My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready to Go

I'm all ready to go at noon tomorrow...my first quilt retreat with these wonderful gals...I am so excited...I have all my projects ready to I should have lots of pictures to post on Wednesday night or Thursday depending on what time I get home. Barbara e-mailed me to let me know that we'd be leaving the retreat center on Wednesday after breakfast and stopping at a quilt shop and having lunch on the way home...well, it's on the way home for me, but it's about 50 miles out of their way...but for a quilt shop, they'll go anywhere.
I knew I had to take treats, this is my first time, and I want to make a good impression so they invite me back...so what could be better than White Chocolate Chip Chocolate cookies and a batch of the dip that Karen had on her blog on February 14 with graham crackers. OMG, that is some delicious stuff...I licked the spatula clean after I got it in the container I was taking it in.

I got 3 more Civil War Diary Blocks done today...my Civil War Diary book arrived and I have lots of blocks marked...I'll be stitching away when I get back.
Here are the blocks I got done today...

Treat from Home

My Greatest Trial

Going to Richmond

Well everyone...have a wonderful few days while I'm gone...I'll check back in on Wednesday.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Andy and I decided today that since the house was clean that we would do one last thing...the window seat above the front door. OMG, crazy Andy...like Sharon's Hunka...thinks he's Spiderman. He won't get a big ladder...so he puts the small kitchen stool on the landing of the stairs, balances on the railing and slides over onto the window seat...well while he was up there I thought well, you might as well get the lamp that hangs down
, so there he is...Handy Andy the Cleaning Man. I made sure I asked if his insurance was paid up...I don't think he thought that was as funny as I did.

When we got done with the chores, I did 2 more Civil War Love Letter Blocks...Severe Fightingand Virginia Military Institute
...my Civil War Diary book should be arriving tomorrow...then I'll have more to show, cause I need to catch up.

I got my last Web Sampler block today from Quakertown Quilts so I'll get it cut tomorrow and I'll have another one to take on the retreat.

Before I shut down for the night...I want to share the downside of putting our lives out here like an open book. As you know I posted the other day about how sad I was that the kids weren't going to be able to come for their visit. All of you, my friends were so incredibly supportive and I felt so much better. Then I got a message from someone that I DO NOT know and have never heard of, chastising me for being selfish and only thinking of my feelings and not thinking about the kids and their being sick. I was devastated at first and then I was just plain mad. Who the heck does she think she is...she doesn't know me or anything about me...didn't write the comment on my blog because she saw all of your comments...you know if these people have so darn much to say, why don't they say it in the public forum? OK, sorry, I'm done...but whew, I feel better. Thank you all my very special blogland friends...somedays it would be darn hard without you.
Have a great evening.

From Glad to Sad

You know how excited I was the other day...well that's just how sad I am tonight. Josh called about an hour ago...they all have the nasty krud...he sounded awful...so they aren't coming. Very sad...sad that they are so sick and sad that they aren't coming to see us. We told him not to push it, that there would be another time for them to come, just about killed me to say that, but I knew they shouldn't be traveling...not good for them and so far we've been pretty lucky, no krud here, Andy had a cold a while back but nothing bad...and mom's been great this flus season, and we sure don't want her to get anything...so my house is sparkly clean and the pantry's full...anyone want to come visit.

I worked on my Web Sampler today...got another block sewn and all of the rest cut out,

except for the block from Quakertown Quilts...it hasn't arrived yet.

I also made 2 more Civil War Diary Quilt blocks
These little blocks are so darn much fun to do...I haven't done any hard ones yet but I'll get to them. I have 4 more ready to cut out in the morning...maybe I'll get them sewn tomorrow. Check out the webring to see what the other gals are doing.

I worked on my Sister's Choice blocks for my swap with Jeanne (No Home Computer) and Karen...I've also got lots of block parts cut out and ready to take to my retreat next Sunday.

So a lot of sewing was done here today...which is always a good thing. Keeps my mind busy and off being sad. Hope everyone had a great Sunday. I need to close for tonight because Big Brother is coming on. Oh, now I've told you one of my deep dar secrets...LOL!

