Wednesday, July 30, 2008
My daughter, Brandy, and I have been assembling kits for days. We now see batting even with our eyes closed. It makes me think back two years
ago. I did not even know how to make a quilt. Don't get me wrong -- I did know how to sew. I actually have been sewing since I was five and had to
stand to reach the foot pedal. Sewing outfits was the closest I ever came to "playing with dolls."
I always had a sewing machine nearby. One day, just a few years ago, I was having trouble with a relatively new machine. Every shop I took it for
repairs told me, "I don't think this is worth fixing," or, "I have no idea what the problem is with this machine." So, when I took it to yet another shop,
on the way out, in frustration,I stupidly asked, "Just how much do these new machines cost, anyway?" Talk about "last words....."
To make a long story just a bit shorter, I went home and told my husband, "I think I just bought a new sewing machine."
He said, "Do you need one?"
I said, "I am not sure."
"Do you want one?"
"I am not sure."
"How much is it?"
"Zillions."
"Hmmm. Do you need one that expensive?"
"Probably not."
Now, at this point, I was too embarrassed to back out of the deal, so purchase it, I did. I have not looked back, or regretted it for one second. I
made a pact with myself, however, that I would take every class offered so I could learn to use as many of its features as possible. Heck, I even
took a baby jacket class and I don't even know a baby. And, as I am sure you can guess, I took a quilting class. The problem with quilting is, if you
make one quilt, you are obligated to make another to use up the "scraps" from the previous one. Then, of course, there is not quite enough of
some of the fabrics, so it is necessary to buy more. Thus, the third quilt is already in the making. I think it is a plot.....but, what a lovely plot that
becomes an addiction that I don't want a Twelve Step Program for because it is now part of who I am. I am proud to call myself a "Quilter."
Monday, July 28, 2008
Hey, rewards sure work. My husband is not only smiling but is now offering to do more "honey do's," and I never even got to the dinner part. Men
are so easy, heh, heh.
Now, for my latest discovery....suntans are "heavy." I mean, I went to the beach, got a tan, and came home two pounds heavier. What other
conclusion can there possibly be?
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I am baa-aaak. Why is it that no matter how nice your vacation/get-away is, home is better? Of course, I did leave my sweet husband home; that
could be part of it. But, driving up that driveway, sleeping in "your" bed, etc, is so peaceful. Perhaps that is part of the vacation package, the part
that is not included in the description, but the part we have to discover by ourselves.
My husband may not be quite as pleased for me to be back as he originally thought. I put him to work cleaning the rest of the garage. NOT a
happy camper. I suspect he is now planning his own get-away, like, tomorrow! Perhaps I had better think of some type of reward......hmmmmm,
what would a guy want???? If I cannot figure this dilemma out on my own after 43 years of marriage, I might not make it to 44. Dinner is a good
start so, I had better go. Later folks. Thanks, once again, for checking back and sharing some of your day with me.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Whew, now that I resolved that tough challenge from yesterday, the Shoe Issue, I am moving on to bigger things.....first on my list is how many
bananas do I need to make banana pudding for 50+ folks? Don't you envy me? My life is so full, heh heh.
After that statement, I feel it would be best if I prepare you for a major disappointment-- I will not be adding to my "daily" thread for the next week
since I am heading out of town on Saturday morning. Now, if I cannot make at least one of you just a tiny bit green by saying I will be at the beach,
what fun is there in telling? And, if this column has done nothing but help to lull you to sleep, I have a suggestion, drink some warm chocolate milk,
or, better yet, think of my next edition, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Can one be addicted to shoes??? I seem to be in serious trouble here. Where-o-where is the Twelve Step Program? because, right now I only
seem to be able to step into more shoes and my closet is full. Lordy, today I had a doctor's visit and ended up in a shoe department where I
bought not one, but FOUR pairs of new shoes. If I don't get some help I am going to soon have more shoes than clothes. Wait, I just figured out
the solution -- I can go get more clothes. I don't think it should be too big of a problem to knock out the wall to increase my closet. Or, better yet,
we could buy a new house with those huge husband/wife walk-in closets. My husband does not even need all of his closet space. Sigh, to think I
was worrying about this little ole' shoe thingie. I am good.
Anyone out there need help with a problem? I am your woman. Don't worry if your problem was not as difficult as mine; I am here for you. Feel
free to call anytime between 12:00 and 12:01, no problem too big, no problem too small. I am here to serve....
