Where did the Puppy Go?

Yes. This is my puppy at 15 weeks. No longer the pudgy, goofy little baby. This guy has attitude and a stubborn streak a mile wide. Today I cried. Big sobs. He was snarling. Biting. Acting like an aggressive, out of control dog. For the second day in a row. So we both had a time out. His was in the crate. Mine was a big cry. Then we went for a mile walk in the pouring rain. Both wet, cold and miserable. After I dried him off, Reny went into his crate (on his own) to just sit in the corner. I made chicken soup for G to eat when he gets home and the dog watched me. Reny and I are being cautious of each other. The crying upset him.

A co worker has just put a deposit down on a lab puppy. Wouldn't you think I was a good example of why you don't want to buy a puppy? I guess not.

I have a Book Sale meeting before work and then I'm working till 8 pm. Reny should be asleep for the night by then. One day at a time. I feel like such a rotten person. Who doesn't love a puppy? Me.

My friend J says this is all caused by me being a "control freak" and not being able to control the dog. Another friend asks what I would expect from a human baby of say 2 years (cause that's about how old Reny is and he's just saying "no"). Reny is certainly better than a human 2 year old.

There are more good moments in a day than bad ones. There has been no punishment. I worry that Reny is not as happy as he was in the beginning. Before "sit", "stay", "leave it", "ouch" (for biting), and the one he hates most "heel". Oh, and "drop it" when he mouths the leash. He is less eager to "come" because I usually want him to come back to me and leave behind assorted neighbors, stinky things in the woods and this morning--a corn cob.

So far, Reny has found 2 corn cobs and one chicken wing in the front yard. Someone's dinner? Where is this stuff coming from?? Crows? Garbage bags? Passing cars? All it takes is a little reinforcement-- and 2 corn cobs is enough--and Reny is looking, sniffing and quartering the front yard hunting for food. His parents, grandparents and great grandparents are all field champions. Reny is bred to sniff, hunt and cover the ground. You should see him track birds as they fly over. Wow. And he hasn't had any field training. I wish we lived near a big open field so he could run and "hunt". But would he "come" back to me?

Puppy Training/ People Training

15 weeks. 30 pounds. Stubborn. Exuberant. Running full speed into the water standing in our wetland areas. Fearless. Learning to heel and walk nicely. Not jumping on people. Not eating soap. I should explain that last one. In order to "save" our perennials from the deer, we Mainers place metal sticks around the tender plants and attach a clothes dryer sheet filled with Irish Spring soap. Deer don't like smelly soap. Or so they tell me. Dogs DO like smelly soap. Sometimes Reny is wet AND soapy. Then I have to get a five gallon bucket of warm water and pour it all over him. Could we have had him for only 5 weeks?

Reny no longer looks like a puppy. He looks like a reduced size adult dog. I would take a picture but he is never still unless he's asleep. And he is VERY black. Taking pictures of a VERY black dog is near to impossible. I got an Orvis catalog yesterday and they had a black lab in several pictures. I could just refer you to the catalog.

Also it's been 17 weeks of the new "life/eating" plan. ( I would like to think I have also lost 34 pounds-2 a week, but I haven't done my walking so I don't think I've met my goal) Some days I am starving. And then in a day or two, not hungry at all. Still wearing the same underwear. My clothes--the old ones--look better on me now. I want them not to fit--but they still do and that makes me very sad. People who see me infrequently, still do not register that I look any different. Perhaps it's because I still wear all the same clothes? They don't see the altered seams or tucks. Or perhaps it's because people don't really "look" at others and "see" them. They just don't pay attention.

On our one sunny, hot day last week I wore sandals, short pants (capri) and a linen shirt. I felt light as a cloud. Like I could push off the earth's surface and float into the air above me. I almost wanted to try to do it.