Lovin' Life

Oh I am just so excited I can hardly stand it ...last night we got a call from Josh...he, Katie and HAMPTON are coming to see us Monday...they will arrive Monday late afternoon and head home on Friday...so I get to have my little man for several days. So today was spent doing some cleaning, company's coming so I need to clean like a crazy woman...Andy and I cleaned all of the shutters in the house today...I have them on every window...lots of shutters to clean, but you know Hampton will need to look out the window and we can't have any dust on the shutters. Tomorrow will be the baseboards, grocery shopping, need to get diapers, oh my list is getting long...guess there won't be any sewing going on this week, but I'm just fine with that. I'll give up sewing time any day for time with Hampton and his mom and dad.

The kids will leave on Friday and then I'm leaving on Sunday late morning on a retreat with some gals from South Florida. I'll be home Wednesday afternoon. I am so thrilled that they invited me. They have been doing this retreat for years and since I closed the shop they invited me to join them. I've been getting my projects together to go...Andy asked me today how long I thought I was going to be gone, cause it sure looked like a lot of projects going. Well, uninterrupted sewing time, I may get tons done. I'll take lots of pictures.

I finished the binding on the baby quilt that Sharon quilted for me...I just love this quilt...you know the old song "We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends"...well that's the song for this quilt...Sharon quilted it for me and it is wonderful...she quilted the cutest daisies on it that just enhances the 30's fabrics
and then look at this binding
...this was in the goodie box that Cindy sent me...could it be more perfect?...I love how it looks with both the front and the back of the quilt.

And then you know how I love mail...well I got a box from one of my favorite online quilt shops.
When I had the shop, I rarely ordered from online shops, because I pretty much had whatever I needed in the shop. Well since I closed the shop in August I NEED fabric and patterns...this box came from Fat Quarter Quilters...they have great customer service...they are very efficient and get the order out almost immediately. Deb does a great newletter every Saturday and she always has great recipes in each newsletter. I love the Just Around the Corner section...I'm drooling over the keyboard.
I also got these little cuties in today's mail
...I participated in a mini 9 patch swap on the Jo Morton Yahoo group...I just love them.
This got pretty long this evening...thanks for sticking with me...Have a wonderful evening!

7 Random Things About Me

I've been tagged by Jeanne, Beth and Tammy so I'm sharing 7 random things about me...first

THE RULES:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Here goes...
1. My dad was in the Air Force so I went to Germany when I was 6 months old and returned when I was 2-1/2. I spoke better German than English. I don't know a word now.
2. I went to elementary school in Missouri, Massachusetts,and the island of Guam. Junior High in Idaho, High School, college and all the rest of the years in Orlando, Florida.
3. I hate to make cupcakes...but I love to bake.
4. I like dark chocolate better than milk chocolate.
5. I don't drink milk except on cereal.
6. I really enjoy going to the gym.
7. I've never had a broken bone.

Not very exciting stuff...I'm not tagging anyone since I think everyone I know has been tagged, so if you haven't and want to play along...Jump right in.

Web Sampler Celebration and More

Today is the first check-in day for the Web Sampler Celebration Challenge...I'm really excited about doing this along with Cindy, Perry, Lisa and Nicole...I thought about doing the last Web Sampler but I as sure I'd never keep up...well when the gals said I could play along I jumped at the chance. The blocks are all designed by Paula Barnes of Bonnie Blue Quilts so I knew it would be fun. Here's my first finished block
and I have several others cut out and ready to go. I'm hoping some more blocks will be in my mailbox today. You know I LOVE mail.

I've also been working on the 4 Seasons Block of the Month from Country Loft in California...oh it is so much fun to do...I'm all caught up...ready for the March block to arrive.


I'm going to close for now, I've been fighting with Blogger for over an hour...it didn't want me to post any pictures...now what fun would that be. Until later...have a wonderful day.

You Know How I LOVE Mail!

