Playing Hookey!

I was supposed to be quilting from home today as I have no massage clients scheduled....but...I wanted to play! And yes, the border is still NOT done on the blue quilt, but I have plans to take that with me to hilton head over thanksgiving...

Today I wanted to do something quick and fun! So...I dug in my "pieces-parts"...little string pieced trimmings, etc. And there were a few blocks I had crumb pieced..left from a little crumb quilt top that I had made. The blocks were 3.5". Very cute size for using up little stuff.

I also found they are a good size to have stashed back for coming up with a quick project! How many of you have books you love...be it a cook book, a favorite novel, a quilt book, a hymn book...an anything book? Make a cover for it using your leftovers!

Some may think this is corny, and too "martha stewart" ish....but I had a couple beat up books I wanted to make covers for. One was a small paperback with inspirational thoughts for the day, 365 days a year...and I really like it. It was worn and dirty and looking pretty bad though, so this was a good candidate...and another book became the second guinea pig.

I had fun doing these, they were easy...and FAST! I added ribbon book marks sewn into the seam at the center.....I didn't even bother to quilt them!

A little bit of what's going on here:

Music has always been such an important part of my life and I can really feel the holiday spirit (especially through the Christmas season) when I am singing in a choir.

When we lived in Idaho I sang with the Boise Master Chorale. And went to NYC and sang Brahm's Requiem in Carnegie hall. I loved singing with the Boise philharmonic orchestra and the Manhattan Philharmonic orchestra. I also sang with the Treasure Valley Chorale in Eastern Oregon, and the Twin Falls Chorale when we lived in Burley. Since moving to TX, and then to SC....I stopped singing. Life took over. But I missed it.

I love the traditional classic music, like Handel's Messiah. I could get lost in that music. I know a lot of people don't like it, but I do.

Last week I auditioned for the Cathedral Chorale in Columbia, and I made it! Tonight is my first rehearsal, and we are working on a Requiem by Maurice Durufle...all in latin. It is SO beautiful. It feels good to have a place to sing again. Since we left Idaho, I turned that side of my soul off because there was not a place for me to really sing.

Jason is doing well here, and it is wonderful to have him HOME. He has doing some checking for jobs. He was working at Olive Garden in Mankato,MN and has been to the Olive Garden here to talk to them about transferring. They want him! He just needs a couple of phone calls to take place between the two places for references...and hopefully he will have a job in the next day or so. It is great for them because he is already trained.

It's been good for Jeff and Jason to spend some time together too. This past weekend was Dave's company picnic....it was at the ZOO! What a fun place to have a company picnic. We ate burgers and hotdogs and all the fixins, and got to walk around and see all the animals. We had a great time. I'm sure Jeff would NOT have come with us unless Jason was along,and since he was...we all had a very enjoyable time.

I have joined a knitting group that meets on wednesday evenings, and I go to that right before I go to choir practice. I'm still working on that afghan that I started last Christmas when we were at the cabin in the Smokies. I hope to finish it..and then perhaps I'll start bringing a hand work quilting project. Just fun to sit with the ladies and talk and sew. I'm bringing the books and their new covers to see if I can get anyone interested ;c)

Bonnie