Working With Wool

Once upon a time I decided I would learn to hook rugs...actually did get one made. And hopefully in this lifetime, I can find the time to pick that habit up again. But anyway, I had gone to the Goodwill store and found garments with 100% wool (hard to find these days) brought these iffy garments home and washed them first...so now I felt better about putting my hands on them again. Next step was to salvage usable pieces/parts. Had a sizable bin of real wool on my hands that I decided to use. Had much fun yesterday making up these little pillows. Hopefully I'll get them posted in my Etsy shop today.

Yes , that's an old picture of family in the background. Back row...cousin Max, Dad, Mom, and Uncle Hurdel. Front row...Marty, Sandy, Jackie (two of my siblings). I love this picture. It's a reminder of from where I came which greatly influenced where I went and where I now am.

And speaking of Etsy check this out. Kudos to our friends...great job you three.

Later.......

I get up early.....'cause

I get up early 'cause yellow cat is usually waiting for his first nibble of the morning. I prefer he eat cat food rather than the little winged tweeters. Dearest loves to feed the birds and keep them in bath water. They think our little garden is their sanctuary....I call it a baited field! Oh yes, cat that usually runs away from me didn't run away this morning. I even got to rub his or her chin. Perhaps he/she will tell me his/her gender on another day.

I also get up early to get my hands on the camera. Every time he sees me with the camera, he grabs it. It's a gadget, it's a man thing. Granted, he takes better pictures than I, but I need the practice. And it saves me a lot of explanation when he's not watching me take pictures of things he doesn't understand. For instance, if he saw me taking this many pictures of my newest calendar, the dialog might go something like this....

he..."What are you going to do with those??"
me ...."I think I'll blog about the calendar."
he...."you need that many for your blog???"
me...."yes, I have several things to say today."
he...."about a calendar?"
me...."yes"
he... "How much can you say about a calendar?"
me..."obviously, more than you can!!"

My first calendar featured my "Pretty Ladies in Smart Hats" fabric art cards. I had several printed and gave them as Christmas gifts to special family and friends. The reactions were so favorable, I decided to put together another calendar using more of my art cards. Each month's facing sheet spotlights a different card. I'll catch you up today.....Calendar cover features "My Home, My Heart" Oh yes, I just recently discovered that clicking on each picture enlarges it. Was I the last to know?

January's new year's resolution, "Thou Shall Not Whine..."


February, of course, it's a heart me month....using "Be Mine"


Then, there's March....Oh, the luck of the Irish....some pairs, (oops) pears have all the luck!


So, what got me thinking about the calendar this morning? Many birthdays in March. Grandson, Cody, was born in March, as was special friend, Sandra. Great nephew, Kale, and also great, great nephew, Mikiel, were also born in this the third month of the year. Boy, am I aging myself..or did they all start very, very young. I like to think it's the latter. Anyway, speaking of aging, March is also the month of my birth. I'm a St. Patrick's Day child.

Daylight savings time begins March 8 AND happy day, spring begins March 20. Just thinking of spring puts a lilt in my voice and an extra tap in my toes. Enjoy the moment you're in...

Hugs

Finished Red Quilt Top

Was wonderful having time on my hands today. Took advice of friend blogger Annie and pieced the back of the quilt to make it fit. You know the old story, the back was too small but it's what I had. I actually like it even better having the vertical row of blocks down the middle of the back. And it certainly beats cutting the quilt top down to fit. One more ready to be quilted.

I have mini-mondo grass out the kazoo. Could start a mondo grass nursery. As a matter of fact, I have thought of supplementing our income by selling some. In lieu of owing more taxes though, I just give it away when I can. So when JoAnn called today wanting some, I was grateful to her. Got me out into the garden on just a perfect day for digging and weeding. I rambled around in the weeds for about two wheelbarrow loads full. We still have a compost pile, so I shredded all the weeds to put some green in with the brown leaves from fall to help them compost more quickly. Didn't think you needed a view of the compost. So we'll move on to harassing the cat. This handsome guy was sleeping too soundly in his little loft chair out on the back patio.

He's saying in his mmmmeow voice, "okay, okay, my eyes are open....."

"This is the only smile you're gonna get, so get it done."

"Now......that's all! Fun's over. Get yourself a life and leave mine alone."

