A Wee Evening Visit….

To see Michelle at the NICU!

I just couldn’t wait another week….I’m leaving today for Columbia SC, and then on to Florida…and it would be OVER a week before I would be back to go see this little princess, so when Michael, Michelle’s daddy was talking to DH, we asked if we could come stop by the hospital where Michelle was for observation. We were greeted with a resounding YES!

So off we went!

Is there anything more precious than first time parents? We got there just as the nurses were changing and re-dressing Michelle, and does that girl ever have a set of lungs on her! You could hear her complaining LOUDLY down the hall!

Then it was feeding time. Michelle’s mama has been pumping her milk, which meant that DAD could feed!

I do believe that this daddy is OVER THE MOON for his princess! And, at only 5 days old, she has already acquired a nickname…they are calling her the LITTLE PIRHANA because she is hungry ALL THE TIME! LOL! Of course, it’s said with love and affection… ;c)

Look at that girl gaze up at her daddy!! She has the most amazing eyes, and you’d swear there was the wisdom of the world behind them.

Then came the burping!

Look at that expression! It says….”I know he’s my dad, but does he know what he’s doing?!?” :cD

And then it was MY turn….I honestly can’t remember the last time I held a newborn. Such a tiny yet solid package…..and she was looking at ME like…WHO are YOU!? Don’t worry Michelle, you’ll get used to having me around from time to time, I just can’t resist your sweet face!

Oh, and good news....Michelle should get to come home TODAY!

Some day ---- I hope some day ---- There may be grandkids in my future. And no, I’m not pushing anyone to get them here faster, honestly I’m not! But I’m in awe and full of wonder at the circle of life and the hope and joy that new ones bring!

And with that, I’m finishing packing the car! Projects ready to go for sewing in the hotel room at night….a bit of beach stuff for my day off on Sunday….and I’ll be off this afternoon heading to South Carolina to spend the evening with MY first born! ((How did he get to be 27 after all? I swear, he was just this small…just…yesterday!?)) And I am as filled with wonder at the men my sons have become, as I was amazed at how perfect they were when they were newborns.

Oh, on the job front for Jeff! He’s got the job down there as soon as he gets some stuff together HERE so he can move down. They are holding it for him! He has some issues with his car that need to be taken care of to make it safe for being on his own. And it’s all good. My baby may be ready to fly. It’s the beginning of HIS journey --- and he’s excited, and I am excited for him.

This circle of life, yes, it’s not easy. But it’s worth it!

Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

**Note** I've gotten messages that this isn't free anymore, but you need the LIMITED edition, which is still free HERE!

In packing for Florida, I decided to capitalize on the BEACH THEME ((Yes, I am packing my swim suit, just in case! Sunday is a “day off” for me in between a class on Saturday and a guild meeting on Monday..so I just might NEED a beach book, right?)) and downloaded this freebie to my Kindle!

A lot of times I look down the amazon page to see how many “printed” pages the book would be…I’m not sure, this one just lists kb, not page count….so it could be just a short story --but here you go!

It’s called…Life’s a BEACH!

By the bestselling author of Must Love Dogs, the story of two grown-up sisters who fight like cats and dogs -- but call each other at least twice a day.

Luckily for her legions of fans, Claire Cook returns with another sparkling romantic comedy that's reminiscent of Must Love Dogs in all the right ways, but very much its own animal -- about a relationship-challenged single woman, her quirky-to-put-it-mildly extended family, and the summer the shark movie came to town.

Life's a bit of a beach these days for Ginger Walsh, who's single at forty-one and living back home in the family FROG (Finished Room Over Garage). She's hoping for a more fulfilling life as a sea glass artist, but instead is babysitting her sister's kids and sharing overnights with Noah, her sexy artist boyfriend with commitment issues and a dog Ginger's cat isn't too crazy about.

Geri, her BlackBerry-obsessed sister, is also nearly over the deep end about her pending fiftieth birthday (and might just drag Ginger with her). Toss in a dumpster-picking father, a Kama Sutra T-shirt-wearing mother, a movie crew come to town with a very cute gaffer, an on-again-off-again glassblower boyfriend, plus a couple of Red Hat realtors, and hilarity ensues.

