Weed salad

I got up soon after 7. I checked my e-mail and found a message from Chris. I weighed myself and discovered that I have gained. So I got the rebounder out again. I tried it in the computer room this time but the floor was too shaky. The hallway worked better, and maybe will prompt me to bounce during the day if I have to step on it to get back and forth. I chose not to put it in front of the bathroom for obvious reasons. I read more e-mail and did some tapping. I did my range of motion exercises. I have been noticing a mysterious coffee smell and I finally traced it to coffee grounds in the coffee maker. I threw it out. I made vegetable juice, and ran the Netflix packet out to the mailbox. I made and ate breakfast. I packed scraps into my travel sewing box. When I got to the church, I worked on those scraps, sewing and trimming them to 7.25 by 11.25 rectangles. Carolyn agreed to take me to the eye doctor tomorrow as long as there is no conflict in her schedule. I quit about 4 to come home, eat the rest of the beef, and view the garden. The spinach looks like grass, but some super tiny spinach-like leaves have just appeared. I considered mowing, but most of the lawn is not tall, just a certain unidentified weed. I was picking dandelion when Bob drove up to see about the mailbox. He asked when Chris was getting home so his vehicle wouldn't block the driveway. So I had to tell him that Chris was not coming home. After looking at the mailbox, he seemed to be in a talkative mood. When the dandelion wilted in my hand, I closed the conversation. I washed the greens to make a salad, adding items from the grocery store. I washed four sweet potatoes that were lying by the stove. I rubbed them with bacon fat, and baked them in the oven.  I opened the windows.  I listened to several audios while they baked. I ate my salad, some cheese, and a carrot. I wrote a check to put in the mail tomorrow. I called Charmaine about Thursday. I did some tapping, ate one of the potatoes, and wrote up my blog post for today. I intend to tap until bedtime (and practice my trombone after the windows are closed)

, and then retire with headphones and a brainwave entrainment CD.
*  This is a quilt that Lori is working on for Doris  *

Looking up

I woke up slowly, not sure if it was daylight yet. When I got up the clock read 6:15. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was too late. I was awake. I got on my laptop to see if Chris had left any messages during the night. I warmed up my singing voice with Disney songs. I practiced my choir music. I showered, ate breakfast and went to church. I don't know how we pulled off the choir piece, but it came together. God answers prayer. After church Cecelia asked me if there were any ferns coming up in my yard. Then I brought my trombone in from the car. I played for Mary and we made some decisions about Palm Sunday. When I got home, I changed my clothes, and ate the last of the salad to make room for groceries. I went to Publix. I was surprised again that the bill for food for one person was over $100. The man who usually helps me with my groceries wasn't there, (ha, ha). I put the groceries away, ate some beef, and wandered outside to look at the garden, and for ferns. It was such a nice sunny day that I laid down in the sun. I took some pics from that position. Then I came into watch the Netflix movie “The Help”. It motivated me to do some tapping. I had supper upstairs, and read e-mail, with no word from Chris at that point. I sang some more Disney songs. Then I finished ironing fabric in the basement while listening to an audio. When I went back up, I had a message from Chris that he had been invited to go fishing so that is why he hadn't written. I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Practicing at church

I woke up at 7. I got up just long enough to read the time and send out two e-mails before I went back to bed. I got up an hour later, hearing rain, and wanting to collect more rain water. I brought it what had collected and ran it through the coffee maker. I exercised, drybrushed, showered, and juiced. I meditated so the juice could be best absorbed, and then worked on breakfast. I brought in more rain water. I am the only person I know with jars of rainwater in the fridge. I watered my indoor seedlings and discovered that the peppers are full of fruit flies or gnats. So I set the trays outside hoping the little critters would find something outside more to their liking. I practiced my trombone briefly, then packed it up for practicing at the church. I practiced my choir music, too, but had so much trouble finding the notes that I quit in frustration. I was reading e-mail again when MaryAnn skyped me. We talked about being in the band. Then it was time to leave for practice with the organist. We played the piece, but I did not feel comfortable playing it because of all the dissonance. Every note sounded wrong. We discussed other options. Then she helped me rehearse the choir piece for tomorrow. I did better than at home, but was still not satisfied with all the entrances. When I got home, I left my trombone in car, and got the mail. I tried playing the music on the flute, but could not remember the fingering for Eb. I finished my breakfast, put on an audio, and ate lunch. I looked at quilts on Pinterest. I also sang with Disney videos on Youtube. It is a great mood booster. I brought the seedlings in, and they appeared to be bug-free. I washed laundry (clothing and pillowcases) and fabric in two loads. I e-mailed back and forth with Chris. I watched some tapping videos. When all the fabric was done, I took my laptop downstairs to listen to interviews while I ironed. When the last audio quit after 10, I turned the iron off and came upstairs to blog and go to bed.

*  another pic of the quilt shop  *

Fabric Day

Last night I figured out how to set my alarm for 6:30. I could not figure out how to set it only for today. I woke up in the middle of the night and had a little trouble going back to sleep. When I woke up the second time, I could not tell if it was still night, or just beginning day. The microwave declared it to be 6:18. I got up and took a shower. My alarm rang while I was getting dressed. I went outside to see how much rainwater I had collected. I brought it in and filtered it, then put it through the coffee pot, and then into the fridge. I checked e-mail, then packed my breakfast and lunch into a tote and headed out, a little after 7. My phone rang on the way. It was Beverly. I could not find the phone fast enough to answer it. But she was waiting when I got to the church. There were about 10 ladies waiting. One of them was way too perky for the hour. At 7:30 we got into 3 cars and headed up 72 to a McDonalds. The other ladies ordered food, but I ate my prepared breakfast and took my supplements. Then we drove for some time, and ended up at an out-of-the-way place called Moore's. It had two big rooms of fabric and one of consignments. I loaded up and counter, finding fabric as fast as the lady could cut it. Since there were so many of us, it took a while to get out of there. We drove for a long time, and pulled into an Arby's for lunch. Again, I ate my own food. Then we went to a place called Hammer's. It was a department store with a good size fabric department. I loaded up there, too. The clerk was telling me about a potato chip quilt that she had made. It was called that because it was so simple you can't make just one. She drew the pattern on a piece of paper for me. Then Beverly started a rumor that I would have one done by next Tuesday. Ha, Ha. From there we headed back. But first we stopped at an Amish food store. There was very little I could eat there. Their 'home-made' applebutter had red dye #40 in it. Then our driver wanted to take a little side tour of where her father's farm used to be. THEN, we headed back to Huntsville. When we got to the church, I loaded my fabric in the car and came home, really tired. I laid down for a bit, then got up to eat and read e-mail. I played an audio while I digested and cleaned up a little. I got a package from MaryAnn with pretty kitty-cat fabric. I skyped Kurt because skype said he was on, but it lied. Still, he skyped me back and talked for 3 hours. He wants to buy a used car and I told him he could have mine WHEN I'm done with it. I had to sign off then because it was time for bed.