I have obligatory borders to cut and sew onto the obligatory pieced quilt top today. Then I can pass it on to the next person and be done with it. And then I have no other obligations other than the puppy. And now that we have come to terms with the choke collar----Sigh---I can do a peaceful, positive one mile walk with the puppy. And really, he seems content with it. Like he doesn't have to work so hard thinking of bad things to do. He can just walk. And listen to me telling him how wonderful he is. What's not to like about that?

Deep Waters

It's still raining here in Maine. Will it ever stop? The side yards, low spots, are full of water this time of year, but this year there is so much more water and it is deeper. Good thing the pup likes deep water. My daffodils keep wanting to flower but then it snows again and they back up and wait. Nothing else even has buds. This picture is from March when it was warm and sunny.

My horoscope for today:
It's time to get more analytical about your emotional life. Examine your past patterns -- some people you've banished from your life share certain traits, and today you'll be in a good frame of mind to see these traits and understand their importance for the first time. Your own life is worthy of study -- your habits, your likes and dislikes, your goals -- all of these elements combine to create the person you are. Understanding them better will help you become the person you want to be.

Funny that the word banish was used. As that is exactly what I do. My mother as a prime example. She was so toxic to me that in order to save myself, I had to banish her. Do I really want to examine her behaviour? I worked so hard to get past the mean, hurtful, abusive and damaging things my mother had done to me from the very beginning. She felt her life would have been better if I had never been born. A mother's love.

Anyway, yesterday I got a call from a friend in California. She is also losing weight. But she is using Medifast and has lost 37 pounds in 14 weeks. I'm very proud of her. And she is sending me some of her larger clothes for me to wear now. So sweet.

I'm wondering if this weight loss thing is cosmic. Like syncronicity or however it is spelled. When thoughts are free wheeling through the universe and they "stick" to people who are receptive but pass over people who aren't open to them. Deepak Choprah thinks that the Impressionist movement may have been one of those universal things that stuck to artists ready for something new. How else to explain how so many (living quite far from each other) were painting in this new way, suddenly, without technology to spread the images.

Well, breakfast is over and Reny is asleep under the table so I guess I'll go and try to stitch a few blocks together--after changing the thread in the bobbin. Oy!

Today

I feel like changing my life. Again. I need more art and less of everything else. I would like more book reading but that doesn't seem to fit into my life anymore. I wonder why that happened?

I feel like a snake or lobster. Too large for their skin and needing to "shed" the too tight outer layer. Wiggling. Pushing. Struggling. To get out. This shedding is not painless. For every inch of the new, there is the loss of the familar. And familar is cozy, warm and safe. The new is cold, strange and scary.

Right now I am tied down tightly by obligations. Agreed to long ago. I must finish these things--I'm that kind of person--and I must be vigilent to saying yes to new obligations. These obligations always seem so benign when I say yes. Then as time passes and I have new interests the obligations weigh on me like rocks tied to my ankles in deep water.

Forgive me. But the puppy is one such obligation. There are days, hours when I resent having to watch him, take him out, amuse him. I am under the impression I have better things to do with my time. But what is better than the love of a dog?

Another obligation is piecing a quilt top for a sick friend. Easy enough but all the blocks are boringly the same and the finished top will be boring (for me). I just need to get past my own opinions and get the job done and pass it on to the quilter. Really. My obligation was only to put the blocks together. Not to create a masterpiece.

Another obligation is this huge house full of "things". I feel smothered by the outrageous consumption/purchase of things which has filled this house. Did we "shop" to fill our empty lives? So we didn't need to talk to each other? Deal with problems? Did we shop rather than separate or divorce?

Why do we have so much furniture? Why do we have 3 dozen champagne glasses and never have people here to drink champagne? Why six full sets of china and no dinner parties? Why 20 large vases and no flowers? Why 8 pairs of sweatpants? Why a dozen white linen shirts when one would be fabulous? Why 6 dozen white vee neck tee shirts? Yes! 72 of them.

