12:00 12:00 12:00 12:00

Don't you hate it when you wake up, look at the clock, and that is what you see? Blinking 12:00's??? Well, the power must have blipped in the night. It was sprinkling when I woke, but no big thunderstorms or anything, just enough of a blip to reset the clocks. Makes me LOVE my battery operated ones as I have to go around and reset everything! Not hard, just a pain..not even a thorn in my side...just an *UGH!* If that is all I have to complain about, I guess I'm doing good :c)

These are the other goodies that came home from Virginia with me!

I really love this blue enamel iron. Every time I've seen a blue iron, it had a natural gas little tank on the back, but this is a "heat on the stove" iron. So guess where it is sitting? On my wood stove in my studio. Love that color! And these things weigh a ton....I can't imagine ever having to iron with one.

The orange gingham apron...Don't you just love with the chicken scratch stitching on it? I took one to Lucy when I visited in December, hers was green with white stitched tulips on it. Now I've got this orange with green stitching, and I've got a brown with white stitching. Just love gingham. It's a happy little fabric, no matter what color it is.



I also found a sugar bowl, a pink depression glass juicer, a stuffed quilt heart pillow, and this lovely book. It's called The Heiress, and is copyrighted 1859 by Mrs Ann S Stephens. It is inscribed inside in ink "I shall be very very glad to find myself with you. Ever Yours, Ann S Stephens.

Who was she very very glad to find herself with? We may never know..but this book was given to someone she loved. And now it's mine. I can't wait to read it. I love the language. Just for kicks, here is a paragraph:

" She understood him. She felt that her empire in that heart was there still, though it might be in ruins. Still she struggled hard to suppress the exhibition of his wild delight, but it broke through her tears like lightning among rain-drops. It dimpled her mouth - oh, she was beautiful then~ One moment of expression like that is worth a life-time of the symmetrical prettiness which ordinary men admire in common-place women. With the conviction of his continued affection, Lady Jane recovered much of her composure. Her manner, unconsciously perhaps to herself, became gentle, pleading, almost tender. Now and then her voice was almost playful, and once as she lifted her eyes to his, there was a faint reflection of her mood upon Lord Clare's face."

Some things never change...nearly 150 years later...we are still sucked in by romance! *LOL*

By the list in the title page, it seems that Mrs Ann S Stephens was quite a novel writer. I found a bit about her HERE. Can you imagine women of the day passing her books amongst friends, trading hands at the quilting bee and discussing the plots? I can!

On my list today...getting ready to leave for a bee retreat on Friday morning! YAY! I need to remake a class sample that was given away to a charity.

If you are looking for something to do for Super Bowl Sunday...consider piecing a Strip Twist with me! It uses 2.5" strips, all colors, all fabrics (or you can be more discriminating if you want)and turns out great. This one has been on my website for about 6 or 7 years, long before Jelly Rolls became the "in" thing! It sews really fast, and I plan to make a dent in those 2.5" strips in the bin....If you've got a jelly roll...it's a good project for that too.

I've also been cutting a gazillion...well, I really only need 400, but can always use the extras....2" light/neutral squares for a border for the "nines-in-the-middle" quilt I started before Christmas. I got way-laid while I've been working on other things, but that is my goal today to finish the border. Or at least try!