Getting ready to hit the road

I got up at 7. It seemed a little early, but was good practice for tomorrow when the quilters are meeting at 7:30 for a road trip. I checked e-mail, then remembered to take out the recyclables. I put the Netflix movie in the mailbox. I read e-mail and and listened to audios. I juiced the four lemons I found in the fridge. I exercised and made a little more veggie juice than usual since there will not be time for that tomorrow. I made 2 breakfasts and ate most of one. I edited a transcript of an EFT audio, and e-mailed it to myself so I could access from the desktop and print it out. I put on my coat and grabbed my sewing stuff and drove to Stitch-its. They are planning a road trip next week and invited me. So I agreed to go. Also, I was invited to a retreat, but I had to decline because I might be in Kwajalein then. I worked on 4-patches until 2, then packed up to go. When I got home, I finished breakfast, and ate some beef. I finished an audio, checked e-mail, and opened some windows and turned off the heat. I spent some time outside pulling treelings, and watering the peas and spinach. Then I sat in the sun. I came in to read e-mail but the computer was so slow that I rebooted it. I crossed my fingers and hoped to get my open windows back. The “_____ is not responding” messages make me smile – as if it were not painfully obvious that these programs are not responding. I practiced my trombone during the reboot. Two more lemons appeared in the veggie drawer, so I juiced them. The shells went into the glass water pitcher. I also made hummus while listening to an audio. I tried to clean the coat closet, but when I pulled the swiffer out, its pad had deteriorated and I could not decide it I should try to fix it or not. I decided to go on to tapping using the edited transcript. Beverly called to make sure I am coming tomorrow, and promised to call again at 6:50. I should learn to set the alarm on my phone. I made salad for supper and added some broccoli florets and hummus. I heard a few tapping audios, then took a break to sing Disney songs on Youtube which made me miss Michele. Maryann skyped me and we talked until I had to get ready for bed. I closed the windows, turned on the heat, and made a few last minute food preps for tomorrow before going to bed. 

*  This is one of the house block quilts that the Tuesday group worked on last year.  *

Tapping with Denise

I woke up at 7:20. I deleted the first round of e-mail and emptied the dishwasher. I put iodine on my forehead. I tapped for not wanting to drive to the repair shop. Then I called the mechanic, who said come right over. So I got dressed and drove over. While I was waiting for them to recheck the engine, I was working a Sudoku puzzle when the owner came and showed me how he plays it on his phone. I tried not to show off. The mechanic came back to tell me the o2 sensor needed replacing for $300. I thought it was fixed last week, but they said they didn't believe the code so they just turned it off. Now they believe it. But they advised me not to bother fixing it if I am only keeping the car for 4 months. They offered to help me sell the car, or take it to CarMax. The owner told me how to change the car clock. I came home and called Al to tell him about the car. I boiled water, and exercised, and drybrushed. I juiced, and made breakfast listening to audios. I collected and took out the garbage. I cleared some of the kitchen table, testing the pens and throwing away those that did not work. I moved some heavy books from a top shelf to a bottom shelf. Denise came over to tap. I listened to her for a long time and then we tapped. After she left, I skyped Kurt (who had skyped me earlier). We talked until after 7. Then I fixed a salad for supper, and changed my shirt. I went to choir practice with my tablet. We practiced music for each Sunday until Good Friday. When I got home, it was almost 9. I ate some home canned tomatoes., and read e-mail, and listened to audios. I did some tapping and went to bed.

*  This is from Thursday night, made for someone going through cancer treatments  *

Filling the freezer

Last night I found a package on front porch. It was a Swansons order. I tapped until after midnight to the audios from the tapping summit that I missed. It was late, but I fell asleep quickly, and woke up before 8. I deleted the first round of e-mail. I exercised, drybrushed, and showered. I put on an audio and boiled water for breakfast, swished, and prepared a package for mailing. I juiced, and then realized it was 10:15 already. I got in the car, made sure I had my package and keys, etc, but remembered my base pass on the way to post. Luckily I had it and it was not hard to find. At the base post office, I mailed the package, and took mail from the p o box. I drove to the quilt meeting. They reminded me of the trip on Friday. Beverly said she would call me that morning to make sure I got up. On the way home, I stopped by the Asian store for kimbap. The lady remarked that I remembered today. At home, I ate the kimbap with kimchi, wondering if I can get such food on Kwajalein. I listened to and tapped with audio. I called the eye dr. to make an appointment. I called Sharon about the mailbox and she agreed to remind Bob. I e-mailed Chris a list of what was in his mailbox. I put nails in the closet to hang mops and things with handles. I practiced my trombone. I loaded the dishwasher and ran it. I called Al about getting my car looked at again. I cut up the ham and put it in small packages in the freezer, then put the bone in a pan to boil. The great thing about making a list is that at the end of the day I can see what I did with all of my supposedly free time. The bad thing is that my mind constantly comes up with more to add to the list. I tapped with videos on Youtube, and moved heavy books to a bottom shelf. I played solitaire listening to more audios. I started emptying the dishwasher, then realized it must have been on the dryclean cycle because the dishes were dry and so was the powdered soap. But not so clean. So I set it to wash again, and washed the bowls by hand so I would be sure to have some clean ones. I looked up my January blog entries to get a clue on the cause of this forehead spot. A pic of my on New Year's Eve shows no spot. But it gets mentioned in the January 19^th posting. Still no clue. The dishwasher stopped and I checked. The dishes were clean and wet, so I left them in to dry. I got an e-mail from Chris about the mail, and that he saw sharks. By 8:40 I wasn't really hungry, so I decided to eat the rest of the brussels sprouts and be done with supper. I filled out a health insurance survey that came in the mail. They did not ask the questions I really wanted to answer. I spent the rest of the evening tapping to short audios and checking for messages from Chris in between. At 10 I took the ham bone off the stove and drank the broth. By 11 I hope to be in bed.
*  This is a cathedral window quilt that Jane is working on.  *

Chris arrives - in Kwajalein

I got up at 7: 30 thinking I heard the phone, but it wasn't ringing. I anointed my forehead, and posted to my blog for yesterday. I read e-mail, exercised, drybrushed, and watered the seedlings. I transplanted the ones that sprouted outside the peat balls. I juiced, and made breakfast while listening to audios. I got dressed, packed lunch, and was ready to go to the church. There were very few ladies there, which was unusual with no retreat going on. More ladies came later, but not as many as usual. I talked to Joan who sat across the table from me. I worked on the scrap 4-patch project.  Carolyn was still worried about the spot on my forehead and wanted to take me to the clinic. I wanted to see the eye doctor and she offered to take me to eye dr, then to the clinic. It was a cunning plan which would have worked if she hadn't told me about the clinic.  I came home to work in the yard since it was sunny and tomorrow won't be. The mailbox was open again, so I got the mail out and then bent the upper thingy to hold it shut. I put my sewing stuff away, and checked e-mail quickly. I dug more garden, and used up the rest of the compost, hoping I hadn't overdone it. Dirt is heavy! I watered the emerging peas and spinach, then came in. I emptied a large container in closet, and used it as a basin to wash some dishes. Others went in the dishwasher. I picked some violet blossoms and dandelion for a salad, adding salad greens. I also ate some ham. I read e-mail until Kurt Skyped me.  I got an e-mail from Chris saying he had arrived in Kwajalein. I then talked to Kurt until MaryAnn called. I talked to MaryAnn until after 10. She pointed out that in a previous post I left out the part where Chris' car is a stick shift and that is why I had trouble driving it.  After hanging up with her, I made up vitamin doses for the next 8 days. I could have gone to bed, but decided to stay up later and avoid waking up in the middle of the night. Time to get on with the tapping.
*  This is a close-up of one of the magnolia trees in our yard.  *

