Boney Macaroni & Etc!

I have been neglectful and slow at posting some pics. The hard part has been 1.) getting the scanner to cooperate, and 2.) being able to pinpoint one photo subject to stand still and be HERE so I could take a pic!

The other part is that Blogger is not LIKING me and is not uploading my pics. AUGH! I get the "waiting for photos.blogger.com" prompt on the bottom of the screen, but nothing uploads. I've edited my photos. they are way under 100k a piece...I don't know what the deal is, but I did upgrade my firefox and maybe it has something to do with that. Some glitch or something. I didn't have the problem with the OLD firefox!

FINALLY! I have tried IE, I have tried netscape, I went back to firefox, I rebooted the computer...FINALLY..I can get pics in!

This quilt pic is of a customer's "dutch geese" quilt. I LOVE IT! It reminds me so much of the colors I saw in the netherlands, some places even the walls were painted this bright blue, or the golden yellow...this is the next quilt up on my machine and I'm needing some ideas on how to quilt it. The fabrics are SO busy, there isn't alot of space for quilting that will show. I'm leaning towards baptist fans, but what thread color? Every color is going to clash somewhere...I'm thinking either the gold, or kind of an in-between grey-blue that might hide itself in the prints of the fabrics. I can use any suggestions you can send!

When Jason and Shanon came to visit in March, we made an appt to go to sears to get pics made. The fight with the scanner meant that I never got around to uploading them! Here is one I really like....done in sepia tones. The boys are 22, and 16 and when they were little, you could tell the age difference. I see now that the gap is getting narrower! They are about the same height and I hope that when Jeff has also grown into adulthood that they will form a strong brotherly bond. With the 6 years in between they never had a lot in common, other than pestering each other.

This close up is of Jason and Shanon. A couple weeks ago they moved up to Mankato Minnesota where Shanon's family and grandparents live. This tickles me, because I was born in Minnesota! I still have aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and one grandfather who also still live there. There is a family reunion for my mom's side of the family at the end of July and I am looking forward to going. My mom lives in Idaho, and it's been FOUR YEARS since we have seen eachother due to the fact that we are nearly on opposite sides of the country. Jason and Shanon will be able to come to the family reunion too, and I will get to meet Shanon's family. I'm really looking forward to this trip.


And now for the Boney Macaroni part! It's a nickname we have given Jeff...he has gotten so tall so fast, that there is no meat on his bones :c) His brother did the same thing, and so did their father and myself in our teenage years. I have no fear, just wait til they hit 40...and I know they will fill out :c| This is the buzz cut that Jeff and his friend did last week. When he said he SHAVED his head...I thought really SHAVED...it's just a short buzz, and I really like it! So does he. You can see his friend Allen behind him in the pic if you look close.

I did get my bernina picked up last friday, and hallelujia, they did a cleaning/maintenance on it too, not just fix the foot pedal, so I don't have to take it in next month and be without it again. I also bought the new foot that has the knife edge on it for accurate 1/4" piecing. Not sure if I like it as well as I liked just having the screw on guide up against it, but I haven't done much piecing to really tell if it is going to work for me or not. I pieced ONE block over the weekend, and that was for a block lotto for a small group that I belong to.

This past weekend I did post-event massage at an olympic distance triathlon in Greenwood SC..it was 100 degrees, with the heat index make that 105 in the shade, and I was roasting! When I came home from that I just died in front of the a/c for the rest of the afternoon. My massage practice is building, which is wonderful....I'm still keeping up on customer quilts, but it has eatten in to the time for my own piecing/quilting and I feel bad about that...like I've chopped off my right foot. I just hope it grows back soon!

I'm heading into the clinic in about an hour...I'm fully booked this afternoon, I don't finish my last client until 6:15, I'll be home around 7pm....I'll feel like going to bed, and starting another day when I wake up tomorrow morning. That's about the extent of it!

Bonnie

From One Extreme....

My 16 yr old (Jeff) called yesterday...he is spending a few days with a friend who lives on Lake Murray....I was walking through Walmart trying to pick up some things I needed in between clients (My last client was at 5:30pm yesterday, I didn't get home until after7..ugh) and I hear "Hi mom, guess what I did?"

Believe me..if you have kids like mine, that phrase brings on a panic reaction!