The perfect summer read, Life's a Beach is a warm, witty, and wise look at what it takes to move forward at any stage in life. ". . . funny page turner . . ." ” Ft. Worth Star Telegram

"Humorous, light, and at times touching. Cook once again hits the mark.” Fresh Fiction

"Midlife love, laughter, sibling rivalry and self-discovery . . . Goes down as easy as it sounds.” People

"Tender, touching, and terribly, terribly funny!" Mary Kay Andrews, author of Savannah Breeze

"a book brimming with wit and heart." — Cape Cod Times "perfect-for-the-beach summer novel . . . a bumpy delight." Boston Common

Enjoy! And as always….check the price when you go to download it. What is free today, may not be tomorrow!

I get lots of email asking me how/where I find these. I just look. Often times when I download something there are other links to follow at the bottom of the page. That lead to this one. You just have to be willing to search through lots of Bleehhgh to find the good stuff. For instance, a title that came up yesterday was something like "The Truth About Securing Your Retirement With IRA's" ((Can you see my eyes glaze over?)) There are a lot of text books, a lot of stuff I do NOT like...((I don't read vampires, sci-fi, or chainsaw murders, overly preachy-churchy or steamy threesomes, etc)) so if you like those, you'll need to search for those on your own. I just post what I like, thinking that someone else might like them too. There is no mystery other than that!

Just Putzing!

This button says it ALL!

I’ve enjoyed this little interlude of being home for more than just a couple days! I know most people who work a 9-5 job, 5 days a week, have 2 days off in between work weeks for a total of 8 days off a month, sort of.

I have been running in such a way lately that consecutive days off to do more than just wash the contents of my suitcase before heading out again have been rare!

But I’ve had Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday ((today)), and half of tomorrow to do all kinds of NORMAL things! It’s like a 4 1/2 day weekend! NICE!

However, that doesn’t leave much to talk about. For instance, in search of normality, I did such things yesterday as cleaned the kitchen, polished appliances, swept floors, vacuumed….and laundry, always laundry! Can I find an interesting blog post in that normality? Nope!

I turned the music up loud in the car as I drove to the bank, only to be frustrated at the fact that the drive up ATM was blocked and being worked on by fix-it men. Is that worth writing about? Nope! Cuz in the same plaza is the Chinese Buffet, and it called my name for lunch. Is that worth writing about? Nope!

Returned 2 pairs of shorts to Sam’s club that were TOO BIG!! ((oh yes oh yes oh yes!!)) and ended up treating myself to this:

A girl can NOT go to Florida without a pedicure. It’s a summer rule, don’tcha know! And because it REALLY needed it, I went to the carwash. NOTHING happened out of the ordinary at the carwash to write about. But when on a road trip, I like to start off with a clean machine. However, we all know that by the time I return it will look like I’ve been living in it…..

Winston Salem has these intersections that I dread. Why? Homeless people with signs. Panhandlers that you don’t know if you can trust. Winston Salem has just put laws into effect requiring Panhandlers to obtain a PERMIT to panhandle. Is this going to help the situation? I dunno!

My heart breaks for them, if their "homeless" story is true. But is it? I don’t know. And here I was so wrapped around my "normal" life of house-chores, bank runs, lunch out and a pedicure...the stark difference between my life and that of the panhandler just stopped me in my tracks. How easily could THAT be ME?

I keep bottled water in the car. Yesterday it was so hot out, and while sitting at a light, I lowered my window and figured at least I could pass a fresh bottle of water to the guy who stood there with his sign. It was something. I’m not comfortable handing out money. But water, I can do. I can’t imagine my life in that situation. It always makes me feel so guilty, and so blessed at the same time. It’s a conflict of emotions….but I honestly don’t think that handing money to strangers is the answer to any of the problems long term. Give a man a fish, or teach him to fish? It always has me in knots as to what the best thing is to do to help….and I still have no answers. I’d rather buy them a meal and hand it through the window, than to give money through the window. But yesterday, it was water. And I spent quite a bit of that afternoon reflecting on the situation.