Craft show

I heard the phone alarm at 8, but did not get up at 8:30. I drybrushed, exercised, and read some e-mail. I told the Nuts.com people that their box of salt had arrived. Chris called about 9:15 from Dallas to tell me he was there. I ate breakfast, and got an e-mail from Denise asking if I wanted to go to a craft show with them. I said yes. I got dressed and went to church. Before the service I shook hands with the gentleman in our pew murmuring “gently” and I think he got the message. Joanie did a great job singing the liturgy. Pastor Ettraim was serving communion and gave me a piece of bread big enough for two. After church I bought one of the tickets that the kids were selling. On the way back I stopped for gas. I had trouble at the pump and finally it said to see the attendant. I repeated the entire process again and still no gas, so I went home. I changed my clothes, finished breakfast, and played and audio. I took my supplements, and waited for Denise. She called for the street name, then appeared in a truck with her husband. He drove us to the VBC to a craft show. It was very interesting, bot most people were not buying. I bought some naturally antibiotic soap, dry skin cream, and pickled eggs. Denise got a mild one to try and I got a jar of the medium. We tried out the hammock chairs. I would have liked one but where would I hang it? They dropped me off at home. I read e-mail, then dug up compost from the bottom of the compost pile. It was harder than I thought. I dug up part of the garden, put the dirt on a tarp, and mixed in the compost. The extra dirt went into the brick enclosure nearby. I read more e-mail, and ate ham and leftover potatoes. Before it got dark, I went to the Shell station where I had no trouble getting gas – but it was really expensive gas. The traffic pattern was convenient to get to Publix, mostly for veggies. Surprisingly I still spent almost $100. When I got home, I closed mailbox which was sitting open again. I put the veggies away, and ate an apple and a banana. I listened to another audio, followed by a meditation. Chris called to let me know he had reached Honolulu. I finished the meditation and it left me somnolent. Not wanting to waste a good somnolence, I went to bed even though it was early. I should have known I would wake up in the middle of the night, unable to go back to sleep. Guess I won't do that again.

Exit stage left

I did not hear Chris' alarm go off at 3am. And apparently I missed the shower, too. But I heard him get dressed, and then he kissed me before going out to the kitchen to make breakfast. I put on my robe and followed him out. We chatted a little but mostly I tried really hard not to cry. Then he carried his baggage out to the end of the driveway where he waiting for the taxi. I tried to take a picture because it reminded me of the old song “Leavin' On a Jet Plane”. His last act of service was to check the mailbox and bring in the mail. The taxi arrived soon after and then he was gone. I went back to bed, listening to all the night sounds. I tapped. The wind rose and the rain fell heavily. I wondered if the storm would delay his plane. Eventually I fell asleep.

Wrapping up last minute details

Before I went to bed last night I tapped on separation issues. Then I went to bed, and Chris came home some time after. He got up first and went out to the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. I took a shower, then exercised, juiced and made breakfast. We stripped the bed and he started the laundry. Then we went to the library on post and returned the movies. I also got a library card. Then we went by the post office to check the mail. Then we went to Chris' office at the AMC building. But it was under guard for an exercise and we could not get in. Chris drove his car across the street, and then gave me driving lessons. I did ok, but it was a small empty lot. When the guards left the entrances to the AMC building, we went over there. Chris went into his office and I practiced starting, stopping and backing up. Then I had to go in to use the bathroom. We came out together and the lessons continued. I don't know if I will ever get the hang of it. As long as no one else is on the road, I'm ok. On the way back we stopped at Staples to get printer cartridges. When we got home, Chris installed the BW, and showed me how to do the color one when I need it. He continued with the laundry and packed.  I patched two belt loops on his jeans, and read e-mail.  We folded the laundry together. I cried a lot. I told him I could not drive him to the airport (at 4am) because I would be crying too hard to see. Goodbye's are hard anyway, and saying goodbye to him is almost impossible. So he called a taxi company and made arrangements. We sat outside for a bit, eating dates, while he explained to me what a great opportunity this is for him. Then he cut up leeks and brussels sprouts and put them in the oven. We went downstairs to watch Kelly's Heroes, coming up once or twice to check on the oven. We even ate most of the brussels sprouts. When the movie was over, we made the bed (with extra sheets), he handled a few details and went to bed.  I will be there in a minute. 

*  These are our flowering trees.  I hope Chris will have flowering trees where he's going. *

Waiting for Chris

I woke up yesterday thinking I've never slept with a deputy garrison commander before. This morning I was wondering what is expected of his wife. I woke up around 7 and rolled over which woke Chris up. He got ready and went to work while I tried to get back the dream I was having. I finally got up at 9. I cleared the first round of e-mail. I mixed some ALC in a glass of water, but when I walked into the diningroon with it, the bottom fell out and water went everywhere. However, there were no shards of glass to clean up. All I needed was a mop and a towel. I read e-mail, including the Kwajalein newsletter which Chris forwarded to me. I realized that I have been spelling it differently. I anointed my head, then juiced. I fixed breakfast, and ate part of it. I got dressed, and checked the mail. The mailbox was open again and there was mail in it. I re-hung a picture that has been bothering me in the livingroom. However, despite it being mathematically in the right place, it still bothers me. I raked and mowed in the side yard. I watered the seed beds. The new watering can worked great. I played some audios, while I had lunch. I practiced my trombone briefly. I finished an audio, and made dandelion tea. It is surprising that the looseleaf tea is less strong and tasty then the tea in bags. I did some tapping, then called Brian's Tire and Service to tell them that my check engine light was still on. They suggested that I bring the car back in next week. I was almost done listening to another audio when Chris came home to make supper and pack for game night. After he left, I played Beatles songs on Youtube while catching up on e-mail. There was an extensive Violet flame meditation. After that, I washed the last of the (supposedly) triple-washed salad 4 times. In the past I have only had to wash it once, but this batch must have missed the tub. The more I washed it, the limper it got. After 4 times, I threw it out. To replace the salad greens, I peeled two brussel sprouts and sliced an avocado. I cut my thumb and the pit went flying. I put hydrogen peroxide on it and a bandaid. After eating the salad, I took some lipospheric vit C, and dabbed some on my forehead. I looked up potassium bicarbonate since it was in my last order and I can't remember where I read about it. I listened to another audio, this one on brain health. When it was over, I cropped the pictures from last night and posted to my blog.