I'm published on the WWW

Yes, I finally did it. Now I can stop my rambling on and on and on about doing it....It is done.
Take a look. I hope you'll add me to your "favorites". http://www.martysfibermusings.com


Blessings to all who endured me this month.

Marty

They Rained on my Parade

OK, here goes...Why are they raining on my parade?

I'm an A-type
No nonsense
Goal oriented
Directed
Focused type person.....never could play office politics. When I wake up, I get up.

So, why do I waltz around the vacuum cleaner rather than flip the "on" switch?

And why am I pussyfooting around my feelings about some of our local quilt guild policies?

My dander is up. That means I'm mad.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed...I awoke at my usual 5 a.m to open my emails and Oh Boy, there was our quilt guild newsletter. Always a good read. So, why this anger? The executive committee made an "executive decision" (tongue in cheek) that to publicly announce my blogspot name and how to get there would be advertising and I therefore would have to pay the guild money to "advertise" my blogspot. I disagreed then and I disagree now. To tell the group that I am a blogger is not advertising. Advertising what? That it's fun to communicate through a different channel?

Well, lo, I opened the email newsletter this morning and in my face was published the direct link to a fellow blogger. You know, what's fair is fair...and this clearly is not fair treatment. I have some decisions to make today. I feel that I am an asset to our guild. But perhaps I put too much value on my time and talent.

Up A Tree Without A Ladder

He went to church yesterday, I went to Walmart. Guess who had the best morning.

Up a tree without a ladder. On some days, this is just the way I feel. But like Snoopy and unlike the little yellow chirper, I don't have wings. No, not today, I just won't let it happen. I'm going to think through to what the consequences may be before I act. Husband dear is saying, yeah, very likely...right! sure! I won't hold my breath. (Oh, you of little faith)

I've recently been seeing "Donate" buttons on web pages and was thinking of asking for donations for a design wall for my sewing room. Consequence of receiving this donation...well, my space is not large enough, so I would have to remodel the house to accommodate coveted design wall. OK, forget the donate button. I'll just continue to spread a bed sheet on the floor and spread my quilt blocks down for audition. Works well most of the time.

Here's my red quilt blocks I've been working on. Once I'm pleased with the placement, I just pin a number order on each block.

I found some fabric for the backing for this yet unfinished red quilt, got it washed and seamed to fit the 50" ish size quilt I was going to make. Well, guess what, I've decided to enlarge red quilt to a 70" ish size. Now I have a backing that doesn't fit a quilt that's not in my design head and I have an almost finished red quilt with no backing!! Shoulda thought that one through!! One step forward...

But now, here I've made progress. A finished coin quilt top and a backing the right size ready to be quilted. I'm loving the moment. Take a look at a quilt is nice blogspot. She is the champ at coin quilts. I love all the white in her quilts so the other day I bought 6 yards of white, then had to go back for 6 more. Are you getting the idea you may be seeing more white in my quilts?

More later, I hear outside yellow cat calling my name for breakfast. And I'm hungry too.

Hugs

It's a good motto to live by but don't beat it to death....

"Help yourself before you ask others for help" is a good motto to live by. Most of the time though, I just work myself to death trying to help myself when the simpler solution would be to ask others to help me first.

Prime example - spell check was built into this system so I wouldn't have to go back to school to learn to spell all over again. But oh no, I think I can spell okay...so why waste my time. I hope you don't know how many times I go into edit mode (after I've published my blog) to correct a spelling error. When I read in the published blog, some words just look funny so I spell check them and sure enough, they are spelled incorrectly....well maybe not spelled - but typed - incorrectly. Is there a difference?

I have the Merriam-Webster online dictionary set up in my favorites column right here on the left...I'm looking at it as I type. Yesterday's blog referred to Mom's little dog (a Schitsu? No, Shihsu, or is it Shiatzu, well, maybe it Sh!! Sue. Why me???? Now keep in mind that I posted early yesterday morning. It's now Saturday afternoon and the dog's breed was still looking kinda funny. So, I went to Merriam and she (or he) said it is a dog from the East and it's a Shih Tzu. Now, how easy was that? So, if you're reading yesterdays blog for the first time, you have no clue that I'm a hopeless.

Just one more example, then I'll put this baby to bed for the day....My web site is ready to publish except for one little problem. I have worked for about six hours trying to fix it (the problem). After pulling out my last hair, I decided a call to the host site help center was in order. I told the customer service rep what the problem was and she said, "Oh, no problem...may I put you on hold." After many holds and an hour later, she determined that it was a problem she couldn't solve and it had to be turned over to engineering. She promised they would get back to me in 1 to 3 business days. Had I called two days ago, my site may be up and running now! Will I ever learn?

