vehicle. He is Bob's late teen helper. They set up a laser level in the side yard. I continued to read e-mail as if I wasn't watching them, as if my life was so fascinating that I had no interest in 2 men installing a trench to catch surface water drainage before it seeped into my basement. They seemed to take a lot of readings for two people whose job was to dig a ditch. After breakfast, I got out the lawn mower and mowed about half of the front lawn before it ran down. When they drove away for lunch, I took a pic of the ditch. Bob had marked where the ditch should start, but they hadn't started there. Bob was nowhere to be seen. Later I went out to do yardwork. I was pulling weeds near Darren's truck. When he and Colby finished the ditch and were ready to leave, he spoke to me. I mentioned Bob's marker, and Darren told me Bob hadn't said anything. I showed Darren the spots in the basement where water was seen. Darren said if the ditch worked, he would come back to clean it up a bit and reseed it. Then, amazingly, there was a sudden downpour. We checked the spouts to see if water was coming out - it was. We grabbed Bob's blankets which were drying on the fence. They took them and left. The downpour did not last long. I went outside to take pics of the ditch. It wasn't what I expected. Bob mentioned a machine, but this ditch was dug with shovels. And it had more than two ends. I don't see how I am going to mow this after it is reseeded. Perplexed, I returned to my normal activities. I put on another audio, unloaded the dishwasher, had some lunch. I did four tapping videos. I went out later to plant the largest seedlings from my planter box. Chris came home as I was watering the newly planted. He fixed himself supper. I took a shower and started another audio. Then I left for choir practice. The ladies came early to practice with the kids. Then the men showed up at 7. We practiced one song for the Sunday after Mother's Day, which is the last choir day. Jennifer told us that next Wednesday we should bring treats for a choir party. On the way home, I stopped at the dollar store to find some peel-n-stick paper for the next round of binoculars. They did not have any that kids would like. I got home around 8. Chris and I watched several episodes of Bones. I checked the corners of the basement to make sure they were still dry. He went to bed, but I stayed up to blog.

Sometimes you just have to suck it up.

I woke up at 6:30. I know that because I looked at the clock and couldn't believe it was that early. So I went back to bed for an hour. I read a bit of e-mail, putting off the inevitable first sight of my underwater basement. Around 8 I went down to survey the damage. It was no worse than when we went to bed last night. I actually remember asking for that outcome. I called Sharon to tell her that she didn't have to come over, and I could handle it myself. She insisted. So I started the water sweeper and left the garage door open so she could come in. She brought her own water vac and started in the corner while I was clearing the closet. Sadly, it turned out that the water was still coming in, albeit very slowly. I swept up all the water in the garage, and some of it, too, came back. She left around 10 to get ready for an appointment. But before she left, she said we could take $200 off of next month's rent. I went one more round with the vac, and then put towels in the spots most likely to accumulate water. I fixed and ate breakfast, then called my favorite soil scientist to get his opinion on our water problems. He recommended first checking the spouts to see if they have the proper grade, then building a diversion terrace. I tried talking to Mom, but could not hear her say anything. As it was a sunny day, I left the garage doors open to dry out the floor. I thought about running the mower, but the day after a good rain is the best time to pull weeds, so that's what I did all afternoon. Did not mean to, but there were so many weeds, and so little time. It looked like rain, so I went inside. I felt funny, so I rested in the recliner and drank water. I thought I heard Chris come home, but he never came in so I went out. His car was still gone. I picked a few leaves of swiss chard and collard greens and ate them. I sat on the brick wall to examine my seedlings when Chris showed up. He examined his seedlings and we both went inside. We ate supper and read some e-mail. Then we watched several episodes of Bones and went to bed.
* This quilt was at the Paducah show *

Didn't know our house came with a pool

It was as rainy a morning as it had been all night. I checked the basement for water, but found none. I did not feel like exercising. I put two Mother's Day cards in the mail and walked around the side of the house with my umbrella, looking for water flow. I checked the basement again, and this time found a small puddle of water in the corner. I called Bob to tell him that water was coming in and that now was a good time to see the conditions under which it happens. He came right over and had towels with him. Apparently he had been expecting my call. We piled the towels in the most likely spots. He also brought a quilted mover's blanket, which I place by the dryer. He walked around the outside of the house, taking mental notes and making decisions on the best action to take. Then he went back to his previous job. Thinking that we had the water situation covered, I ate breakfast and headed to the church for a day of quilting. I worked on the Linus quilt that I started yesterday. There were more ladies there than I expected, considering how hard it was raining. Because it was the first Monday of the month, Bertha brought a cake for the ladies with May birthdays. It was a very nice cake, covered in large strawberries and kiwi slices. I ate one strawberry. Most of the ladies packed up by 3. Mirna came about then, so I stayed later. We closed the place down around 4. When I returned home, I did not expect what I saw. The basement was flooded. Every towel and the blanket were soaked. Even the garage was wet. I called Bob. He said he was busy and would get back to me. I started up the Bissell and suctioned gallon after gallon of water. After what seemed like hours, I realized that the water was coming in as fast as I was getting it out. Chris helped for a bit, vacuuming up water as I moved boxes and other stuff out of the way. Then I took over again. Finally I called the property manager (Sharon) to tell I was at my wits end about what to do. She and Bob came over with more towels and blankets. The rain had stopped. All three of us worked at getting water out. We all wondered about the water being clear. If it was coming through the ground, wouldn't it be muddy? They got to hear the critters crawling around between the floors. Bob and I tried out the shop vac left in the garage. It did not seem to be very easy to use. Finally I suggested that we put the remaining boxes up on PVC pipes, and call it a night. There was no end to the water coming in. I estimated at least 10 gallons an hour. Sharon promised to come back in the morning to help clean. After they left, Chris and I swam to the TV to watch an episode of Bones before going to bed.
* Another pic from the APQS show in Paducah *