*  These quilts were made by Kathy McNeil.  The waterfall is made from her wedding dress.  *

Pictorial Quilt Presentation

I don't know when I got up. I went out to the diningroom to greet my in-laws before they left. We had a little time to chat and then they packed their car and left for home. When I got to my e-mail, the time was just after 8. I cleared the first round. Then I anointed my head, and got dressed. I sorted the recyclables and took them out to the street. I watered the seedlings in the window and practiced my trombone. I put on an audio while I drybrushed and exercised. Then I returned to e-mail. Another audio played while I juiced sprouts, beans, kale, and zucchini. I made breakfast after that, and ate during a third audio. I took the quilt that needed binding to the Thursday group because they have so many people that the tables fill up. It seemed better to have handwork that can be done away from the table. However, when I got there, there was only a handful of ladies, so there would have been plenty of room for my machine. So I worked on the binding while chatting with the ladies. At 2:15 someone mentioned the time and since I hadn't turned my watch ahead, I needed the notification. I folded the quilt and drove home. The mailbox was open, so I pulled out the mail and shut it. How long it will stay closed is anyone's guess. Apparently the rental agent is in no hurry to fix it. I had some ham and kimchi for lunch. I played an audio and read e-mail, trying desperately to catch up. I finally figured out how to change my e-mail sig file. Pray that Yahoo doesn't reconfigure that path again. I went outside to enjoy the sun by running the mower. I finished the back yard and inside the fence. I read e-mail again until Chris came home. I fixed myself a salad. I changed my clothes and went to the guild meeting.  I signed up for the bus trip to Paducah.  Debbie let me sort the strips all by myself. This time I made sure I did not get one of my own strips. Sadly I miscounted the piles and had to tweak the system to arrange it. But she said I could do it every month if I want, so I get to try again. As the comfy quilts were shown off, I heard a murmur from the audience and looked up to see my second fish quilt being held up. They are all anonymous, but I know who made it. Kathy McNeil did a presentation on her life and award-winning quilts. It was interesting to see her pictorial style. Looks like an awful lot of work. I left as soon at the meeting was over. Chris was waiting at home. We watched Just One of the Guys, a teenage movie from Netflix.  He says he doesn't remember the big reveal.  Chris showed me a card signed by all of his coworkers. Then he went to bed. It'll be my turn as soon as I get this posted.

To buy or not to buy

I woke up at 8:30. I wanted to do the dream sequence, but my last dream was not a good one. I drybrushed and completed my exercises before leaving the bedroom. I anointed my head with iodine, and put on a robe. I met Cecily in the dining room. It was too early to eat, so I read e-mail for awhile before juicing. I called my dad to make sure he knew about Chris. He told me my mom had fallen that morning. After the phone call, I started making breakfast. I was also talking to Al and Cecily and the time flew faster than I realized. I stopped eating at 10:30 to brush my teeth and get dressed. Al and Cecily drove me to the dental office. They went to WalMart while I had my teeth cleaned, x-rays taken, and gum pockets measured. The hygienist told me that they were considering having a massage therapist to relax the patients before or after their visits. It sounded like a great idea to me. Cecily was waiting for me when I got out. When we got home, they put a pizza in the oven for lunch and I finished my breakfast. I also had some ham and a banana. We went down to check out the American Girl box. Alfred put it in their car, and we found a box of canning jars to go in with it. I called the mechanic, and got the bad news about the transmission. Al looked up used cars on the internet while Cecily told me to look up rentals. I left Chris a message, but he pulled in to the driveway soon after, so he did not get it. Since a new transmission would cost more than the car is worth, we all went to pick up the car. After Chris paid, the man told me that I was free to go, but don't leave town. Cecily rode back with me and the car drove fine. We had a little time before our dinner reservations, so I took the lawn mower out for its first spin of the year. I did the front yard and part of the back before Chris came to tell me it was almost time to leave. I washed up and changed clothes, then we went to Outback. We had a nice dinner. It was so close to choir practice time that Chris drove us straight to the church. The three of them waited while I sat in practice with the choir. It was no more than half an hour. I brought the thumb drive for Jennifer and had it sitting in my lap so I would not forget it. But I did, and stood up, dropping it. Then I could not find it. But Jennifer spotted it sitting on top of my black purse. She was happy to get it. Then we went home. We talked about electric cars and how to drive standards. Chris went to bed, and the conversation went on. Then they went to bed and I was able to finish my blog and go to bed. 

*  This is Joan showing off a kit she made.  *

Shifting gears

Last night I listened to an audio on dreams and longevity. She recommended waking up slowly, reviewing the last dream 3 times, then writing down the symbols, associations, dream dictionary definitions, life situation, and emotions.

I don't know when I woke up except that it was before 8:30. I tried the dream sequence, then got up. I drybrushed and exercised in my room. Then I went into the bathroom to anoint, and put on my robe. Cecily was sitting at the diningroom table with her laptop when I got there. She could not get her laptop on the internet, so we went into the computer room. But the desktop was in Ubuntu and it did not reboot properly. Alfred was ready for breakfast so I showed him where all the ingredients were. I juiced while Cecily checked her e-mail on my laptop. Then I fixed breakfast and ate it while clearing e-mail. I drove to the Tuesday quilt group. They had BOM projects from last year on display. It was nice to see them all. I had some social interaction and they invited me to go with them next Friday on a caravan trip to some out-of-town fabric shops. On the way home, I stopped at the Asian store for kimbap, sprouts, and dried lily flowers. When I got home, they were eating lunch, so I joined them with my kimbap and kimchi. I saw the mailman go by, so I went after the mail. There was a box on the porch from Nutsonline. It was full of nuts and powders, but the sea salt had leaked into the box. After lunch, Alfred and I took my car to the Volkswagon dealership to get a new dipstick. Apparently the stick and the shaft are plastic and disintegrating. Al noticed the transmission problems on the way over. The parts we needed cost $30, so we asked about the gear shift boot. It was $190 so I decided to keep the plastic bag that I have been using. On the way back, we stopped in at Brian's Auto Repair. The owner rode with us for a bit and the transmission worked perfectly. Grrr. But we decided it needed to be computer analyzed. One of the technicians rode home with us and drove the car back to the shop. They will also change the oil, install the dipstick shaft, and change the time on the clock. Al and I went downstairs to investigate the dip in the diningroom floor. I don't want to end up dead in the basement crushed by the diningroom wall. But we could not find any irregularities in the joists. Chris came home while I was transferring foods from the shipping bags into jars. He opened the 5 gallon tub of coconut oil so I could put some in smaller, more manageable containers. I cleared some e-mail before supper. I went down to look through the box of American Girls dolls and accessories in preparation for giving them to my in-laws to take home so that their other granddaughter can play with them when she visits. Soon Chris came down to tell me it was time to leave for the restaurant. We went to Bonefish Grill for supper. There were no leftovers: I ate my meal and Chris ate his and whatever his parents did not want. When we got home, we sat in the livingroom to talk. First Cecily dropped out to go to bed, then Chris. Finally Al went to bed and I stayed up to post.

*  This is from Monday, but I am not sure who made it.  *

They're here!