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Late late late....this might be very short since I am sleepy and sad. Excuses, I just hate them but sometimes it really is reality.
Speaking of "reality," I have spent the day with a dear friend of mine who is suffering from Parkinson's Disease. It is all I can do to keep from
crying. She lives in Houston and I do not get to see her very often, but, I was definitely not prepared for the condition she is in. I would not have
recognized her if I had not known it was she. We went shopping and she could barely walk. Then we went out to eat to celebrate her birthday. I
just kept thinking, "Please, do not let this be the last one we share with her."
I am sorry to be so morbid, but, this was my day. Sometimes Reality just plain old stinks.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Talk about a "Whenever" column....this is definitely pushing the bar on that issue. The reality was that my 89 year-young Mother tried to commit
"suicide by cookie !!" (I should mention here that she was the oldest living pregnant woman at the age of 70 when she had me, ha ha ha) Anyway,
she is very very allergic to wheat but continues to put it in her own perspective of, "This only has a little wheat. I am sure I can handle that....."
NOT, NO, NADA, there is no such thing as "only a little wheat" to someone who is allergic to gluten. So, not to get toooo terribly graphic, she
basically exploded from both ends to the point she could not even get out of bed. Sigh. I decided I needed to go for a visit. She is dramatically
better, even managed to crawl out of bed to go shopping. She adores secondhand shops and was delighted when I offered to drive her to her
favorite haunts. It was beautiful to see her coloring return to normal each time she pulled out her wallet.....
I also managed to pick over 7 gallons of blueberries from their backyard. What a yard it is. They have blackberries, blueberries, peaches, nuts,
muscadines, figs, etc. When they say they are going "out" to eat, they can go out to the backyard and dine beautifully.
Now, hopefully, I am back on track. We walked our 7 miles this morning, did a little business, and then managed to put some color in our own
cheeks as we did some shopping of our own......
thanks, again, for your time, your patience, and for even bothering to check back.....
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Guns shooting and exploding everything -- that movie definitely had more than its share! It was fun but prepare yourself for also seeing lots, I
mean LOTS of blood. And Angelina Jolie, boy that gal needs to eat something...
Now, speaking of eating, the really great news, I have the recipe for the Lemon Cake. If anyone out there tries this, I would love to hear from you. I
think it is the best cake I have ever eaten. Should I mention here that I am a Lemon Lover? (One day I overheard my daughter talking to a friend
about my love of lemons. She said, "If we have no milk, no bread, nothing worth eating in the house but we still have lemons, Mother sees no
reason to go grocery shopping. However, we could have a houseful of groceries but we run out of lemons, it is time to go to the grocery store !")
Her point???
Here is a link to the cake recipe.
Lemon Cake Recipe
Sunday, July 6, 2008
If watching snails crawl is entertaining for you, this is your day to read my thread ! You guessed it -- boring. Today started at 6:07 a.m. with my
daughter and me taking our practice walk. We actually walked 9.7 miles. Excited yet? it gets better....
We then came home and cleaned out the garage. Whew. Control yourself, please.
We had such an eventful day we have decided to culminate it with a movie. We saw "Hancock," the other day and it was fun--highly recommended
by "moi.". Now we are going to see the Angelina Jolie movie, cannot remember the name, but it should provide the excitement that our day is
lacking, I hope, I hope. Lots of guns, shooting, and cars exploding.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Well, I seem to have survived the excitement of spending my Fourth of July in front of Wal-Mart, selling raffle tickets. It is such a challenge to
contain my joy......what I have not survived are the blisters on my feet from the 15 mile walk we did the day before. Thus, another break. Now, I
need to contain the disappointment, heh heh.
Honestly, I am very excited that we did sell enough tickets to complete our required amount for walking in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. This is a
strange set-up. First, one has to register for the walk by paying $90 (which does not go towards your fund-raising goal) Then, each walking
participant has to raise at least $2,200 in order to be "allowed" to walk the 60 miles, sleeping in a six foot tent each night ....... Heavenly day, I had
no idea how consuming this personal project would be. I mean, asking for donations, advertisements, stamps, tickets, making the quilt, practicing
walking, the list goes on and on. The local newspaper asked why, even if you are successful in the fund-raising efforts, would you still want to
walk? Either way, you donate all the money. How do I answer that?
I suppose it is about as logical as chosing to have a baby ---- the reasoning, "Because I want to." I mean, logical ?? NOT. Rewarding ? mostly.