I think I will start where I can. One large bag to Goodwill every week. Or one large box. I will slowly but surely empty this house of everything we have not used or touched in the past two years. Then I will get rid of things we haven't used in one year. And then work on the multiples. There is a huge Garage Sale at the neighborhood church. I could start there with a table rental. Sell my huge basket collection. Sell the teddy bears. Sell the bed quilts.

I need to go to rehab.

Ten Things to Be Happy About

I'm hoping I can think of ten.

1. The sun is shining and G will be home in one hour to take over puppy sitting. Not that I don't love that dog, but I got to tell you my house is filthy. I need to clean. Everywhere I look there is some kind of dirt that I should be wiping up.

2. It's not snowing. Well, here in Maine that is a reason for, not just happy, but jubilant. It's snowed three times so far this month. The dog loves it. I'm tired of shoveling. It's APRIL! It's supposed to be RAINING!!!

3. Aunt Purl had a damn fine idea on her blog---paper grocery bags in each room. And if you find something in that room that is "extra" or "unneeded" you plunk it right into the bag and at the end of the weekend--all the bags go to Goodwill and make other people happy.

4. I found "a" pair of pants in the closet to wear to work for the next month. They stay up around the waist and don't sag too much in the butt. Also two of my too small sweaters are now too big. I missed the window of opportunity on those items. But I'm going to still be happy.

5. While wearing the afore mentioned almost fitting pants and one of the formerly too small sweaters to last night's work potluck, I was asked if I "had lost weight or was terminally ill". I'm going to be happy that someone noticed.

6. At the potluck I passed on the baby shower cake and wasn't going to have any dessert but spotted Edy's low fat churned ice cream. 120 calories for half a cup. I adore ice cream. So I scooped a 1/2 cup and looked for a spoon. A coworker suggested I settle for a knife as that was the only thing left. So I ate my ice cream with a purple plastic knife. Makes it difficult to eat fast so I got to savor my ice cream.

7. Found a tick on the puppy. Got it off.

8. I get a haircut and new nail polish at 2:30 on Monday. I need pampering.

9. I'm happy to have the problem of figuring out which size to order. The 1X (14-16) or the Large which is also (14-16). All my clothes are 20 or 22. I have already tried on a 16W and it fit nicely but the zipper was iffy. Can you imagine an iffy zipper on a rush bathroom visit? I'm happy the zipper decided to be iffy BEFORE I bought the pants.

10. Tomorrow is Chinese Lunch Day. Sweet and Sour Chicken. Steamed Rice. One Dumpling. Heaven on a plate and only $6.95. Happy Dance.

So I thought of ten. And I've been up since 5:30 am and am SO sleep deprived. Last night we went to bed when the puppy did--8 pm. Aren't we pathetic? Don't answer that.

Nineteen Days

Nineteen Days. And our whole world has changed. His too. We brought home a fat, rambunctious baby and taught him to "sit", "come", and pee outside (not in the house). And now we have an almost 3 month old dog (Friday the 13th) who weighs 29.5 pounds and couldn't fit on any size lap. He also was allowed to sleep through the night. G also was allowed to sleep through the night for the first time in 19 days. G even had to wake Reny up at 7:15 this morning. Reny is napping now.

Isn't he just the sweetest thing? He looks at us with such devotion. I read somewhere that dog owners worked hard to always "deserve" the love and devotion of their dog. I can feel that now.

There he is at his window. He looks out over his yard and barks at all the robins digging for worms in the flower beds. We haven't had the "squirrel" moment yet but he has seen the deer visiting (and leaving even more deer poop for him to eat (ick)).

Now that Reny is becoming a "good dog" we'll only post his pictures when he is unbearably cute or handsome. This is my first dog and I am quite gobsmacked by him. Didn't expect that.

I managed to get our taxes done--on the fourth try-- I kept making beginner mistakes but in the end it was okay. A refund from the feds and a check for the state. I really hate sending money to the state of Maine. It's just wasted. Idiots.