I'm so good, I'm not even going to spell check this musing. And don't you either. That would spoil all my fun of the cat and mouse I play with myself.

Here's hoping you do as I say do, not do as I do. That's a motto for another day.

Marty

PS- I've already found 5 funny looking things that I've corrected (if you're counting)

"Two Poodles and One (Dog)"

Yes....it's another one of Marty's Musings....I must remember not to think too critically of others.

Several months ago in conversation with wonderful friend, Ann, she mentioned that it was so difficult to go through her mother's old bank statements.....Well myself just couldn't get a grasp of that. Myself just thought of it as just a bunch of old checks. Myself couldn't see how old checks could bring forth memories.

But lo, this morning I was sneaking through a box of stationery, cards, etc. looking for an envelope, and ran across a folder where I had stuck notes and cards Mom had sent to me over the years. Then, there it was.....a canceled check from 8-8-90. It was made payable to a dog grooming shop here in town and signed by me.

Way back then I had two perfect little poodles, Missy and Dixie, and Mom had Jeli Bean, the Shih Tzu. When the three of them were together, all of Jeli Bean's flaws seemed to come out (in Mom's mind anyway). She always thought the poodles were more prissy with their poofy little tails and poofy little top notch and poofy little hips and pointy little nose and shaved little tummy. Whereas Jeli Bean's overbite was more pronounced when with the poodles. Her little snub nose was always dripping. The rubber band holding her topnotch out of her eyes made her look childish when around the poodles. Dixie was black, Missy champagne. Jeli Bean, on the other hand, was black AND white. And insult added to injury, Jeli Bean's hairdresser preferred to trim her ears in a block cut, whereas the poodles' ears were left long and flowing.

Back then I still received a paycheck from corporate America, so Mom took the three of them to be groomed every month. For her time and trouble, I always gave her a check to pay for all three groomings. Well, on this particular hot August day back in 1990, Mom just cracked. When she picked the three of them up, it seemed to her that the hairdresser had spent much too much time on "the poodles" and not enough time on "the dog". Thus, the notation on the check she had written "Two poodles & one (dog)". I laughed out loud then and I laughed out loud this morning when I ran across that old canceled check. Memories...even from canceled checks, imagine that....

....I really must remember not to think too critically of others.

Hugs, to Ann for being my friend in spite of myself. And hugs to Mom in heaven for giving me memories.

Another World........

I woke up in another world this morning...my (almost) normal world. I slept most of the night, felt very refreshed this morning, at peace. Yep, you guessed it! I think I can publish my website today. Need to get just a few more things done, but, weather permitting, I can get quilts pictured, described, etc. then it goes live.

I must admit, it has been a struggle learning how to maneuver in, out, under and on top of this computer. But I saw a commercial this morning... I don't know what they were advertising. There are too many new technologies out there that are totally over my head...I just remember that it's about "don't let a good idea get away. " The fellow in the commercial is sitting at his desk, talking on the phone, when one of his yellow post-it notes starts crawling across the wall, headed for the window.

That's what prompted me to slow down and muse a bit. After these past three weeks of setting up a website, I think I can now do computer animation. I really think I can make a post-it note head for the nearest window. That's the idea that I can't let get away....except that I still haven't learned how to use those things they call gullimets or is it guttemets (spellcheck couldn't find either word, imagine that), but you know the little gadgets << >> to indicate previous and next.

Life would be simple if we could <<>>.

See ya soon,

Marty

It's all about naming

I mentioned yesterday at the chapter meeting of our quilt guild that I was a "Martha." I remember from Sunday school that Martha did the preparation for Jesus coming into her home while Mary, on the other hand, made sure she heard His every word and enjoyed His presence. Martha then felt put-upon for making her choice.

I don't feel put-upon when I say "I'd rather do it myself." When I do things myself, well, I really can't blame others when good plans run amuck. (Or can I?)

Anyway, this started me thinking about names. Our parents did the best (???) they could with the list of names then available. A good strong name is meant to give us a leg up in life. We name our children with good, strong names. Our spouses have good, strong names. Even when we don't call them by their given name, we exchange that for an endearing term - honey, sweetie...you get the picture. OK, sometimes it becomes hey you...when you get a minute, I could use your help in here!!