Turns out he shaved his head...he and his buddies. I guess it could be worse, he could have only shaved PART of it and left a mohawk, but from what I understand, they thought it would be easier with all the swimming on the lake they want to be doing if they just got rid of ALL the hair on their heads. This is a complete switch from the kid who refused to CUT his hair all last year. I haven't seen him yet, he's still out at the lake, but I'll get a pic when I can just to record this momentous event for posterity.

And I suppose if that's the biggest piece of news I have to report, that I can consider ALL IS WELL!!

Bonnie

Tour De Cure for Diabetes

I had a wonderful weekend for the American Diabetes Association's Tour De Cure! My mom is diabetic, and Dave's Mom was diabetic before her death (which played a definate roll in ending her life early 22 years ago) and one of his brothers is also diabetic. This cause is near and dear to our hearts. I want to let Patty at Morning Ramble know that Dave's team was riding for her daughter Melanie too!

Dave and his team had rented one of those huge econoline 15 passenger vans. There were 8 people including me plus all the bikes and gear, etc. The 400+ cyclists left from the USC stadium to ride their choice of either 85 miles if you were doing the regular ride, or if you wanted to ride the "century ride" you took an extra loop that put you at 100 miles for the first day. Dave and his buddies are die hards and decided to do the century ride!

So while they were setting off on their cycling, I loaded the van with
my massage canopy and table and all the other stuff I needed, and drove
down to St George SC to meet everyone at the finish line at Woodlands
Highschool out in the middle of "nowhere'sville SC". It is SO fun to be
in the lowlands area of the state. The rural roads are scenic, and the
spanish moss drips off the old oak trees and just waves in the
breeze...love it!

I set up my massage booth outside in on the grass, The canopy/tent thing
gave me lots of shade, and there was a nice breeze blowing. Saturday was
mostly overcast, so it took most of the brutal heat and made it
bearable. I was fully booked with massages from about 12:30pm when the
first riders came in, until close to 5pm when we had to tear down and
head to our hotel...they had set up huge tents at the hotel outside and
we were catered a dinner by "Sticky Fingers" BBQ...mmm! It was also a
"luau night" And everyone was in hawaiian shirts and leis. Actually
since it wasn't quite hawaiian fare, it was more like Margaritaville
night! Fun.

Everyone was so exhausted from riding the 100 miles (and me feeling like
I gave 100 massages) that we were in bed by 9pm. We had to be up at 6am
to get breakfast and transport the team guys back to the highschool so
they could start their second half of the ride at 8am.

After dropping the guys back off (this ride had about 400 riders total,
plus all the spouses and families and support/volunteer people. It is a
very well run and well attended ride!) I went back to the hotel to
gather up the rest of my stuff, take a shower, and head out to James Island County Park, which is just off Charleston. This is where the ride was ending,and it was a beautiful setting for the party at the end of the two day ride.

I got to the park just about the same time as the other vendors and
support vehicles...the lunch after the ride was being catered by Moe's
Southwest Grill! What is funny too, is that as I was setting up my
canopy/tent in my chosen spot...the beer wagon set up next to me. I knew
this was a good location because it was going to give me great walk-by
traffic....and cyclists didn't mind sipping on a beer while they waited
their turn for their massage! *LOL*

Again I was fully booked, and also cozily tucked inside my canopy/tent
when an afternoon shower came through. It just added to the ambiance.
the shower didn't last long, but it sure cooled everything off nicely
and smelled great. I was so busy that I never had time to get some of
the Moe's grub myself...so on the way home I made the van stop at Mc D's
instead of a rest area, just so I could have something to eat.

I enjoyed meeting the cyclists from all over. Quite a few of them are
from my area, so I passed out a lot of biz cards, and hopefully will get
some calls from that in the future.

I hope you all had a great weekend!
Bonnie

More About Me Than You Ever Wanted To Know!

I have the honor of being the Featured Quilter for the month of June on Real Women Quilt!

Pam has been after me for quite some time to submit myself to the interview...she first contacted me when I was in the middle of school and drowning with 3 term papers to write, and I told it her it would have to wait until AFTER school. :c) It's now AFTER!

What seems funniest to me is since I took this massage therapy position in February....my creative streak has suffered a serious time crunch! So it's really egging me on to get back to my own projects as soon as I get my machine back :c|

This weekend is Dave's Tour De Cure ride for Diabetes. So many of you donated to this worthy cause and I want to personally thank you for your efforts! Thanks to you we raised over $3,000 for the American Diabetes Association. WAY TO GO! Tonight the team is coming to our house for a cook out "aka carbo load!" And the ride starts tomorrow morning early.

