Morning Glory Studio

more of the challenge reveal...

 

 

 

These are just a sampling of the variety of quilts made from the challenge fabric by my quilting association members; to a quilter, we all were definitely challenged, not only by the fabric but also, the rules...

And we were all quite impressed with how the twenty-something members created quilts that made a rather dynamic show! As I told them - in my roll as president - it took quilters to turn that fabric into a very inspiring and beautiful display!

The fabric is by Hoffman and is 3-D; one needs the special glasses to get the full effect. It was fun to look at the quilts wearing the glasses and seeing how the fabric took on an entirely new dimension - pun intended! 

And now it's over and time for us to get busy with other quilts for our 2015 quilt show in April! Hope you enjoyed this preview.

Cheers~

PS. About my surprise: My quilt wound up with a very wonky right edge. I don't know what happened because it wasn't that way when I sewed the binding on...whatever, it gave the quilt a wonky finish; appropriate for the subject and made the quilt perfectly imperfect.

the challenge done...

    Today, the Challenge is due. I will share more...especially the surprise...tomorrow! Now I am off to the meeting!

 

Cheers~

watercolor wednesday | sunset...

We had another lovely, stupendous sunset last night for the first day of Fall. I just couldn't resist taking photos; it seems that with each passing second, the show became more spectacular...I thought I'd also share the before photo, just for fun.

I think they are both pretty dynamic. Enjoy !

 

Cheers~

hurry sundown...

When  I began this post, I was waiting for the last sunset of the summer to occur. At 7:02 pm, EST, this is what it looked like. Gorgeous.

This has been a busy Monday:

***quilting association meeting - actually two: one our first 2015 quilt show committees' meeting and two: our general weekly meeting

***a quick visit to a local quilt shop - just to browse

***lunch at Nordstrom Cafe - a delicious grilled shrimp and arugula sald and a cup of tomato basil soup. yum!

***a briefvisit with my friend Margaret who is still at rehab center, recuperating from her knee surgery; she's using the walker, slowly and painfully -  but making progress. 

***my mileaday+ walk; I find I'm  liking the late afternoon walks; they give me a chance to wind down, process the day and gather a little more steam for the evening.

I am looking forward to Fall. Summer 2014 has been cooler than usual and for that I'm grateful...It looks like our first few days will also be seasonably cool and crisp  and for that, I'm also grateful.

Just as I was typing those last few words, I looked out the window and was stunned by this:

 Stupendous!

Cheers~

got milk?...

  

    One of the advantages of living in the city is access to vital businesses, such as a major grocery store, drugstore, dollar store and covenience stores - many of which are within walking distance.

Norman is an inveterate milk drinker. And walker. Often, if not most times, he couples his daily mileaday+ walk with a purpose, e.g., a trip to the grocery store for a few odds-n-ends: apples; something sweet... When he needs milk, he goes to one of three nearby convenience stores: Rite Aide drugstore,  a  Family Dollar or a 7/11.  All are about a mile or so, round trip.

Wednesday, he was out of milk so he went to the drugstore; they were out of gallons of milk!

He decided to go to the dollar store since he also needed some toiletries; the freezer was on the fritz - no milk there!

So, on his way home, he stopped at 7/11. BINGO! And proceeded to come home.

Just as he got to the top of the steps, reached into his pocket to retrieve his keys, the strap on the cloth bag he used to haul his purchases B-R-O-K-E! Out fell the gallon of milk; down the steps and sidewalk cascaded the milk...every drop!

It was to laugh and made even more funny because we had to fill and pour buckets of water down the steps/sidewalk. You see, we have no yard hose. We'd decided to get one of those hoses that is all curled up and stretches  out only when water is flowing through...so we'd thrown  the old hose away. 

Guess we'll get the new hose this weekend. 

Enjoy your weekend,

Cheers~

 PS.That green strip in the photo (at top of steps) is the broken strap.

"fall"...

Last year, on this date, I fell and broke my write/right hand. I created the above layout sometime in early 2014 - after no cast, brace and physical therapy. I wasn't quite pleased with it  - originally, the background was kraft paper - so, I  set it aside, thinking maybe a genie or little elf would come and make it over.  Yesterday, I found the layout as I was sorting through an album of layouts in progress. Surprise! No little elf came as I hoped. However, I did have a brain storm: mount the pieces on white cardstock and call it D-O-N-E.  And I did! And I'm much pleased with it plus, I found the beginnings of another fall layout that I plan to make this weekend. 