Got my teeth cleaned yesterday. Made soup today (German Linsensuppe). So the decks are cleared for some "ART" while there is still snow on the lawn.

When the snow melts I have to start in painting the house shutters. I put it off for two years now and the house would look much better with green shutters. I was hoping Kay would visit and help with the burn pile and the shutter painting but she went and started working and is going to Zurich for training. She invited her husband to go to Zurich with her. I would have been a MUCH better choice!!! I do love the veal in cream sauce with Rosti potatoes.

It's a Dog Day

My new dog and my new shoes. And thank goodness I have these shoes! I've been outside more than ever and up before 6 am. This is so NOT my comfort zone. At least G is taking all the 3 am potty calls.

Each day begins between 6 and 7. I make G's breakfast and pack his lunch and watch the dog while G eats and gets ready for work. Then Reny and I do stuff. Chew toys. Chew bones. Chew me. Go outside. Come inside. Go outside. If he pees he gets a treat. Needs to go out to pee 47,000 times a day. And while outside--why not chew on some trees, rhodie leaves, my pants and various rocks and stones.

I have him locked in the crate twice a day. The first nap is when I shower and get on some fresh (undog) clothes. I also do some laundry. I have been cutting, trimming and sewing some little 9.5 blocks for a Friendship Quilt for a fellow quilter with newly discovered leukemia and chemo treatments. I made one block all wrong and have remade it twice--still wrong!!!! The second nap is when I watch some television and read blogs (HA!). The second nap is iffy. It's also when I normally get ready for and go to work.

Can I admit to REALLY LOVING my job lately? Now that my job is a reason for leaving the dog behind at home--I LOVE going to work. But I do have to remember to spray myself with Febreze before since G and I smell very doggie.

Reny is loving the Spring Snow and he is romping over and into all of it. So he is WET. My floors are filthy. But Reny doesn't mind the vacuum so I can pick up the big stuff every few days. He is a very nice dog. Growing larger by the minute, hour and day. 13 weeks and 25 pounds. Stout as they say in Maine.

G and I are exhausted. We've Tivo'd everything and hope to be able to stay awake to watch our programs is a few months.

What is everyone making for Easter dinner?

One Week Down

My Clivia is blooming. We are usually away visiting my friend in Georgia when this plant blooms but we are here to enjoy it this year. Isn't it gorgeous?

Reny is doing great, I think. But I don't know anything about dogs so I have no expectations. We got through the "honeymoon" or "nightmare" first week--depends on who I talk to about their experiences. Reny wasn't getting enough rest and getting hyper and aggressive. So now he gets a long nap a couple times a day in his crate. We're all happier. While he naps, we get to shower and change clothes, eat lunch or dinner, or actually prepare a meal, do laundry etc. Bedtime is 8:30 and he's asleep pretty quick. We have to wake him up to potty at 11 and 3 am and then it's breakfast and a new day by 7 am.

He Sits. Comes when we call. And learned Down today. Can Fetch a toy when he feels like it. He also goes to the door when he needs to go OUT. One or two tiny whimpers when he goes into the crate but he's asleep within minutes. We are having issues with the leash. He just sits when we use it. Won't budge. I've waited 5 to 10 minutes and he doesn't move. I unhook the leash and he may or may not move. He also likes to hold part of the leash in his mouth. If I let him do that--he'll walk.

He likes to look outside. And sit on the back porch in the sun and chase leaves around the yard. When will he catch sight of his first squirrel?

Had a Bone Density Test today and got weighed. I've lost 25 pounds in 13 weeks. Guess I need to buy a new pair of pants!

Exploring Our World

We are exhausted and the puppy is full of energy. Five full days of 100% full attention dog watching/training with none of the normal daily stuff takes it's toll. And I have a cold and feel terrible.