The first day they go about 85 miles. I'll be at the finish line set up with my tent/gazebo thing, and my massage table set up in the shade under it...he's riding, I'm massaging tired biker legs.

The second day they ride the rest of the 150 miles and end in St John's Island, which is just outside of Charleston SC. There is a big BBQ and party at the finish, and I'll be massaging participants there too. Somehow..I don't think I'll get any quilting done this weekend either! But I can dream, can't I?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bonnie

From An Avid Ring Reader..

I received the most wonderful email yesterday and I wanted to share part of it with you!

Sally writes:

On your blog will you let your friends know that I (and lots of others I'm sure) are "checking on their lives" regularly. They have become dear to me. I am holding Patty's daughter Melanie close as she fights for her sight, I love the sound of Finn, and "Screen Door" is somewhere in the UP where I lived for 5 years and where 2 of my 3 children were born. So many threads that seem to tie us all together. I don't like feeling like a voyuer or one of the "dead" characters on Ghost Whisperer, but not being a blogger I can't let them know I am here and enjoying their work and their thoughts so much. From all of the interlacing comments I see how special you are to each other and I hope everyone realizes that the ripples go much farther.

So ladies, I want you to know how much your lives are touching the lives of all of us, bloggers and readers alike!

Bonnie

Bobbin Along!

Ever have one of those days? One of those days that just....you wanna give up and start over? Or un-quilt it and start over?

I'm not even sure how this happened....but it must have been when I was changing a bobbin. Did I put the empty bobbin back in the bobbin container? Nope! All I can figure is that I laid it on the roller, and when I advanced the quilt....in it went!

I just finished this row of pantograph on this customer quilt..went to clip the threads, and....behold! I find a LUMP..a very distinct, round lump mind you...INSIDE THE QUILT! Can I wiggle the bobbin out? NOPE! It is completely encompassed in the stitching! AUUUGHH!

Okay, I know from your point of view it is funny. And from mine..well...okay..I can see some humor in it, and you know what? i don't know HOW I ended up not jamming the needle bar into this thing and completely messing up the timing of my machine, so this is a good thing.

So...now that I've had this break of venting and whining, I'll grab my trusty seam ripper and go get that bobbin the heck outta there, and get back to business!

I'm sure i'm not the only person who's ever had unknown objects wander their way into the inside of the quilt :c)

Bonnie

Woe (Woah?!) Is Me!

I hope everyone had a great memorial day weekend. I was planning on taking it easy here, and I pretty much did. I stayed at home, caught up on house work (ugh) and worked on some customer quilts.

Monday was a beautiful morning, and I thought I'd celebrate by getting back out on my bike, since my knee had healed nicely, and the rest of me wasn't in too much discomfort to climb up on that seat again after hitting the bar with the last fall....

Do I dare even mention that if falling once is embarrassing enough, that....I fell again? :c( This time I made it all the way through my ride, but on my way up the steep driveway to my garage, I didn't downshift fast enough into a gear that would let me up the driveway without too much effort, and at the same time trying to remove myself from those (*&@#$& clip pedals...and over she went. I re-opened the knee that was healing so nicely, and now it's not! I swear, I ought to give up on those clip pedals!

Then last night, while finally having some time to sit at the sewing machine, I sit down to my trusty Bernina 1080 to wind some bobbins. The machine turns on. The panel lights up. I push the foot pedal...but NOTHING HAPPENS! It's like the lights are on but nobody is home! I unplugged, replugged, fiddled, cursed, pleaded, begged...Nada.

I walked away, snuck back up on it, tried it again...and still nope! This morning...after a good night's sleep...come on baby! GO! Nope! I think there is a short in my foot pedal...so today I took Bernie to the Bernina shop.

I don't know if the bernina shop is the same in your area as mine, but this one is a MESS! And when I told him I needed my footpedal looked at, I was told it would be 2 weeks! ACKK! So I said, it does need a cleaning/tune up too, can we add that in? (thinking it might make it more worth his while to get to it sooner) And was told that they are scheduling cleaning/tune ups 7 to 8 weeks in advance! TWO MONTHS!!! AUUUGH!