I spent the rest of my day SEWING MY BRAINS OUT!

The pile of brown strings is being sewn to phonebook page foundations….but it doesn’t seem to be going down at all! Some of this stuff….OY! How LONG have I had this? And while unearthing more browns ((because there was not enough in the one string basket for a good variety)) I encountered a big flip-top bin of bigger hunks and chunks that had never been cut down to go into the Scrap Users drawers because the drawers are already full….Serious. I can’t wait to retire so I can just sew and sew and sew and sew for the rest of my days!

Yeah, and WHY did I buy fabric in Texas last week!? Because --- I needed those black-on-whites to help me use some of the stuff I already have. And that coral piece that came home? Ummmm….that one I have no reason for!

The fabrics aren’t gorgeous….but just wait until you see what they become!

Oh, and THIS Little Peanut could use some good thoughts and heartfelt prayers:

Ya’ll! This is Little Miss Michelle! On her QUILT! Have you ever seen such a sweet girl? Just LOOK at that hair!

I was informed by DH last evening that Michelle is back in the hospital after a routine exam at the doc’s yesterday discovered she was running a fever. No explanation for the fever, tests are negative, but she is spending two days in the hospital under observation. Her mama is going through baby-withdrawls I’m sure, and is having to pump her milk to take up to Michelle. I’m sure she will be fine…but any thoughts you can send are well appreciated!

Today? Repacking the trunk show, loading the car, packing the suitcase, printing up invoices, mapping a route…looking forward to heading out tomorrow to meet up with Kim, Jason and Charlotte for dinner at San Jose’s in Columbia SC! I miss that place! And Friday…I’m driving all the way down to Brandon FL!

Monday Morning Wake Up Call!

It was one of those nights you know? The kind where you fall asleep by 1am, but are wide awake at 3:30am…stay up til close to 5:30am before falling asleep again, and at 8am? Roofers start pounding! >_<

Now, the pounding is not anything I am upset about, it’s something I’m grateful for, because it means this roof is just about on. And getting this far has been a bit of a fiasco! And it’s been in such flux that I haven’t even attempted to post about it, afraid that the situation would be completely different the next day!

Contractor #1 – Nice guy…gave him 1/2 the money up front to buy supplies…they did all the pre-roofing work of removing the old shingles, removing the skylights, replacing the damaged plywood, did a TERRIBLE job of reframing the inside where the skylights were…like…this area of 2X4’s hangs 1/2” below where all the other studs and supports are…how are we supposed to sheetrock over THIS?! ((As Quilters, we worry about things being 1/4” off? Boards that hang 1/2” farther down than the rest of the room is a PROBLEM, Y’all!))

And ---- we sit! For a MONTH ---- with NO ROOF, no phone call, no nothing. And it’s the rainy season, and things are leaking in that sun-room when it rains.

Finally, a call to Contractor #1 gets through ((after many attempts)) and we find he hasn’t even ORDERED the roofing supplies yet that we paid for! So let’s just say that DH blows a gasket and we part ways with Contractor #1, and he charges us only for the work he has completed, albeit not that great, and we are on to Contractor #2.

After much searching around and looking for reputable contractors, DH decides that we are NOT going to get a metal roof after all --- they are booked too far out, we need a roof NOW, and so we are going back to shingle. Okay fine. By this time I don’t care, just get a roof on.

Contractor #2 ---Asks us to purchase the supplies, and they will pick them up. Shingles are purchased at Lowes, and the next day when contractor goes to pick them up…..half of them are missing. Lowes sold them out from under us after we had already paid for them. This delayed the job ---DH had to go get a refund for the missing shingles from Lowes, and then go to another Lowes to purchase them…..and now we are at the END of this contractor's list since we missed our window of opportunity or some such thing. Plus they don't have any trucks available to get the shingles, we have to pay to have them delivered….whatever it is…DH already has a short fuse, and he fires contractor #2. *SIGH*

In the mean time we have a boat load of shingles being delivered by Lowes…but no contractor! And come to find out from the delivery driver that THAT Lowes was also short on the shingles we had ordered and paid for and he had to go to a third Lowes to fill in the order!