I have started to close the door on the crate when Reny goes in (voluntarily) to sleep. I did so today because I needed a shower and clean non-doggy clothes. I even remembered to brush my teeth. Reny had a "melt-down" this afternoon. When it began I should have just crated him--he is so laid back, doesn't even mind after a few little whimpers. But I didn't and proceeded to make soup for my husband and the dog got upset-- he was not the focus of my 100% attention and he began to bark. Then bite. Then hump. A spiral of frustration and over tired puppiness. Then he had a "clean-up on aisle five" over by the computer desk. First one in 4 days.

Live and learn. I have his morning figured out. Breakfast followed by chew the kitty toy followed by a few potty breaks and then he climbs into the crate to nap from 8 to 9:30. He did this same thing at the breeder's. But I may need to email her to see what went on there from 3pm on. He seems to think he needs to sleep in the crate as soon as it gets dark. We try to keep him awake so we won't have a wakeful night. G wakes him up at 3am for a potty break and he always has lots stored up. Breakfast is served at 6 or 6:30. They dished it up at 5:30 at the breeder.

I am not a morning person. Being on dog duty from 7 am is so not in my comfort zone. I am feeling like the walking dead by 6 pm. So goodnight.

Meet The Puppy!

At 9:30 am today we became the proud (and nervous) owners of an 11 week old black lab. He had no idea he was going home with us until the last moment and he wasn't all that thrilled. In fact he howled, barked, whined and cried for most of the 45 minute ride, settling for the last 10 or 15 minutes. Oh, that was hard on us.

But it was worth it. He's been outside, inside and all about. And he knows where his potty spot is already and has waited by the door for us to put on shoes to take him out--then he runs right to it. His bowels are a bit loose today but it could be nerves. And he has gone into his kennel and put himself to bed for a long nap. Did I mention how very smart he is????

Here he is napping on the big dog bed. My daughter came to visit while I ran off to the grocery store and she got this picture and the next. She really knows how to take a great picture, Huh?

I think we'll keep him. And just for perspective, we have had two "clean-up on aisle five" as we like to call it. One while I was writing this. If a dog drinks water........

By the way, the puppy's name is Renegade and we'll be calling him Reny. Or pup. That's what the breeder called him and he got used to it. The house smells like dog already. I've been smelling "dog" everywhere for the past week. Like my nose was getting ready or something. I wonder what Reny plans to do tonight from midnight to 5:30 am (his regular wake up time at the kennel). I'm on "dog duty" all alone tomorrow. G is going to work.

Surprises

A gardening friend asked if I would be interested in having one of the orchids that have multiplied in their greenhouse. I had to promise to take care of it properly. I said yes. She said pink or yellow. G loves yellow so I said yellow. Can you believe this. It is so beautiful. And easy to care for. I can even set it outside in partial sun for the summer. And it doesn't need fussy treatment.

The next surprise was six deer in the backyard. G snowblowered paths around the backyard for the puppy's enjoyment. Well, the deer are enjoying the uncovered grass. They are nibbling away and depositing "smells" all over the yard. This is going to be one happy puppy!!!

The deer look well fed. Some years they look so thin and even sick when they come into the yard in the spring. Our vegetable garden (behind them) is fenced so they can't go in there to eat. I'm sure they have already eaten all the flower buds off my rhodies. And all the buds off the witch hazel. And the crab tree. Well, I wanted to live in the woods.

Puppy Proofing

No pictures yet-- puppy comes to live with us on Thursday. I spent what was left of my evening getting every last thing off the floor in the room puppy will be playing/training/sleeping in for the next few weeks. G thinks (incorrectly) that he and puppy will watch tv together in the living room. Not happening! Puppy will be eating/playing/learning stuff in kitchen or outside smelling things/walking/going to the "spot" or in the kennel sleeping/chewing on toys/whining. No television.