I got up around 8:15. I practiced some music at the piano, then checked on my seedlings and watered them with an eyedropper. After my daily anointing, I strained and drank some dandelion tea. The looseleaf kind is not as good as the one in tea bags. I read some e-mail, and listened to a meditation audio. I drybrushed, and exercised, then juiced most of a bag of kale to get it out of the way. It made quite a mess and there was lots of clean-up for that. I found a few more things to inlaw-proof my house. As I went through my routine, I was wondering how I'm going to do this when they are here. Maybe I can release some of it temporarily. I made breakfast, and ate breakfast. I played an audio, and a short video. I packed a lunch, then took my sewing stuff to church. I worked on 4-patch blocks, when not talking to the other quilters. Rebecca is jealous because she wanted to be stationed in Kwaduleine but could not get sent there. At 3:30 I packed up and drove home. My in-laws had not arrived yet, but my order from Swansons had. The mailbox was standing open but there was no mail in it. I brought in my stuff, ate my lunch and heard a car drive up. It was Chris coming home early. However it was not long before Al and Cecily showed up. We had a good time visiting, and discussing Kwadjulein and how this all came about. Chris roasted beef in the oven, and in separate pans, brussel sprouts and potato wedges. We ate supper in the dining room and kept on talking. We made a few decisions about tomorrow and then they all got ready for bed. I took two minutes to play through my trombone music for Palm Sunday, then sat at my laptop to go through the ever abundant e-mail of the day. I listened to an audio while typing up my blog.

*  It may not be green, but this is an Irish chain quilt.  I did not catch the name of the woman who made it.   *

Clean and green

I woke up hearing a noise. At first I thought it was the heat, then when it got louder, I realized it was rain. I stayed in bed writing a short story in my head until I heard my phone alarm. When I turned it off, I saw there was an unheard message. I played it and it was all garbled like it was in someone's pocket. I went back to bed, and got up when Chris' alarm went off an hour later. I boiled water for breakfast, and took a shower after eating. I looked through my closet for something to wear and ended up with a green dress, BEFORE I remembered it was almost St. Patrick's Day. Chris took his shower and then we went to church. I was there in time to practice with the choir. Jennifer gave me her thumb drive. During the service there was a dedication of the nursery floor. Actually it was an interlocking mat that was softer and more cleanable than the carpet. During the passing of the peace, a man squeezed my hand so hard that it still hurt an hour later. We left after church, changed clothes, and went grocery shopping. After putting the food away, we ate lunch, and went to Home Depot for small light bulbs, a duster on a stick, 2 plungers and a watering can. When we got home, Chris replaced the light bulbs in the dining room light fixture, and I dusted the corners of the ceilings. Chris started a game online with the guys.  I  took the last vial of supplements and made up a new week's worth.  I grouped files into folders and loaded them onto Jennifer's data stick. I looked for more EFT files to add, hoping to fill it up. I looked up the requirements for Brethren block and noted them in an e-mail to myself so I will remember later. I changed the sheets on guest bed, and carried stuff out. I tidied up the bathroom sink area. I checked my hormone book for some advice. I vacuumed the guest room and the green rug in the living room. Chris carried out the green rug, so I could vac the red rug. We returned the coffee table to the center of the room. I cleared some of the diningroom table. I was rearranging the coat closet when I had a twinge in my back, so I sat down for a bit. Chris got his clothes and lunch ready for tomorrow. I decided to post to my blog and call it a day. 

*  These are my tomato seedlings.  They are supposed to produce 1 lb tomatoes.  *

National Quilt Day

We got up about 9:30. I read e-mail, and looked at party ideas. I made juice out of the remaining veggies. I drank it outside because the weather was so nice. I did my exercises and then ate breakfast. I had time to drybrush while listening to an audio on magnesium. She said calcium is used for muscle contraction, and magnesium for muscle relaxation. Maybe my mom needs more magnesium. I worked on the binding for the batik quilt. I took a bread to rake in the sun. I returned to the binding (and the next audio). I followed Chris outside to cut his hair. He wanted it really short, like ¼ inch, but I did not know how to make that look good. We washed our cars and left them to dry. I finished the binding and audio. I moved the coffee table to take pics of the finished quilt. Then it was time to recharge the camera battery. I suddenly remembered to label the seeds beds and I watered them, too. I saw in an e-mail that today is National quilting Day, so finishing a quilt is perfectly appropriate. Sadly I had no way to commemorate pi day, which was yesterday. I practiced my trombone, then went to my sewing room to cut fabric rectangles and work on the drawing of a border for sri yantra. Chris came down to remind me of the time. I ate salad, and thought so hard about sri yantra that I nearly fell asleep. Then we watched 2 episodes of Inspector Lewis. I tried to skype Michele from my laptop, but Skype would not cooperate. The tablet had to pick up the slack. I sat in the computer room to better hold the signal. She and Chris had files to talk about, all of which pertained to her getting a work visa. Then we hung up to go to bed.

*  This is the one Mirna recently quilted  *

Nice threads

I am not sure when I got up. I anointed my forehead with lotion, and dry brushed. I read and deleted e-mail. I played an audio while exercising and juicing. I made breakfast, and was played a second audio when the postman delivered my thread, order. I practiced my trombone and checked on my seed trays. There were tomato seedlings! William called to gloat over his latest thrift store purchase. I went outside to work in the sun. I was sweeping the patio when Chris came home. He changed his clothes and then drove us to the visitor's center on post. I got a badge for access to the post while Chris is gone. We had to go through the visitor center gate and one of the guards looked like Stan Lee. There must be a superhero around here somewhere, I thought. Then we went by the post office to get Chris' mail, and finally stopped at a gas station to fill his tank. When we got back, I ate some ham for lunch. The roasted leeks went really well with it. We watched TV, a Carey Grant movie. Chris got a work-related phone call. I picked up sticks, getting some late sunshine. I sewed and ironed while Chris ate supper. Then I made myself a salad, and listened to an audio. I leafed through a quilt magazine, and then cut fabric rectangles until Chris was ready to watch. We watched the last episode of The Flash and one of Inspector Lewis. He went to bed.

*  You are looking at 48,000 yards of thread in this picture.  *

Signs of spring

I am not sure when I woke up. I was caught in the remnants of a strange dream, and then I remembered Donna Eden's advice about what to do when first getting up. When my feet hit the floor, I thought “Stitch-Its and recycling”. So I went to the bathroom, got dressed, collated the recyclables, and took them out to the street. I had a waltz going on in my head and I was imagining I was skating. It was lovely. I cleared e-mail, juiced, and went to the group called Stitch-its. I worked on making 4-patches. There was more talking than sewing going on. But one lady thought I was too quiet and told me to talk more next week.  Another lady explained what it was like to take the guild bus to Paducah for the quilt show.  It was after 2 when I got home. I brought in the mail and the empty recycling container. I fixed and ate breakfast. I read some e-mail, and played an audio. I tapped while looking through a catalogue of dresses that only look good on the hour-glass figures of the models. Chris popped in just long enough to change clothes and then was off to a work dinner at a barbeque place.  I came across a site for at-home test kits for hormone levels.  I had to check it out.  I practiced my trombone and discovered that the piece was in the key of A flat not E. Whew! Then I worked on tie-backs until Chris came home. His parents want to see him next week so he called them back after talking to me. Finally we watched an episode of the Flash before going to bed.
*  Here is our tree, starting to bloom.  *

An extra summit

I woke up early, at least judging by the small amount of daylight. I crawled into the guest room to lay on that bed for awhile and see if too much light was coming in the window