We think long and hard to name our household pets. We dubbed one of our cats "Stretch". He was already just about as large as a stretch limo when he wandered up. And when he did the stretched out kitty thing they do, he was really long. "Stretch" just fit. Big strong name for a big, growing cat.

And then, not to let the outside cats down, we have a name for them. Never mind that none of those cats are ours! I still make sure they have a nibble of cat food on my potting bench to enjoy when passing through. I'm sure their true owners have given them a fitting name. So as not to confuse them, I just call the yellow cat "yellow cat" and the yellow cat with the blue collar, "yellow cat with blue collar" and young yellow cat that runs from me "yellow cat that runs from me". They know who they are and now I know who they are and I thought husband dear knew who they were too! All three are really those wonderful orange short hair tabby cats.

We were all doing fine with such good, strong names until yesterday when the truth came out. Dearest doesn't know the three cat's names. Where has he been?? In conversation, he made mention of "yellow cat" and it was clear to me that this was not "yellow cat" he was talking about, but "yellow cat with blue collar". Why was he trying to confuse us? So, I corrected him. And he retorted, well, the cat is yellow. I think he felt I was poking fun at his color blindness issue. So I dutifully agreed with him that yes, the cat was yellow in color, but this was not "yellow cat" he was speaking of, but rather, "yellow cat with blue collar" . And further, the yellow cats that are welcomed into our garden should be shown the respect they deserve by being called by their correct names!! Now there...

He just shook his head and muttered something incoherent....I really didn't want to know.

I clearly need to get back to quilting to clear my head.

Breath of Air

I came up for air three times yesterday - for breakfast.....lunch..........dinner!!

My breakfast menu easy: One banana with a teaspoon of reduced fat peanut butter smeared on. Scorff down with one cup fat free milk.

Lunch: I make my own humus and spread on Saltines. Dearest says it tastes like dirt. Perhaps it is an acquired taste, but I like it. Simply take a can of Garbonzo beans (chick peas), drain. Blender the beans, teaspoon of chopped garlic, shake of kosher salt, squeeze of lemon or lime, touch of olive, canola, or veggie oil. And lunch is ready!!

Dinner: I actually did get into the little used kitchen (these days) and prepared a real meal. Dearest does a lot of outside grilling, but when it's cold outside, I give him a break and fire up the oven.

I took chicken breasts, cut into half if they are large. On stove top in my large black skillet (the one I make cornbread in for my Thanksgiving Day dressing) I added and heated a small amount of oil. Salt, pepper and flour the chicken and lightly sear in the oil. Turn off heat and add one can cream of chicken soup and a couple cups of warm water. Put into 350* oven for about an hour. Don't let the soup dry out. If needed, add a little more water so you'll have a gravy. I like mine thick. Serve over rice.

Try it. It's quite tasty and very easy. Same recipe with pork chops instead of chicken is equally as tasty.

Oh yes, I opened a can of green beans.

Things I Must Get Done---NOW

My TO DO LIST is growing. Working on learning how to set up a web page has been very time consuming (as you have already guessed). Why am I the last one to hear? Well, and but, and yes, I am committed. Progress has been made. Now have a web host, a domain name, have chosen my home page template and gotten a slogan and the about me verbiage composed. Number of pages have been selected and named and folders set up for photos. That I could handle....Then, I started taking the pictures, editing. How can that little bitty picture taker be so uncooperative. Thank goodness, husband dear (on a good day) came to the rescue and worked with me yesterday afternoon.

I do have a web designer coming in this week, but really needed to get as much done by myself so the designer fee would not be astronomical. (Don't misunderstand, I think they are worth it...it's just that I don't have it.) And hopefully if I learn how to scoot around my web pages, I can add good stuff later without additional designer fees. Sounds good on paper anyway!!

But, back to my things to do list...
1. Make birthday card for Judy's February 17 birthday
2. Make fabric art cards to take to The Biedenharn Gift Shop
3. Check with Karen about Thursday's quilt chapter program
4. Call web designer, Nancy Blackwell, to schedule meeting
5. Get over to Quilt 'N Stitch to get more yards of white fabric
6. While there, pick up quilt Susan quilted for me
7. Complete scrap quilt work-in-progress
8. Relax and get desperately needed spa pedicure

Gotta get going.....Hugs

Marty