In the event that G and puppy do go into to the living room (against my wishes), I have had to pack up and remove my Raggedy Ann collection, my stuffed bears, the Longaberger baskets, the basket of magazines, the quilts etc. All would be considered fair game as they look like toys and/or would be fun to chew. The foyer is PACKED with things to be taken up into the attic. Poor attic. It's already full of "stuff" and now more coming up. The ceiling will cave in! I will need to supervise as G carries it up and places everything just inside the doorway. I carry it all the way in and put it away. We still have the CD player, CD's, small decorative items and tons of pictures in frames to go upstairs. All these things are on the floor.

I also had to duct tape all the electrical cords up and out of the puppy's reach.

So tomorrow we carry everything up into the attic. Move the Target clearance table and chairs from the sunporch up into the attic so the puppy has a clear path from his kennel out into the garage and outside. I wrote several lines here that were not "positive" so have removed them and will now be thinking positive thoughts.

We have to discuss where the puppy's "spot" for elimination will be. As that will be the first thing to do when we drive into the driveway with the pup. Go to the "spot". I'll have the camera ready.

Everything Old Is New Again

Yesterday was a very depressing day for me. I had a "healthy" granola bar for lunch and everything went downhill from there. There must have been too much sugar in the thing even though it said it was a protein bar--and I crashed. Hard. Hungry. Depressed. Angry. Ready to Quit. I wanted french fries.

So we went to the BBQ restaurant (I was prepared to give up) and I had..... steamed carrots and zucchini with my BBQ. And two glasses of water. It was so very spicy and yummy and now everything is okay with my world except it's raining and I wanted to walk today.

I even tried on a shirtdress from the 90's and guess what--it fit! So I'm wearing it to work. Fitted waist. Denim. Like going back in time almost 20 years. I'll have to drag through the dresser drawer to find some pantyhose to wear with it. Yikes! Do I even have SHOES to wear with stockings?

G has gone to a kennel in Buxton to look at a six month old Lab puppy. He says he isn't bringing home a dog today. Don't they always say that? So I'm going to get busy clearing a spot in the kitchen for a dog bed just in case. Or for a dog crate.

And then I'm going to work. With a whole wheat and low fat cheese sandwich instead of a granola bar. Otherwise there may be a news flash of an incident at the public library. "Library worker goes over counter/Takes offense with Patron's Attitude" "Well, Where *Is* The Book?" Had one yesterday. She said "Where IS the book?" three or four times. Slow, slower, slowest. Like if she said it enough times (while making eye contact) all of a sudden I'd say "Oh!" That book.... it's right here!" NOT! My husband suggested I should have leaned toward her and said VERY, VERY slowly. The. Book. Is. Not. Here. Yet.

Steadily Going Downhill

I've just checked my Sitemeter stats and in a year's time my readership (lord, doesn't that sound pretentious?) has steadily gone down. I must not be as interesting as I was 12 months ago. I may even be boring myself.

Today I have been trying to do some alterations on my clothes. I took a very nice linen skirt in about 4 inches and re-did the hem. Now it's in the dryer and then it will get a nice press and hopefully look nice enough to wear. I also put waist tucks in a pair of cotton pants. My sewing machine doesn't know how to make clothes. Neither do I.

I have resorted to self-alteration of my clothes because I have just about gotten to the point where my clothes are too big to wear. I can still wash and dry in the dryer to make things shrink up a bit and get a few more weeks out of them--but then there is no turning back as I will have nothing to wear if I gain the weight back. I know, everyone would like to have such a problem. But I'm still only 20% into the needed weight loss. A scary time.

Self Alteration is happening in my artistic life also. It must be in the air. I've read other blogs where women are questioning their dedication to their art. I am questioning what I want to be making. Fabric art. Painting art. Mixed media art. Paper art. Everything is calling to me but I need to listen carefully. And I need to make the commitment to the work. I have been drifting for six months or so and not making anything. I have been thinking. Staring out into the air around me. Waiting for the art to speak to me. (no wonder my readers have left me!)