. Then I realized that it was raining. So I got up for real, and saw that it was almost 8. I started with e-mail, and did my anointing. The spot on my forehead has faded visibly. I did some tapping and it was so relaxing I almost fell asleep. At 10 I cleared the sink to start juicing. After juicing came a series of stretches, and drybrushing. I meditated, and ate breakfast. I listened to audios, while I sectioned Tapping Summit 2014 into folders. I played one while sketching a round border for sri yantra. I ate some blueberries, and watched short tapping videos. I took a shower, and Chris came home while I was still wrapped in a towel. We talked about his new job and his itinerary for the next few days. He prepared a pan of leeks and one of sweet potatoes in the oven for supper. He hoped I was watching so I could do it myself when he was gone. I ate some of the leeks, but the sweet potatoes were not ready in time. I left for choir about 7:30, arriving there a little before the service ended so I waited. We practiced just 3 songs.  I told the lady next to me that my husband was leaving for 4 months.  She said "Oh, isn't that wonderful?  You can eat when you want, sleep when you want and quilt on the diningroom table."  No sympathy there.  Jennifer lent me her copy of the 2011 tapping summit.  When I got home, the pan of hot sweet potatoes was sitting on the counter top. I broke off a square of dark chocolate and melted it on part of a sweet potato. It was very good. Then we watched an episode of the Flash and went to bed.
*  This is the tie-back I made yesterday   *

Thread for life

I stayed up too late last night downloading files from the tapping summit 2014. I got up about 8:30 or 9, I think. I cleared some e-mail, and looked up a kids song that did not go so well in Sunday School. I cleared the sink, folded laundry, then juiced broccoli, celery, and a cucumber. After exercising, I ate breakfast. Briefly, I played my trombone, practicing the new part. I opened windows, and went outside to get some sun. There wasn't much to do: clip treelings, and pick old vines off of the fence. And I watered the seed beds. I got back on the computer to read e-mail. I obsessed over thread choices and finally ordered two spools - $160.  More like cones, but at half a cent per yard, how could I resist?  I reminded myself to make the tie-backs. I re-newed some magazine subscriptions, then went downstairs to open the garage and the basement window. I ironed some yardage that was machine-washed and handwashed some smaller pieces and then ironed them. I played an audio while working out the logistics on the tie-backs. They look so simple, but there are a lot of decisions to make. By the time I got one finished, Chris had come home and was fixing himself supper. I read an e-mail he had sent out to the family about how he was going to Kwadjeine Atoll for 4 months. I wasn't prepared to face being alone for so long and it hit me hard. I had to do some tapping before I was ready to face him. We talked about it and how it was a good career move for him. We went downstairs to watch episodes of The Flash. His parents called to talk about the temporary assignment and see if they could visit him there. After 3 episodes, we came up to look up all the familiar actors and actresses that played cameo roles. He went to bed, and I guess I will, too.

*  I just noticed these violets in bloom.  They are sweet and tasty.  *

The return of Chris

You would think me the biggest proponent of daylight savings time because it takes an hour of daylight that I normally sleep through and adds it to the evening when I can appreciate it. But when I woke up at 7:15, or rather that is what my spare watch said, I did not feel like getting up. It was really 8:15. I got up to read e-mail, exercise, and clean up the place in preparation for Chris' return. I had no vegetables to juice, so I went directly to breakfast. I packed a lunch, used the vacuum, and took my sewing box out to the car. I arrived just after 11. I brought a project to work on. But all too soon the few ladies that were there decided to have lunch. So we sat and ate the lunches we brought. It was a small group because most of the ladies were on retreat. Rebecca and Mirna and Virginia came later. Chris called to let me know he was home at 12:30. Mirna brought fabrics for a baby quilt and for a backing for a larger quilt. The quilt backing had two holes in it, so she sewed a tuck that eliminated both. Mirna and I left early. I wanted to be home by 3 so Chris and I could go grocery shopping. Rebecca stayed later with Virginia. They were still there when we got back from shopping. After unloading the groceries, I made bread. Chris boiled some eggs and kept an eye on the onion soup. He also had most of the laundry done. The sheets were still on the bed so we used them one last time before putting them in the wash. I told Chris that I could not change the sheets while he was gone (because lifting the corners of the mattress out of the waterbed frame was taking a chance with my back) so we should buy 8 fitted sheets. He could put them all on the bed before he left for Kwadjuleine and each week after I could take one off. He asked what would happen if he was gone more than 8 weeks. Well, the 8^th sheet would stay on the bed. I would wash the other 7 and each week baste a clean one onto the bottom one. But that's a lot of basting, maybe I'll just staple them on.

For supper we had the onion soup with mozzarella cheese on top. I cleared some e-mail and searched for a good buy on better thread. When the bread was finished baking, Chris put it in the fridge and we went down to watch The Philadelphia Story, followed by an episode of The Flash. We closed the windows and turned the heat back on.  I helped Chris make the bed and watched him prepare a bagel for tomorrow morning. He went to bed and I stayed up to finish e-mail.
*  There were no quilts to take pics of today, so gaze upon our lovely daffodils.  *

Turning the tables on the lions

There was no alarm on my laptop so I went to a website to set one. I put on the meditation CD and went to sleep. I woke several times during the night with no idea why. When morning came, I heard what sounded like hammering. That was the online alarm. My phone had not yet updated itself so its alarm did not go off. Later I found myself in bed with wet ears. When I realized that meant I had taken a shower and was supposed to be getting dressed for church, I got up. I think I had already eaten, so I just dressed and left for Sunday School. The roads were amazingly clear of traffic. The trip went quickly. The person I was supposed to help was not there, so I was in charge of seating 16 kids and getting them started decorating lion cookies. Since all the kids were in one place, all the adult helpers were there, too, so it went well. After the cookie project (they ate their creations), there was supposed to be a movie, but apparently it could not be found, so the man brought in the book and read it to the kids. It did not take long and soon the kids were antsy again. But it was time for me to duck out and

go to the choir warmup. That went well except for the part where the tune changes after 4 measures of rest and there is no way to get our starting note from the accompaniment. I sat in our usual place for the service. The man behind me sang really well. The pastor had Shannon and her family come up front for a Godspeed since they are moving to Oregon. After the service, Jennifer talked to me about how tapping with the summit has helped her. I stood in line, talking to Linda S. Then I went home to change clothes and have lunch. I checked the mail and there was a card from Maryann. And lots of ads. I put the scarf from Goodwill into a bowl of hot, soapy water. At 2, I took a quilt that needed binding and drove to the storage unit where we meet once a month. It was a larger group than usual and even more ladies showed up later. I made progress on the binding and got to talk to Denise. Chris called to tell me that he'd been selected to be an interim DGC at Kwadjuleine. The stitch group wrapped it up by 5:30 and I was surprised to find daylight when we walked out. I called Chris back when I got home. After hanging up, I watered the seeds planted yesterday and found out that the watercan was badly cracked near the bottom. I put the garbage out, including the vacuum cleaner that doesn't start. I squeezed a lemon into water, ate an avocado, and made seaweed soup. Ok, so I don't know how to make seaweed soup, but how hard could it be? That depends on how edible the outcome has to be. I did eat some, and I drank some of the liquid as a sort of seaweed tea. Reminds me of being at the beach. But overall, it was disappointing. Seaweed is supposed to be very nourishing. And it will be, in the garden. Turning my attention to the scarf, I squeezed it out and hung it up to dry. I cleared e-mail and returned to the tapping videos. Later I was surprised to see how late it was and I went to bed.