Rainy Sunday, but quilting helps

I woke up about 7:30, and my phone alarm was scheduled for 8. I tried to go back to sleep, but it just wasn't meant to be. I started the breakfast process, read some e-mail, took a shower and got dressed. This time I remembered to wear earrings. One ear had closed up already and I had to poke through it. I readied my sewing box for the afternoon. I arrived at church a little early. After the opening, the kids followed me back to the craft room. There were five of them so I was one pair of toilet paper tubes short. No big deal since I have a bag of paper towel tubes, which I cut down for the fifth person. Last week I had to make the project for the little kids. These kids were older, but we had problems anyway. The shiny paper doesn't stick well to tape. The glitter strips did not stick well either. Shannon was there to help, but we still went over time trying to get all the binoculars finished. The story lady didn't mind since her piece wasn't going to take the full 20 minutes anyway. Shannon and Tamara both agreed that next week's kids would like this same project. That is a load off of my mind. All I have to do is replace the materials used in prep for next week. Maybe I'll skip the shiny paper. Tamara stayed to talk to me while I cleaned the table. When I heard the choir practicing, I ran out with my choir folder. I came back to get the Awakening Prologue for Jennifer. Then I cleaned up some more, putting stuff out of sight because I think somebody is playing with the stuff during the week. I sat in my usual seat for church to begin. The kids started the service by singing their Sunday School song and signing with it. They went through all the fruits of the spirit. During the service, twin girls were baptized. One cried and the other didn't. After the service, I spoke with Cecelia, and then grabbed my SS stuff and darted out the side door. When I got home, Chris was waiting. I changed clothes, and ate a duck egg, then brought my sewing stuff out to his car. He drove us to Quilter's Combo. It was closed but there were women gathered in the back room to work on Project Linus quilts. They seemed very happy to have me there. Barbara brought copies of a new block for everyone to try. I picked out some bright fabrics to try. The block is made by sewing two contrasting blocks together and then cutting them up. I spent most of my time cutting blocks (target 40), and piecing some fabrics that weren't quite big enough. I stored them in pairs, print and solid. About 4 I packed up. Bertha seemed ready to go. I was encouraged to come back. Then we left. Bertha drove me home. Chris was waiting for me to call him for pick up, so was surprised to see me. I ate some kimchi, and then picked out a Thai restaurant to go to. However, it turned out to be closed on Sunday so we went to one we had been to before. It wasn't as authentic I guess, so I ordered sushi rolls. Chris got chicken. It was good, but nothing to blog about. When we got home, he checked his e-mail and I checked the basement for water since it was raining again. Water still there, but I am not sure if it was more than was there yesterday. I saw my project waiting on the table, so I started sewing. Chris came down to watch Bones, and I joined him. After 4 episodes, we went to bed.
* Another quilt at Paducah *

Rain and the leak

Last night I slept in my personal health direction, which is south. It was a little awkward as the bed is facing slightly north of west. But I slept well, having my headphones on and listening to meditation CD's. I woke up between 8 and 9. I ran through my exercises. It rained all night and was still raining, so I checked the basement. Dry. I read e-mail and listened to an audio and ate breakfast. I took notes on the last Feng Shui presentation. Since it was not a day for yardwork, I decided to sew, working on my class quilt. That is when I discovered the water. Not copious amounts, but a puddle in the corner. It would have been worse, but I had placee a rug close enough to soak it up before it ran all over the basement. I called Bob. He did not seem surprised, even though when he was here, he said it would only leak after a week of raining. I reminded him of the critter problem between the floors. He promised to remind his wife. I guess it's her call, literally. As I was sewing and listening to audios, it was quiet. I took a break for supper. I chopped up an onion and a fresh garlic from the yard. I added fermented soybeans, ground beef, and leftover fish bits. It was quite good, if aromatic. I also chewed on wheat grass. When I returned to the sewing room, I was not alone. Some thing or things were scrabbling around above the ceiling tiles. There are a couple of places where tiles are missing, but it did not poke its head where I could see. When the laptop battery ran low, I proceeded upstairs to plug in. I got some water and put on some tapping videos, since I have been a bit remiss lately. One of them was on the topic of relaxation. So now I feel ready for bed.
* Pic from Paducah show *