When I think about this time, last year and the ensuing 8+weeks I was without total use of  my write/right hand, I am grateful that I had no pain. Inconvenienced? Definitely! For 4 weeks, I couldn't drive and thankfully, family and friends came to my/our rescue (Norman doesn't drive either, due to low vision  in one eye and the loss of sight in the other). I couldn't write so I had to resort to using my tech tools...and I have already shared that I am not a typist. Occasionally, I would remember to use the voice dictation within the Apple apps - which is incredibly accurate, I think. But most often, I plumb forgot. 

All in all, I managed, with a lot of help from family and friends, technology, physical therapy, and time! Today, I can do almost everything I did before I fell - except type <smile>. My hand is stiff, probably residual arthritis, when I awaken each morning but a little hot water and squeezing on a face cloth usually takes care of the stiffness. I am grateful that a bit of morning stiffness is all there is.

This morning I saw this video on the Field Journaling blog. The video certainly resonated with me.

  

I will keep it in mind when I think I can't do something 'cause I don't have the resources, talent, creativity, or ...

What have you learned when you've had a little setback?

Cheers~

watercolor wednesday | clouds...

When I took my walk (Mileaday+) yesterday afternoon, the clouds were ever so dramatic...and I knew they would make an interesting Waterlogue Painting. They do!

I'm not sure though where that little black cloud (? ) in the lower rignt corner came from. Interesting...

Hope your day is bringing some beautiful clouds, too. 

Cheers~

simply a moment | sept 2014

9:15 am 15 september 2014

"Oops! Look at the time" I tell myself as I am hurriedly moving from room to room to collect my stuff...and my wits. Today is quilting association Monday and I have a 10:30 meeting and "oh, darn, I'd planned to be out of the house and on the road by now." 

Just remembered that I have to stop at the post office and musn't forget MT's laundry. Wondering: "do I take anything to stitch on during the meeting. Nah! More than likely I wouldn't get a stitch in, so why bother."

Hope there's not the traffic on US Route 1 that I encountered last Monday; presumably, the barrier fencing is installed so the college students won't jaywalk across this very busy thoroughfare. Two tragic pedestrian accidents this past spring precipitated this move.

"What am I doing after the meeting. Oh yes, besides visiting MT, stopping at the credit union. Better make sure I have the check in my purse. Yep!"

One more thing: "Grab a bottle of water; where is it? Oh yes, I put it in the freezer for a quick chill...and I'd better take a jacket."  It's actually cool enough today for jeans, long sleeve t-shirt and socks! 

I managed to leave the house by 9:20 am and arrived at my meeting at 10:15 am...with time to spare; fortunately, I didn't encounter any traffic backlogs...

And that's this September Monday's moment. How was your Monday? Smooth and memorable, I hope.

Cheers~

tell a story | the good neighbor...

(taking the lawnmower for repair one day in May)

 

On my working list today: *laundry  *go to post office and grocery store *stitch on PiPS - Projects in Progress; *continue working on the bébé's quilt; the flower garden blocks; and the challenge - which it is, indeed...

On my working list today, also is this item: "Tell a story!" As you may recall, story is my word for the year and it is not lost on me that the year is nearly in its final quarter. So soon?! Anyway, I have lots of stories yet to tell - those that are  are in my memory and  those in the making, like this one:

This morning, Norman told me he was going across the street to talk to our 87 years-old neighbor about the lawnmower. The neighbor's was broken and he wanted to know where to go to get it repaired. Well, Norman has a lawnmower repair guy and trust me, we visit him at least annually. Not a season goes by that we don't have to make that trip to get some minor but invariably, essential item repaired!

Shortly thereafter, I hear a lawnmower...and look out the window: Not only has Norman answered our neighbor's question/s, he's  mowing his lawn! Now that's a story! Certainly one worth telling!

Thanks Norman for the story and especially, for being a good neighbor!

Have a great weekend!

Cheers~

watercolor wednesday |lights on the lake ...

    (The night before my friend Margaret had her knee rpalcement surgery, we had dinner at a             restaurant situated on a lake. These are the lights on the dock. )