Thanks to a referral from a work buddy, Contractor #3 stepped on the job right away and the whole crew has been super. They show up on time, they work hard, they get the job done….Only…..

We ran short on shingles! So the job stopped early on Saturday --- yesterday was Sunday ---and here they are this morning at 8am on the dot to finish up.

You probably can’t tell, but this is what I saw Saturday evening after returning home…the whole left side is done….and on the right side, in the trees, you’ll see a step-board they were standing on. It’s quite a steep roof! Above the step board is where we were short on shingles.

They are getting that job done, and I must say these shingles REALLY look nice. They’ve got a 30 year warranty…..and I’m happy to have the job done, no matter how badly I wanted a red metal roof on my cottage in the woods!

It’s pretty steep up there! And he is balancing on just the peak of the roof! Yes, it’s a blurry pic, but the sun was shining pretty brightly as well and I think the cam focused on the gutter, not the guy! Next up? New Gutters. Our house was built in the 70s and I think everything ON this house is VINTAGE! When you have lots of trees, as we do, there is always debris and stuff that gets in the gutters unless you have the kind that have guards on them…..

As for me? Guess what I spent part of last evening doing? Of course I should have been busy with other things, but OH! I have an idea I want to try! so out came the string basket, and I started pulling out all the brown/rust ones!

What a fun mess to play with! Does it look like it could actually turn INTO anything? We shall see! And the other question is....what to make with the rest of the crumbs/strings that are around here? I think I could sew with them for the rest of my life and never deplete them! But I love the challenge, and I have no intention of ditching them.....I'll just keep working on sewing them up into something.

Oh, and please send some good thoughts this way. DS Jeff left yesterday to go to Columbia SC --- He has a friend who may have an “in” on a job for him. He wants to move out, get a job, get on with his life. ((!!!)) I am fully aware this is only the first step and that revolving door may revolve around a few more times, but at least he is showing some motivation on getting his life in GEAR!!!

The “Lazy Sunday” Edition!"

Would you believe that I stayed in my jammies past 11am? And that I’d still be in them now if it weren’t for the fact that I do have to run some errands, and though I’m sure others have gone through the “drive through” with their PJ’s on..it ain’t happening here!

I drug myself to the mailbox after I got myself dressed and found that a long awaited package all the way from AUSTRALIA had shown up and was waiting for me!

We’ve had this project under wraps for a long time, and I’m tickled to announce that it is here, it is hitting the news stands ((Well, at least in Australia, I’m not sure how many US Quilters subscribe, but I’m sure I am about to find out)) and I’m SO TICKLED!

You see, I have an 8 page “spread” in this issue! It’s # 97, Vol 12-6 and it just was released on June 2nd. The whole issue focuses on the color BLUE, and I’ve got a quilt on the cover……and a nifty “Australian Exclusive” teaser:

And when you open up the inside…..WHOOOWHOOOO!

Now I’ve never been to Australia…it is on my list of “OH PLEASE LET ME GO THERE SOMEDAY!!” But I can say that my quilt has been hung over a fence in a pasture ((In Australia!!)) with a horse trailer in the background! :cD

Is this enough of a teaser for you? The quilt is named Jamestown Landing, and there is a bit of history included in the article as well. I love two color quilts, and blue and white are my favorite.

I’ll do my best to help you find out where you can order this issue ((I don’t know if it is available on Amazon, does anyone know??)) and ---- ***drum-roll*** ----In the box with the quilt, as it is being shipped back to me….are some EXTRA copies of this issue and I’m going to do a giveaway right here on the blog!

Click HERE for a view of the distribution flyer...you can find who might have it in your area!

I’m not sure yet when. I need to be here to do it, and the BOX hasn't arrived yet, and I’m headed to Florida on Thursday/Friday…..so we are winging it by ear. Just stay tuned and you’ll know when the give away starts.

See those sashing units? Uhhuh! Get your strings ready! You are going to need them!

And with that…I’m back to being lazy. I’ve done one load of laundry. I DID bleach-wash my dirty running shoes, and they are on the back deck drying in the sun. I may piece some. I may nap some more. I may putz around in my email. Or not. Today is just “optional”! And I’m liking it that way!