I've told you before how I love getting mail...I think we all love getting fun mail...well today was a great day. I got my Paducah Nine Patches and little 3" finished Nine Patches that Judy and I sway every month. They are wonderful and it is amazing that for as long as we've been trading we haven't duplicated fabric combinations. It's amazing how many different Civil War fabrics there are out there.

Then Cindy sent me this great packgage of 30's fabrics...
we were talking a couple of weeks ago and I told her that I had some of those "pretty" fabrics that she uses for blended quilts and that I would never use them and that if she'd let me send them to her, it would make room on my shelf. She very graciously took them off my hands. YIPPEE! Well then look at my treat, she said she had some 30's and wouldn't use them and would I take them...I was thrilled...can't ever have too many of those...I have another baby quilt to make and this will give me great variety. Thank you Cindy.

Finally I'm caught up with my Hometown Christmas I think, well until the 15th anyway. Here's the last block from January
and then I sewed the section together.
Today I cut out the last 3 blocks, so I should be able to keep up this month.

Thank you all for you nice wishes for Zack...I'm happy to report that today was a much better day. We only had one licking/chewing incident and he's acting like himself again...so I'm cautiously optimistic that we're coming out on the other side.

Enjoy your evening everyone.

The Groundhog Saw His Shadow

Now you may say, well Carol that happened on Saturday...this is old news...yup! but guess what...we think the Groundhog got a little confused this year. 6 more weeks of winter...it was 84 degrees here today and is supposed to be this way through Wednesday...then it's going to cool off...all the way to 79 degrees. OMG! This is just crazy...the weather guy just said this is like the second week in April...I thought it was February. This is crazy weather...hope something happens and it cools off a little again or this is going to be a VERY long summer.
With the very warm spring like weather we're having crazy pollen counts...my allergies have been nuts but my poor Zack is just pitiful. He has allergies to this spring time pollen...he has licked and licked and licked his feet. He gets almost frantic...I went to see our friend at Bark Avenue, a dog bakery and speciality shop and Chris gave us an all natural, soothing skin formula to rub on him. Andy rubbed it into the pads on his feet and it worked...she also told us to get him some booties...so off to Pet Smart we went and got him these booties to wear when he goes outside to keep the pollen off his feet.
Could he be anymore pathetic looking? He hates the booties but if it helps he's going to have to get used to them.

I forgot to tell you about the wonderful soup that I made thanks to Kim...it couldn't have been yummier or easier.Check Kim's archives in January for the recipe. Kim is the soup queen...I saw she had a Clam Chowder recipe on her blog today. I'm going to give it a try.

Not much sewing going on here today...I have no idea what happened. We went to the gym, ran some errands and I came home pooped. Tomorrow will be better. I have my Hometown Christmas section (the last one from last month) all ready to sew and then I'll cut this month's and I'll finally be caught up.

Have a great evening everyone.

Slow but Steady

I'm scratching my head trying to figure out where the days go, and why I don't have tons done. I've been working on some swap blocks...I got my Paducah Nine patches all done for a swap and I'm almost done with the cute little nine patches that we're swapping...that's been a part of the week.
I've done 2 blocks of the Civil War Love Letter quilt...this will probably take a while to do but that's fine...the blocks are wonderful and the stories are great.


Tomorrow I'm going over to Melbourne/Vierra, about an hour and a little bit away, to spend the day with the gals that invited me to join their group. I am so excited...we're meeting at Karen's house to sew and visit then we'll go out for some lunch and come back to sew and visit some more. I'm taking these blocks with me for Jeanne to see...she convinced me to do these blocks all out of scraps and they really are fun. I talked to her last night and she has 50 some done...yes, I'm way behind...I will do better.


I've gotten hooked on these stitcheries...Sharon and I got the Four Seasons BOM at Country Loft when we were there and she has her first one done, I'm almost done...well, when I was at Sharon's she was working on this one...by Cinderberry Stitches...I found it online at Thimblecreek...I was so excited...they were very fast sending it to me...so now I have another one to do. YIPPEE!


I'll have my camera with me tomorrow, I know there will be great stuff to share. Karen and I will split up the pictures. It will be a fun day! Hoping you all have a wonderful Saturday.