Perhaps I will have to resort to more workroom cleaning to get the spirit/art to speak. It could be calling to me from under the piles of stuff all over every surface in my work space. So a clean table top. Clean floor. Packed boxes. Clean and the art will come. But first I have to go to work at the library.

The Future Of Quilting

Five young ladies arrived for class. Ages 7 to 10. They each had their very own "quilt mentor" to work with as I had 5 volunteers from my chapter come to help. I didn't get to work with any of the children one on one so that was disappointing. The girls were a bit nervous but quickly began sorting through the fabric wedges and trying out various designs. In the end, they all opted for a variation on red and black.

After the picking they folded their background fabrics into quarters and drew a circle in the center so the wedges lined up evenly. Then their mentor pressed the wedges down for them.

Next came the fabric "sandwich" and pinning that sandwich together with safety pins. Now they were ready to select thread for the quilting.

Donna gave them a demonstration of the quilting technique on her grandmother-in-law's Dresden Plate quilt. But we were going to be doing "utility" quilting with perle cotton #8 and a big needle. The girls got right to work. And they worked right up until 5:30. A whole peaceful hour and a half. For 7 to 10 year old children that is some kind of wonderful.

My volunteers had a fantastic time. The girls faces glowed with pride as they looked at the work in their hands and they were eager to show their block to Mom when she came to pick them up. I sent each home with extra thread for additional quilting and asked the three moms if they could help with knots and needle threading. Two said yes and one laughed and said that her mother would have to help her daughter. Won't grandma be pleased? I think so.

They asked if they could sign up for next week's session. Of course, I said yes. We are talking about the future of quilting and hand sewing. I need to do my part!

So the answer to yesterday's question-- why do I volunteer? Because it always turns out so darn wonderful. The look on those girl's faces? Priceless.

Still Slogging Away

Got all 500 plus Dresden Plate wedges, WU'd, traced and cut out. Have scissors, thread, needles, iron, ironing pads. 12.5 inch fabric squares cut and batting is cut.

I need to make a trip to Joann's for some insignificant safety pins. All my helpers (and myself) are hopelessly attached to our own safety pins and cannot bear to be parted from them for the length of the class or face the probability of the kid's taking them home. So new safety pins. While there I may look and see if they have any of the Fons and Porter utility quilting needles. If I had purchased enough before-- I would be able to give each child a needle to carry home so they can continue working. And I want one or two for myself.

Binding. To bind or not to bind. Do we have time? Is it doable? Do I take the sewing machine and try to sew binding on all the blocks?

The advertising for this activity is all wrong. They have it listed as "Children's Quilting" this week and "Beginning Quilting" next week. No way is this Beginning Quilting. This is just a fun activity that uses fabric and thread to make something cute.

Just got the news that someone at the library will carry 8 tables into the meeting room for me. I had no idea how I was going to do that by myself. I promise to take pictures.

Last night our quilt chapter had the annual UFO Auction. I was so pleased with myself as I had no UFO's to donate and did not bid on anything. I did go home with two large bags of scrap fabric though. Everyone knows I'm a sucker for free bags of fabric scraps. To get rid of scrap fabric, the auction person was bundling the "good" stuff with books, patterns and bags of scraps. The winning bidder would collect the UFO bundle and drop the scraps off at my chair on the way past. So thoughtful!

Why Do I Volunteer For These Things?

A long, long time ago someone at the library suggested a fun activity for children to go along with the Community Read of Grapes of Wrath. Now it seems to me that "fun" and Grapes of Wrath have very little to do with each other. But I was mistaken. Quilting. Yes, making a little Depression Era block. The little prototype is above. Ten wedges. Wonder Under.

I have been ironing 7 yards of WU onto various bits of colorful fabric and tracing my little cardboard wedge pattern onto the paper backing and cutting out each little wedge with my tiny scissors. I need a minimum of 500 wedges for a possible 30 children ages 7-12. I want them to be able to pick and choose.