Free Kindle Book! June Bug!

I’m having a very weird evening!

Jeff picked me up at the airport, and dropped me off at home only to tell me he was then going to a friend’s house.

DH is in West Virginia riding motorcycles with his work buddies..and they won’t be home til tomorrow night.

I’m home alone, and I have no schedule! There is no itinerary, no meeting time that I have to be ready for --no rides to be picked up by….no nothing!

I’m still on central time, so it doesn’t feel like nearly 10pm and I’m spinning in circles not knowing what to do!

So….I’m putzing on the computer and I found this recent freebie that’s been added to Amazon, perfect for the month of June, it’s called June Bug! It's written by Jess Lourey as number 2 in her “murder by the month” series.

Book Description

Mira James never imagined life after college would be a doublewide trailer outside Battle Lake, Minnesota. Then again, maybe the North Country has more to offer than mosquitoes and broasted chicken.
Local legend claims that a diamond necklace was lost nearly a century ago in Whiskey Lake, not far from the present day Shangri-La resort. Mira, a part-time reporter, goes fishing for the story behind the legend, but her dives turn up more than missing jewelry. Buoyed by frozen Nut Goodies and a diminutive circus performer, the exhilarating search leads to a new mystery to unravel, and puts her face to face with the surfacing of a menacing foe from her past.

Click HERE for the free book from B&N for your nook.

The reviews compare her to Stephanie Plum, ((Love Stephanie Plum!!)) so I downloaded this one as soon as I saw it!

Of course, I'm a Minnesota girl so I also have to see how THAT pans out in the novel. I love things that make fun-fun of my birth state! Remember to check the price before clicking, what is free today may not be tomorrow.

Review

"Jess Lourey is a talented, witty, and clever writer." -- Monica Ferris, author of the bestselling Needlecraft Mysteries
"Jess Lourey offers up a funny, well written, engaging story...readers will thoroughly enjoy the well-paced ride." -- Carl Brookins, author of The Case of the Greedy Lawyers
"Move over, Stephanie Plum. There's a new bad girl in town... Don't miss this one -- it's a hoot!" -- William Kent Krueger, Anthony-Award winning author of the Cork O'Connor series

Off to putz around some more…..I don’t have to be in Florida until Friday, so I’m looking forward to a few days at home, and then heading down to Jason and Kim’s on Thursday to spend the night with them before heading out early for Brandon Friday morning….Yep! It’s good to be HOME!

Star Struck in Kingwood!

Yesterday was the Star Struck workshop with the Kingwood Area Quilters! We had a great time, these ladies are such a kick!

A wide variety of fabrics were being used each quilt with it’s own personality beginning to show by the time blocks were coming together in the early afternoon!

Oh, and a bonus! Since yesterday was Donut Day ((Did you know there was such a thing??)) Shipleys Donuts in the same plaza was giving out freebies…so….no, we did not starve!

There was much hilarity with picture taking too….just a good all around day!

However, I was so pooped out from this whole trip that I was ASLEEP by 9:30pm!

		Star Struck, Kingwood TX June 2011 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

This morning, with nowhere to be, no alarm to have to wake up to, just time to unwind….I threw on the running shoes and went exploring the wilds of Kingwood backroads!

When it is this hot out? Stick to the tree lined North/South roads so the shade helps protect you from the sun! I got in a great 5.68 miles, and was SO hot by the time I was done……I ended my run back at the hotel, threw off my shoes…and just jumped in here:

It wouldn’t have been so bad if the water weren’t already at bath temperature levels!

My clothes are in the guest dryer down the hall and I am off to go get them and finish packing, being picked up for the airport in just a bit.

I’ll be working on this:

You can see I have the red border sections done for squaring up the sides…and I’ve got to make one more neutral section to fill in the other side, and when that cream area is pieced, I’ll join the red borders on, and inset these whole sections onto the medallion. It’s getting there, ONE HEX AT A TIME! YAY!

Doing the neutrals is the most boring part. How far do you think I can get before I get home to Greensboro this evening? We shall see!

Have a great Saturday everyone!