The beginning of something wonderful

I slept well last night and got up at 7:20. I applied the oil and put some herbs on my forehead spot. I deleted the first round of e-mail. I watched a video called Farmed and Dangerous. During the commercials I exercised and drybrushed. I cooked the quinoa soaking since yesterday. I juiced the leftover celery, carrots and sweet peppers, saving the spinach for later. Breakfast followed that. Then I started another round of tapping videos. Frequently I paused a video to add some of my own statements. I found myself tapping on a traumatic event in 5^th grade. I felt so much better afterward. I made up a batch of supplements for the next week. I noticed that the sun was shining and it was warm outside. I opened the windows and could hear the man next door using his chipper/shredder. When he was done, I took my new heirloom seeds outside to plant. There were a few used soil discs in the seed starter from last year. I dug around in the old pepper bed and unearthed a few more. I found the tomato seed starter tray from last year and put some discs in it, with tomato seeds. I used an egg tray to plant some peppers. I placed the trays in a south-facing window. I ate the last piece of fish and buried the skin in the flower bed, and placed a cage on top to keep it from being dug up. Since the old pepper bed was now dug up, I leveled it out and planted peas and spinach. I planted some peas in the regular garden too. I put all the tools away and came in for supper. I read e-mail, answering one from my brother. I took a pic to go with this blog post. I continued the tapping videos. I checked my phone alarm to make sure it would ring tomorrow. But will it ring at the right time? Last year it did not update the time until midmorning.  I decided to go to bed early.

Goodwill shoes

I played a meditation CD as I was going to sleep last night. I woke up when the next CD came on. It was classical music with five of me speaking affirmations from different angles. My dandelion tea turned into dandelion … well, anyway, I had to get up to turn the player off and to make a pitstop. I slept well after that. I was up at 9. I put green stuff on my forehead, and used the oil. I cleared e-mail, started reading what was left. I set out some quinoa to soak for 24 hours. I drybrushed, and exercised. I took a shower and got dressed. I juiced, and fixed breakfast. It was sunny and warm so I walked around outside barefoot. I clipped some tree-wannabees. I checked the mail. The mailbox door was coming off. The right-side rivet wouldn't do its job, nor would it come out. So I had to drill another hole to use a screw to connect the door to the box. Then the door would not fit tightly enough to keep out rain, but it will work for now. I opened the windows to get fresh air. I took my travel sewing machine to the sewing center to get the $40 special. Somehow I was in the wrong place, but he adjusted the tension and told me to use better thread. No charge. I proceeded to Goodwill, which was just across the parking lot. I found a pair of shoes, a scarf, and a set of pingpong paddles. Cindi called me to sub for her in Sunday School. When I got home, I scanned and printed some pages so I could return a quilt book I borrowed I ate some fish, and listened to an audio. I swept the floor, the front porch and the back porch. When I read an e-mail reminder of the time change this weekend, I wondered if I would remember to get up an hour early for SS. I cleaned my 'new' shoes with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball.  I put them on and they fit fine, but had no traction.  I ate a bowl of canned tomatoes. I meditated, and got cold. So I closed the windows and turned the heat back on. I intended to spend the evening sewing, but I could not resist looking for tapping audios and there were enough to fill the whole time and more. 

*  I saw this in a magazine and took a picture of it.  *

Tapping into the emotions of Lent

I was up by 8:30. I applied massage oil, and put some gel on the spot. I finished an audio from yesterday while reading e-mail. I did 20 minutes of Yoga, which was just stretching and as relaxing as it was supposed to be. I looked up some tapping videos, exercised, and juiced. I did some drybrushing, and then ate breakfast. I forgot to take out the recyclables. I took laptop downstairs to sew while listening to an extra long interview with Uri Geller. I mostly sewed scraps together. I got a selection og reds out to work on a banner, but could not come up with a plan. So I came up for supper. I made a salad, and ate some frozen fruit. I got the mail, and noticed that the mailbox door is falling off. I tried to eat in front of the computer, but it was not cooperating. The first reboot took forever, so I rebooted it again for good measure. I listened to another audio, and printed out staff paper and chakra symbols coloring pages. I wrote out the trombone part to the music Mary gave me. I listened to the bonus tapping audio in the dark with only the salt lamp on. Then I found more tapping videos on the subject of not deserving. I drank glasses of dandelion tea to hydrate while tapping. I am posting to my blog now, expecting to go to bed soon. 

* I should have posting this picture yesterday  *

Chris leaves and Lent begins

Chris woke me up with a back rub. He took a shower and I stayed in bed for awhile before getting up. We read e-mail, and Faye tried to Skype me. Skype did not work, so I called her phone and we chatted for awhile until Chris was leaving and I wanted to day goodbye. After he left, I wrote a check and put it in the mailbox. I was going to send it yesterday, but did not have a viable mailbox to put it in. Sounds like a flimsy excuse, doesn't it? I moved my laptop to the kitchen table so I could listened to the first day 9 tapping audio while clearing the dishwasher, and exercising. Then I got a mental shout to go to the post office so I went to mail the package and buy stamps ($0.49@!). I did not have to wait long in line. On the way back I went to the seafood store, but their salmon hadn't been delivered yet. I came home and juiced kale, green beans, a pepper and some carrots. I played the second audio of Day 9 while I worked and during breakfast. I read e-mail, then swept the porch and patio. It was warm enough to go barefoot and to open the windows. I searched for plantain in the yard, but did not find any. I took my supplements, then got the mail, but it was all ads. I did another meditation. Then I drybrushed all over and took a shower. It has made my skin so soft. I was listening to an audio when Chris called to tell me he'd arrived at his hotel. After he hung up, I went back to get the fish. Back at home, I cut it into 4 pieces and packed three of them in a bag with ice. I ate the fourth one. I listened to the Day 3 audio for Abundance for Life Mindfest. After the audio was a coordinating meditation. It lasted 55 minutes and practically put me to sleep. I had a bit to eat, and started another audio, but had to pause it because it was time to leave for church. I wore my black wrap over my top to hide the fact that I have given up wearing bras for Lent. It got rather warm during the Ash Wednesday service. Mary brought me some music for Palm Sunday. Tamara forgot her bulletin so I gave her mine for the last hymn. We chatted after the service, and I talked to Jennifer. Then I returned home. I listened to the two new audios for Day 10 and the associated meditation afterward. These audios did not have a lot of tapping so I covered the scratch marks on my shoes with a sharpie and worked several Sudoku puzzles, and now my eyes hurt. 