I now have a cardboard box full of wedges and the next step is to line them up and count to see how many I have. Then remove the paper backing. My friend S volunteered to cut the 12.5 squares of backing, top and batting for the quilt sandwiches. Sixty each of those. Can I just say that I will do anything for S from this day forward?

The kids will get a short lecture on the Depression and the need to "make do" with what is on hand without money for shopping. I have canning jars full of rubber bands, string and buttons as examples of thrift and reuse. And a big scrap bag of fabric. Old newspaper for the center circle pattern for each kid and a wooden clothespin to crease the backing square into quarters for correct positioning of the wedges.

We are using WU just because handsewing the wedges together would be a multi hour task and we only have an hour or so. So the handsewing will be quilting around the Dresden Plate with a little running stitch and utility quilting needles with big eyes.

A mini quilting group has graciously volunteered to help me on the class days-- with help selecting wedges, creasing fabric, ironing the wedges down and threading needles and sewing. Yes, class days. Two Fridays. This Friday and next. So I can make more patches next week if I don't have enough.

I'm keeping things simple. And I have always been happy to see how kids take to quilting and handwork. We did a needle turn applique demo once and an 8 year old boy worked on his applique and chatted with us. That week he brought his finished work into the library to show to me. Very proud. And rightly so.

The rest of this week I will be making a handsewn set of "step ups" of the process for making a Dresden Plate and quilting it. And removing paper from the wedges and making more if I have fallen short of my number of wedges needed. I will not be blogging very much. But will have charming pictures to post of the kid's work on Saturday.

Road Trip

Going to see my Dad. I may be able to check in with all of you from his computer. Maybe not. Anyway, don't have any fun while I'm gone!

I've Been Switched

I went kicking and swearing but I'm here in New Blogger or rather GoogleLand for better or worse. I did write down all the information such as display name and password because I always forget.

Had my Mammo Squeeze this morning and went to the bank and then had absolutely nothing to do so I went back home and have been reading blogs for awhile and decided to post and bore you all to death with drivel. I ordered sushi to be delivered to work for my lunch. Avocado and Cucumber. Reason to live.

I'm having something with eggplant in it for dinner tonight (got to use it) and G is having lamb chops and wild rice. We'll be watching Lost. Last week's was good for a change. They are repeating last week's show at 9 and the new episode at 10. Okay, I'm done.

Post Toastie

This was made from a bag of African themed fabrics. Small scraps given to me by a friend who had made her "last" African themed quilt. I showed this small (8 inch squarish) piece to her yesterday and she didn't recognise any of it as hers. She also said it looked Aztec. I think it looks like the logo on Survivor.

A number of blogging veterans are taking blog sabbaticals. I have noticed a lack of enthusiasm on my own part for daily blogging. I have also been lacking in enthusiasm for daily journal entries in my paper and pen journal. Any one else out there feeling like this? Usually these things are general to the population. Syncronicity. Excuse the spelling. It's like creative flu. My own theory: Now that Google is blocking email addresses from the comments, they have taken the true joy of blogging: the connections: out of the mix and it really isn't any fun, or as much fun as it was for me. How about you?

I did finish reading a book. "Beautiful Lies" by Lisa Unger. It took five or six checkouts before I actually had time to read. A first novel. I like first novels. The author seems to really be trying to write something worthwhile. I have Ms Unger's second book on the stack. It continues with the original story. I'm interested to see if I will continue to enjoy reading her work.

Visited Goodwill yesterday and found a likenew 100% wool J Crew sweater for my daughter and a lovely cashmere V-neck for my husband. $7 total. My daughter says I should try Salvation Army next as they have JJill and Eileen Fisher items on a regular basis. Who knew?

Thank you all for the lovely comments on my "eating plan". I'll only report every 6 weeks from now on. As it is my own private adventure. Feel free to inquire if the mood strikes.