I told them that I use this machine in my machine quilting business, to apply bindings, piece backings, etc, and I am in dire straights without it. So....we are back to 2 weeks. *SIGH*

And yes, I do have a back up machine, but it has something wrong with the tension or something. It's a Pfaff and it hasn't been fixed since Lucy was here and tried to sew on it..that's a YEAR ago. BAD BONNIE. I've got my 2 featherweights, but I don't have a walking foot for them for putting bindings on with.

So, I'm kind of up a creek with one paddle going in circles! One good knee, one bad knee, one bruised ego (thank heavens the neighbors didn't see me fall over on my driveway!) but at least I treated myself to an ice cream today to make it all better!

Bonnie

Quilters Rock!!

I just got an email from Patty that thanks to the quilters out there, she has found the fabric she needs to finish her daughter's wedding quilt! YEAH PATTY!

Once again I am amazed and awed at this wonderful medium we have here to communicate with each other!

Bonnie

Searching For This Fabric!

Do you have this fabric!?!

My friend Patty is in urgent need of more of this Marcus Brothers Judie Rothermel print! She needs it to finish THE wedding quilt for her daughter! The model number on the selvege is R33 V522 111T and it is from Judie's 19th Century line.

Online searches have not turned up anything as this fabric is Out Of Print, can you help?! Please contact Patty at Chatz4259@aol.com with any info you have!

Thanks for checking your stashes!
Bonnie

Last Week Of School!

I know I know, I've been quiet! But it doesn't mean I've fallen off the face of the earth, maybe just got swallowed up by it a bit is all!

Last week I got a last minute call from a friend to come down to Florida for a few days. I checked my schedule at work, it was pretty empty! I called some clients, just to see if they needed me because I didn't want to leave them high and dry and they all said GO! So...at 1pm on monday I threw my stuff in the car, and down to Florida I drove!

I had a great time....It rained tuesday, so I shopped. :c) Good alternative, yes?! Outlet malls are everywhere, and there were some things I was looking for that I was able to find, so all the better. One thing I wanted was a handbag that was not too small, not too large. I've got to carry my day planner, two checkbooks, assorted business stuff, and most bags were too small. I like the organizer kind, lots of pockets, places for credit cards etc. Then there were the ones that were TOO BIG (this is like goldie locks and the 3 bears?!) It was like a piece of luggage, I swear..can't carry that...one big cavernous bag with no pockets, or not enough pockets...and Id be frumping around in the bottom trying to find my stuff.

Store to store I went...you know where I finally hit gold? TARGET! After a couple days of outlet malls and retail stores....I found what I wanted at TARGET! But I'm a happy girl, and it gives me memories of my fun trip to florida.

Weds and Thurs were beautiful days. Much pool lounging commenced! AHHHH summer! There were also fun restaurants for dinner in the evening, places to listen to music, people watch, enjoy the wonderful weather in the evenings. We even went to the Universal Studios City Walk! It's free to park after 6pm, and we just had to endulge in dinner at Margaritaville!

It was all very relaxing and fun and even though I had just been to Holland a month ago, I tried not to make myself feel guilty that I was yet again galavanting off somewhere :c)

I returned on friday, trying to beat the stream of camper vans and winnebagos toodling up I-95. I was only partially successful! But I made it a leisure trip and stopped at different places I wanted to see on the way. One place was called Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation, which was once a thriving rice plantation on the Altamaha River outside of Brunswick GA. The house isn't the "TARA" kind you think of with plantations, but is a normal plantation style house. Kind of reminded me of "the waltons" It was all furnished inside and very fun to tour.


I loved walking the trail from the visitors center through the big old gnarly oak trees just dripping with moss!

Saturday...what can I tell you about Saturday?! This is one of the reasons I've been slow to post. Do you really care to know that I went Saturday to buy a bissel carpet shampooer?! Well maybe you do! Actually, it does a very good job, and I'm pleased with it. I have sand colored carpet in a place where the dirt outside is red georgia clay. It is not a good combination! I'd love to get rid of it and switch it out completely, but no money for that right now. This will have to do. I've been doing a couple of rooms each day, all that's left now is the stairs (two sets of them) and the front living room. It's easy to run, it does a good job...and I hope it will be great for keeping the traffic areas not so down-trodden! That's it for catching you up to speed I think! Oh, I even took my hexagon project with me to Florida. Other than getting it out of the car, and placed on the couch, it didn't get touched! That seems to be the way my quilty life has been lately!

Bonnie