Hopefully the world sees you and your effort, not judging too harshly on the success rate, respecting the work, the goal, and the good intentions.
Like having that baby. A labor of love.
Later Friday July 4, 2008
WOOOPPPEEEEEEEEEEE !!!! not only do we have a winner, but, we have met our $4,400 goal. David Hedgepeth of Ruston, LA, is the lucky guy.
Thanks to everyone of you who supported us in dollars and in spirit. It takes a village and this time it took several. Now, Brandy and I have a LOT
more walking to do. Please keep us in mind as we sweat, blister, and walk, and more importantly for the reason we walk --- Please remember to get
those breast exams. Love and many thanks, again.
Very Early Friday, July 4, 2008
Now this is novel for moi -- an early morning addition! At least I am impressed with ME. Anyway, I am hoping for some "well-wishing" for my
daughter and me as we go spend our Fourth of July holiday at Wal-Mart, trying to sell gazillions of raffle tickets before the Big Raffle Drawing this
afternoon. Your time and thoughts are super appreciated. I will announce the lucky winner of The Quilt tonight.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Back to that "whenever" status. I think I need to adjust my thinking and accept the realization that this is probably going to always be a Whenever
Column. And my point???
For some strange reason, my daughter and I decided we were ready to try a considerably longer walk, today. We set the alarm (something I vowed
I would never do again after having gotten awakened by one for 25 years! -- promises promises, promises end...) anyway, we set the alarm for 5:15
a.m. Forty-five minutes later we were on our way. The morning was perfect. This is a phrase that is rarely used in conjunction with the state of
Louisiana. Things changed very quickly. HOT, HUMID, and YUCKY are the best descriptions I can think of. I kept looking for a water hose so I
could literally "soak my head." No such luck.
We convinced ourselves that a MacDonald's breakfast would do the trick. Ha, ha, that would only have worked if we had moved in, permanently.
So after about five hours of walking, I did something I rarely do, I used my head. I called my husband and told him to come get us. What a
disappointment, we had settled for fifteen miles. Now I am starting the "rationalization stage, "Get realistic, Dianne. You just did double the
longest walk you have ever done. Put this into some perspective.
Does typing put you to sleep? I am dozing off as I write. Forgive me, I am heading to bed but I want to thank you, once again, for your time. Have
a great 4th of July.
Oh, I just remembered, we sell the last of our Breast Cancer quilt raffle tickets tomorrow. Then, tomorrow afternoon, the winner of the quilt is
drawn. My problem is that I want each person to win......
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Whoa, it is July. The year is half over. SCARY.
I am in the process of trying to produce a new product -- a 36 HOUR DAY, tada. It could cause some complications, like my birthday for instance. I
mean, I like the longer day focused on ME, but, it would take longer for the next celebration to actually arrive.....hmmmm. And, pregnancy, does
this mean one would have to be pregnant 50% longer??? Yikes, my head is swimming, perhaps I should put this project on hold.
Brandy and I did our walk today. So much for the break. We increased our distance to 8.3 miles. My butt is sore, my feet have blisters, I am tired
tired tired. I had no idea how not only expensive, but how time consuming this whole 3-Day walk would actually be. I have been in "training" for this
walk for two weeks now and went from two miles on day one to the current 8.3 distance and guess what -----I have GAINED two pounds. Don't even
go to the place where "muscle weighs more than fat" resides. I could not care less whether the weight is named fat or muscle, I do not want it on
me!! GRRRR.
Well, I really am exhausted so I will go get some dinner and try to keep from getting horizontal for at least a couple more
hourzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Monday, June 30, 2008
This morning my daughter, Brandy, and I are taking a break from our daily practice walk. We are usually out in the middle of a long sweat by now.
I could get used to this break thingie reallllly quickly, heh heh.
As I wrote yesterday's note, I could not help but think about last year's Peach Festival. Each year I enter the art show that runs in conjunction with
the festival. For the first time in my life I won "Best of Show" on my entry. (Do you get the image of a gray-haired old gal jumping for joy??) As I
mentioned earlier, I usually have a booth in this festival and last year was no exception. The nicest thing kept happening all day. Total strangers
kept coming up to my booth saying, "Congratulations," and "nice painting," and other delightful things. It baffled me how they could know that I was
the "mother" of the painting. A day or two later I mentioned to my girlfriend how strange I thought it was that these folks, who I had never seen
before, could know that I was the one who had painted the winning piece. She looked at me, smiling, and asked, "Dianne, wasn't it a self-
portrait???" major "DUH..."