Still working on that quilt

Chris got up early and packed for the weekend. He kissed me as I lay somewhere between sleep and consciousness. I got up at 8:30. I was having a dream about looking for a parking space near VCU. I followed my usual morning practices. Andrea called to say she was flying to Fayetteville to check on schools and churchs. After breakfast, I went outside for yardwork, listening to an audio. I planted some pea and tomato plants in the garden. I watered them and put compost over the whole area. Then I started pulling weeds, mostly clover, around the edges of the garden. When the laptop battery ran low, I plugged it in and used the tablet. I ate some lunch, then descended to the sewing room to work on my class quilt. I got the opposite border on and assembled pieces for the third side. I don't remember why I quit there. I do remember finding a package at the front door. It contained the hard drive Chris ordered for my desktop. But he is gone for the weekend, so not here to install it. The wind picked up outside and his tunic blew off the deck. I rescued it, but am not sure it will stay there. I juiced a beet, celery, half a cucumber and a lemon for supper. I listened to the next Feng Shui audio, stopping often to take notes. She spent a lot of time talking about clearing clutter. I vacuumed in the bathroom and shook out the rug. I cleaned up in the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher. I finished the last of the kombucha. Not to worry, I have another batch ready to be decanted. I Googled strange phone numbers that appeared on my cell phone. Several were telemarketers. I chewed on wheat grass. The sweet taste is starting to grow on me. I found a few numbers on a 16 x 16 Sudoku puzzle. I read some quilting and sewing magazines. And now, I think I'll go to bed.
* A pic from Paducah, not the one I am working on. *

Thursday - Kale Chips

I put out the recyclables at some point during my morning routine. I took notes on today's session of Feng Shui, which focused on purity. After lunch, with no lawn left to mow, I worked on the yard. I trimmed around the stones which outline our neighbors front yard. Quite a few of them had ants under them. Whenever I lifted one of those stones, it was like the scene from "The Mummy", where the scarabs pour forth. Most of the ants were black, but one stone had large, dark yellow ants. Maybe they weren't ants? Anyway, nothing bit me, and I was grateful. I also trimmed the grass growing along the edge of the driveway. Ants infested that area, too. I feel surrounded. It's like a Hitchcock movie. After yard work, I retired to my sewing room. As I worked on the quilt project that I intend to teach, I took notes. I tried two different ways of doing the fat triangles at the ends, and decided method 2 had everything going for it. (I used method 1 in the first quilt.) When Chris came home, he put a load of laundry in the machine. I threw in my yellow quilt backing. The Chlorox bleach pen got the purple dye out, but I wanted to be sure the bleach came out as well. After I finished the top and one of the pieced borders, I came upstairs. I wanted to juice veggies for supper. In my old age I find it is easier to juice my salad than to eat it. So I got out the kale, which makes yucky juice. Chris suggested I make kale chips. I didn't think it worked out so well last time, but he wanted it so I coated the pieces with oil in a bowl. I arranged them on two cookie sheets. Chris sprinkled them with salt, and put them in the oven. That is when I realized that our oven has a light that can only be turned on by opening the door. I tried using a flashlight to monitor the progress, but it wasn't strong enough. Chris checked several times, and then took out the trays. He ate most of them because I found them too salty. They were crispier in reality than they look in the photo. He put the leftovers in a plastic container. Then we watched 4 episodes of Bones and went to bed.

And Bob was there, too

While I was reading my e-mail, I came across another audio (more feng shui). Today's topic was relationships. I had done 2 of my bouts of exercise when I noticed men in the front yard. I ran to the bedroom to get dressed. It was Bob and his son-in-law. They were discussing how to stop rainwater from coming into the basement. When they left, they had moved one of the big OSB boards from leaning against the house to leaning against the fence. I ate breakfast, and then got out the mower. I removed several pounds of dessicated grass clippings from the bottom. I finished the front yard, and then the back yard. I plugged it back in while I raked under the magnolia tree. I mowed the part I raked. I put on a rubber glove to pull out the poison ivy I found in the backyard. I listened to another audio while eating lunch. I took my laptop to the sewing room. I had clipped a quilt pic from the Hancocks catalogue and wanted to try it. I spent considerable time choosing fabrics that would work with the design and use the color scheme of the color challenge for our group. I wasn't going to sketch it out on graph paper (not sporting), but I hate to waste fabric by cutting it wrong. Chris came home for supper. I took a shower, and went downstairs for graph paper. I spent a while drawing out several patterns. Now I need my EQ 4 program to see how the blocks will fit together. It is loaded on my desktop computer, which isn't working. Chris said if it isn't recoverable, he will spring for EQ 6. So tempting. I left early for choir practice, but discovered when I got there that next week is the week we come early. But it's ok. Since the choir year is almost over, practice let out early. In fact, I think this is the last Sunday for the men. Maybe I should sing tenor next year. When I got home, Chris was almost ready to watch TV. I started writing to my blog to get a head start.
* This is a pic of Eleanor Burns crowded shop at the Fairgrounds *