*  This is a show-n-tell from Monday.  It might be Joan's quilt top.  *

We've got mail, for now

I arose around 9:15, applied massage oil, and put cream on my forehead spot. My latest theory is that it is a reaction to the chocolate bars. I practiced my choir music for Sunday. I cleared e-mail, and , searched for EFT for guilt videos on Youtube. I followed lots of videos, and did lots of tapping. I even got some drybrushing in. Then I got a call from Carolyn saying that she wanted to take me to one of the doc-in-a-box places to get my forehead looked at. I had to look up my insurance to see who they cover. It took a long time because Yahoo was having problems. I gave up on the laptop and finally got in on desktop. There was only one acceptable provider. I called her back, getting voicemail. I started an audio, and had to use the tablet. I put on some stuff Bertha gave me from when she had a spot. I exercised, then juiced, listening to the audio.  Looking out the window, I was happy to see the daffodils blooming again.  I made and ate breakfast, then meditated to the second part of the audio. I read e-mail, took my supplements, and it was time for another audio. I folded laundry and put it away. I paused the audio to check the mailbox. It was on the ground again. I tied it on temporarily. I got out some wood screws and drivers and rescrewed it into the wooden blocks that it was juryrigged to. The wood is rotten so it won't hold but so long. Then I went downstairs to stitch the rip on Chris' shirt, and worked on some projects that don't really interest me but I wanted to get them finished and out of my sewing room. I heard two audios. Chris came home and did laundry for his trip. I threw in one of the gold tablecloths. He ate supper, packed and then asked if I needed anything from the grocery store. I mentioned chia and flax seed because they had run out. But Chris checked the front porch and there was my latest order of both. He went to the store and I listened to another audio. When he got back, he packed a box for Michele and asked me to mail it tomorrow. We watched several episodes of the Flash and he went to bed. In the episodes some people think the Flash is a problem. I think Flash is a problem on my laptop, always getting into infinite loops.

*  this is my Linus quilt with a yellow border.  It really brightens it up.  *

Sewing on a cold day

I got up at 8:41, and cleared some e-mail. I put on an audio to play while I exercised. Seeing the thermometer read around freezing, it was hard to believe that just yesterday we had the heat off and the windows open. Inside it was 65, so I turned the heat back on. II juiced broccoli, cucumber and extra carrot shreds. Then I had breakfast. I packed my lunch, gathered a project, and grabbed the cake. I was heading to the church when I found the mailbox on the ground. I set it back on it's base intending to fix it later. I brought sewing stuff into the church first and then the cake. I pinned sections of the binding for the Linus quilt before it was time to eat lunch with the ladies. After eating, we sang the birthday song to the birthday women. Then the cake was cut and Rebecca's tiny cupcakes were passed out, too. Most of the ladies said they liked the cake. I finished sewing the binding on to the front. Then I ironed the strips and cut blocks from some leftovers I inherited. Glenda asked for my opinion of her fabric choices for a cross wallhanging. Finally it was just Roberta and I. We packed up and were out by 4. I drove home, and brought in the cake but not the sewing stuff. It was too cold to fix mailbox. I read e-mail, and followed Brad's latest tapping audios. Chris came home, and showed me his ripped shirt sleeve. I had already repaired it once or twice so I told him “You know where the machine is.” We each ate supper. Chris brought in my sewing stuff, and then we watched X-Men 3. It was a Chris movie, but apparently he'd never seen it, and it seemed awfully familiar to me. He checked his e-mail and went to bed. I stayed up to listen to Day 8 of the Tapping Summit. 

*  This is Carolyn's fusible applique block from the book by Dianne Hire.

Making Linus quilts

I had a hard time staying asleep last night. I woke up early with a headache, so I drank some water and went back to bed. The alarm was supposed to go off at 9, but Chris must have turned it off because we got up at 9:20. I boiled water for breakfast, then showered, and finished making breakfast. I ate breakfast, and quickly dressed. Chris dropped me off at the church door so I could run in and join the choir in practice. Mary the organist had some music to show me. After the service, we talked to Shannon who is leaving for Oregon next Sunday. We went home to change clothes. I did not go grocery shopping because of the headache. Instead I ate lunch and took my supplements. When Chris got back, he put my sewing stuff in the car. We drove to the corner church. He brought my stuff inside for me and then he left. I found fabric to make borders on the Linus quilt, and a backing. I gave Rebecca a magazine renewal offer. The other ladies were starting new quilt tops made of equilateral triangles. After cutting and sewing on the borders and backing pieces, it was time to pack up and clean up. I had planned to call Chris to help, but did not have my phone. I packed it up and Bertha put it in my car. I brought home a previous Linus quilt to bind and a panel to add borders to. I drove home by five. I left my stuff in the car for tomorrow. I smelled daffodils, and went to see them blooming in the garden. When I came in, I put soup in the toaster oven to heat. I ate the last of the liver, and listened to an audio. Chris ate more of the half cake and put the rest in a tupperware container so I could have the cake saver for the big cake. I got the layers out of the freezer and stacked them with frosting in between. I had to make more frosting to have enough to completely cover the sides and top. For extra pizazz, I shaved a square of really dark chocolate and sprinkled the chocolate crumbs over a quilt stencil to make a design. Sadly it was not as well centered as I thought. After putting the cake in the fridge for tomorrow, I folded some laundry. Then we wtched episodes of The Flash. Chris went to bed, and I stayed up for Day 7 of the Tapping Summit.

Experiments with cake

I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. All previous nights this week I dropped off with no problem, so my guess is the tapping was helping. In the middle of the night I figured out what I could do with some scraps I'd been given. I made a plan to do that first thing in the morning. But then in the morning, I had a reason to stay in bed until 10am. I forgot all about quilting. I cleared the first round of e-mail. I put on a audio, and exercised, then juiced a lot of veggies, trying to clear them out for new stuff tomorrow. I made breakfast, and listened to the first of two tapping audios from last night. I looked through a quilting magazine while listening. Then I rewrote the recipe for the carrot cake so that the steps were in better order and the ingredients were in the same order as the steps. I printed out the recipe. The first step was to soak the dates. The amount of water was not given. I looked up similar recipes and there was no consensus. So I made one dish with 1/3 C and one with 1/6^th cup of water. Then, while the dates were soaking, I made the bowls of topping. One got coconut oil mixed in and the other got none. I located the grating attachement for my mixer and grated a whole bunch of carrots. The recipe said 6 – 8 medium carrots, but no cup measure. Chris looked up other recipes and they ranged from 2 cups to 3 cups. I used the two cups first. I melted enough butter for two cakes. I chopped nuts first with the nut chopper (too inconsistent), then with Grandma's nut crusher (too fine), and then with the handmixer (just right). I mixed up batter for one cake with two layers. It seemed awfully wet. While it was baking I worked on a second cake. I used fewer eggs, and less water in the dates. I greased the pans better the second time because one of the layers broke when I took it out. I baked the layers of the second cake while freezing the first layers. I cleaned up the utensils and bowls, and ate some liver. I listened to the second tapping audio, and took the cakes out of the oven. After I finished the second audio, I cut one frozen layer in half, and frosted it like half a cake. I froze the second set of layers, then added chocolate shavings to the half-cake, I ate rest of the chocolate with frozen cherries. Chris tried the cake, and liked it. He gave me a bite, but I thought something was missing. Maybe the second cake will be better. In the middle of the third audio, Chris finished gaming with the voices, so I had a chance to talk to Michele on Skype. She told me about her teaching job. Then I finish the third audio and cleared one last round of e-mail before going to bed.