You know, as I reflect on this "winning thing" I am lead to a bit of insight into myself. I reeeeally like winning. In fact, I find that I have no problem
being a big fish in a small pond...heck, give me a puddle..........morning dew, and I am a happy woman.
O.K., now that you know my level of intellect, or lack thereof, we can move on....
It really is too bad that I did not start this thread earlier in the year. I had the craziest schedule. From the 23rd of April, until the 14th of June, I was
home for just two days. My daughter and I began by driving up to Paducah to see the Quilt Show. I had heard about this Show but had absolutely
no idea what to expect only having seen a few local quilt exhibits. So, when Lisa at the Quilting Bee in Camden, Tennessee, asked if I would judge
her "Quilt in a Cup Contest," I thought how neat it would be to drive up to Kentucky, check out the Quilt show for a couple of hours, then drive down
to Camden that afternoon and meet Lisa. Well, anyone who has ever been to the Paducah show is probably laughing their head off about now -- I
mean, check out the show for a couple of hours???? how about for a couple of days ! What a Show...and that winning entry. The minute my
daughter and I turned the corner, there it was, totally amazing. There were many many (even in the ridiculously short time period we had)
incredible quilts there, but this choice was just a no-brainer.
Anyway, we tore ourselves away, drove to Lisa's and met her and her daughter for a nice dinner. The next day was also a lovely surprise. The
cup entries were wonderful. I have never had such a difficult time judging a contest. Really stressful, but great fun.
From there we drove to Fort Morgan, AL, to spend a week at the beach in celebration of our mother's 89th birthday. By the way, as soon as I get a
copy of the recipe, I am going to share the most amazing Lemon Cake recipe I have ever tasted. I don't even particularly like cake but this one
could convert me.
Then the day everyone left, new folks then began arriving for my Quilting on the Beach Retreat. Not too bad, two weeks on the beach with
uninterrupted sewing involved?. Jealous yet? no? Let me work on that...
We drove home for that "two days at home" part, packed and then left for Quilt Market in Portland. After a whirlwind four days, we flew home to
Louisiana on the 19th of May so I could drop off one suitcase and pick up my luggage for another trip on the 20th. I spent the next three weeks in
Bali, Indonesia, on a drawing/shopping trip. Wow, I could write about this part for weeks. That is what I meant when I started today's thread, that I
wish I had started this earlier so I could have filled you in daily. Oh well, I am home now. Happy I went, happier that I am here.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
OOPS! My daily newsletter is only two days old and I have already missed a day. I guess I should call this my “Whenever Column.” We have a
local festival called the Ruston Peach Festival. It was yesterday. For many years, more than I can remember, I have had a booth in this Festival.
This year was the exception. I thought I had better go check the festival out if for no other reason than to see if it could succeed without me, heh
heh.
Also, my daughter and I were raffling a quilt I made. Perhaps this is simply more evidence of my level of insanity, I have registered for the Breast
Cancer 3-Day-Walk in Dallas. Then, even crazier, I paid for my daughter to walk as well. Not only do we have to walk 60 miles in three days but we
each have to raise $2,200 in order to be able to participate in the walk. Thus, the raffle….
After being as thoughtful as I was, leaving my daughter in the sun to sell the tickets while I checked out the booths, I was too tired to just go home. I
called my husband and he joined us at the movies. If you have not seen Get Smart, I sure do recommend it. Very well written, funny, light-hearted,
and thoroughly enjoyable.
See, now wouldn’t you have forgotten to do the “daily?”
Friday, June 27, 2008
Hi to all of you for stopping in. I am Dianne, the one behind the “Quilt in” products. I was a school teacher having taught the Talented Art Program
for 25 years in a small town in Louisiana. I retired two years ago and began this company immediately afterwards. I have been quilting for two
years and have now made about 80 quilts. Obviously, I am somewhat driven, and majorly sleep deprived, wouldn’t you agree? I don’t know what
inspired me to start this chat today. It has been something I planned to do at the very outset of this whole Quilt in a Cup adventure but “things” just
got in the way and stole my time. I am going to make this shorter than I would like to have but I thought I should get started instead of giving
excuses to myself, yet again. I am no longer listening to my excuses and am punishing myself for even thinking “excuses” by sending me to bed.
Until tomorrow…….thanks for giving me a bit of your time today—such a gift!
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