Saturday, September 26, 2015

It all started 34 years ago

It all started with this...


And she said yes!

On this day 34 years ago, hubby and I tied the knot.  It was a day very similar to today...we had beautiful weather.  It was a fabulous fall day which was a really good thing since our wedding reception was to take place outdoors at Mom and Dad's home on Lake Pawtuckway and we had no plan B.

I have many vivid memories of that day.   I remember standing on the back deck looking across the lake with my hair in a towel.  Just freshly showered looking out over the lake.  It was such a pretty and pieceful place and it still is.  All of the tables outside were ready for our guests.  The tables were covered in peach colored tablecloths that were made from the stack of cotton sheets that we brought back home from my Grandma's house and had dyed to match the colors that I had chosen for our big day.  The floral centerpieces that I had made were all in place.  My BIL brought our wedding cake from CT.  It was made by a family friend if I am remembering that piece correctly.  How courageous was that to schlep a wedding cake from out of state?  The tiers were divided by wine glasses that contained flowers "under glass".  My cousin Brad was nominated to be our photographer.  He's not a professional photographer...he just took really great pictures.  I made all of my bridesmaids' dresses and I wore my mom's wedding dress.  It truly was a homemade affair and everything went off without a hitch.

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life.....he follows my blog (giggle)..here's to a bazillion more!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Slow stitching Sunday

I've been enjoying some slow stitching today.  I've been having difficulties getting into "creative" mode this weekend.  Perhaps this is what writer's block is like?  It is more likely that I'm just plain worn out after a really rough work week.  Whenever I find myself in this sort of mood I tend to default to some handwork project that I have in process.  I only have a bazillion of them going so finding something is not a problem.  I don't need to make many decisions except maybe "which one do I grab?" since these projects are all underway and have been pretty much planned out already.

I think that is another reason why I enjoy using one of my many hand stitching projects as my default "go to" project.  All I have to concentrate on is enjoying the process.  It doesn't matter if I complete anything....just that I enjoy the process.  It is soooo therapeutic for me.  I managed to add another finished POTC (patchwork of the cross....by Lucy Boston) block to the pile.

Here are a few more.....I have 20 blocks completed.  I need a total of 56 for my quilt top.



and I'm working on a few hexie flowers too. 


Hope you are enjoying your Sunday!

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Lovin' Sunday Stitchin'

I'm hoping we'll have a nice long Autumn.  Although it was a bit overcast and rainy today, I did enjoy a bit of sewing time out on the porch.  It would be so nice if we were to continue having such lovely temperatures for a while.  It never gets old.  I've been putting off doing a bit of weeding and other yard chores so the rain made it such that I could even sew guilt free (giggle).  I'm still working on my Jamestown Landing quilt from several posts ago. I ran out of 1/2 square triangles so I spent the afternoon building up a new supply.


I need over 800 of these little jiggers.  And I'm not sure how many I've already made or how many I have here in this batch.  But it's a good amount any way so that I can make a bunch of blocks.  These all came from fabric from my scrap basket.  My scrap basket is actually a repurposed laundry basket and it is overflowing.  I do love scraps quilts (good thing...LOL).

So I'm off to tame a few more of those scraps before it is time to call it a day.....

Monday, September 7, 2015

Puppy Ponderings

My MP3 player died last week.  I walk daily with Marvin and Lily (our rescue pups) and enjoy singing to the tunes as we go about the neighborhood.  Although I do have to remind myself that only I can here the music, so when I come across passers by I do lower the volume of my singing voice.  Carol King or Taylor Swift...I am not.  Although when you have a dog at your side you can get away with a lot (giggle).

Because I am MP3 player-free at the moment, it has left me time to ponder.  I have come to realize that our "puppies" remind me daily of those life lessons taught to me by my mom and dad as a child and their words of wisdom shared in my adulthood.  And I have challenged myself to work on some things that I may have let slip as of late.  Marvin and Lily have reminded me to take time to smell the fire hydrants or the garbage cans and don't be in such a hurry for the future to happen...don't wish your life away.  You only have one so you better make the best of it.  My job has been very challenging lately for many reasons and the fun factor is almost nonexistent.  I am so looking forward to retirement and being able to spend my time doing so many fun creative things.  So I feel that I have lost sight of living in the now and am somewhat wishing away some of the precious time that I will not get back.  So I am now challenging myself to look for those things in my job that are fun and focusing on them.  And to enjoy the free time that I do have to enjoy my creative life.  I have come to realize that the job I have is one that allows me to do the fun creative "stuff" so I need to look upon it in a more positive way as challenging as that can be. (This post will also remind me of that)

Technology and analytical methods in the environmental world are constantly changing and "new" compounds are being found that have adverse affects on human and ecosystem health (not a great thing, but at least we are working on correcting the issue). So my challenge is to focus on learning new "stuff" and bringing the fun factor back into work until retirement time is here.  I am relying on Marvin and Lily to remind me of that.

And speaking of my creative life, I have been quite productive this long Labor Day weekend and have completed "worry not" quilt #1.  It is a pattern called Dancing Nine Patch (designed by Bonnie K. Hunter - Quiltville.blogspot.com)



Machine quilting is a skill I am trying to improve upon ( and I think photography needs to be added to the list (LOL).



I'm really happy with the vine of leaves in the borders.  Scrappy quilts are my friend....they are great for learning new skills and hide many of my flaws until I have them better perfected.

Until we meet again.......



Friday, September 4, 2015

TGIF


I am soooo looking forward to a long weekend of play time.  The only problem is I can't decide what to do.  Do I finish quilting Worry not quilt #1?  The plus for that project is that I actually have a chance of finally finishing it.  Do I work on one of the many applique projects that I have underway?  Or perhaps do some EPP?  And then there are my adorable Pin loom squares to add to or the tablet weaving project that I have been dying to get started on too.   Hmmmmmm......

Hubby is spending mucho time on the golf course this weekend.  I know.....what a surprise (giggle) and he is going to the Deuschebank after his round tomorrow, so I will have lots of time to create something creative.

I'm currently sitting in my comfy red chair enjoying an Angry Orchard Apple Ginger which is quite tasty on this crisp almost Fall evening.  And I'm working on a few more hexie flowers.  I need 30 for the quilt I am working on.  I have shared some of these already in a previous post but the pile is slowly growing.




 I hope you are doing something fun on this fabulous Labor Day weekend.  ENJOY!