Quilt Retreat

Over the weekend I went on a quilt retreat at Create a Memory Inn in Holly, Michigan. It was a fun weekend with fun people and lots of delicious food. I started and finished this quilt top that I ordered from McCalls quilting magazine.  The quilt directions were given over several issues but I found it silly because there was no way you could get the scallop material without ordering the kit. Why buy the magazine if it is just acting like a catalogue.  The quilt went together easily (even if it was listed as intermediate).

It's a Dog's Life

We have a three year old, golden retriever -Labrador retriever cross dog named Mindy. We raised her as a puppy for Leader Dogs for the Blind.  Mindy was career changed (flunked) because she was fearful.(She wouldn't walk past statues. They tried for a while to overcome this but to no avail.) So we gladly kept her. (one of our rights as puppy raisers) Mindy really rules the house. When she wants something she whimpers a little and Hubby jumps.  She sleeps on the sofa! Hubby gets up with her at 6 AM because she whimpers to be fed.  He started feeding her again at 4 PM but Mindy whimpers and gets fed again at noon. Mindy loves to play ball in the back yard and will do it for an hour at a time.  If you are a little slow at throwing the ball she will bark to get your attention.  She is a good dog except when she gets your mittens or socks or hats or any scrap of paper. She walks very nicely and only barks at the UPS man or another dog walking down the sidewalk when she is indoors. We have five neighbor dogs but she does not bark at them because when she is outside she wants to play ball.  Hubby never makes her go outside by herself,.

Women's March in D.C.

The March was spectacular.We took the Metro into D.C. after finding the 2 end stations, Greenbelt, and Carrolton were closed because the huge parking lots were full. At the station we waited in line for over an hour to get subway tickets.  Fortunately for me I had a senior pass that I had got years ago but unfortunately my friend, Carole, and son, Jim, didn't have tickets.  We walked for an hour and a half before we got to the Mall so we didn't hear the speeches.  I really wanted to see Angela Davis. At about 4 PM the group, we were in, was heading to the White House and we turned and went back to the Subway and stood in line to get on. It was a great experience, very upbeat. Some signs were so clever. About 10 percent men, a lot of family groups covering several generations. People who had walkers and little kids too. On the way home, on the Turnpike, we had to stand again in lines because of all the women returning home.  Everyone was in good spirits. Today, Hubby has been finding out how much it would cost to have the postcards printed from the 10 days in action plan.

UFOs

I am a project finisher. There are very few projects that I have started and not finished.( Not counting the leisure suit I started for my ex-husband and decided it looked terrible and never finished.  He still hasn't forgiven me for that.). Sometimes I have two counted Cross stitch projects going at once. And sometimes I have two quilts going.  But something has happened to me! I have six unfinished projects(UFOs). I have two more of the flannel quilts that I showed on January 10, and the leaf quilt I showed on January 14. I have a sampler quilt I started years ago in a class.

I have a scrap quilt that I started after seeing a similar one on Quilty Folk.



 I also have a fan quilt that I like very much made from floral scraps.

 

A March to save Health Care

Yesterday, Hubby, my son, Jim, and I went to a March in Warren, Michigan to save health care.  There were thousands there and it was lots of fun, Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, Debbie Stabinow, Sander Levin, Gary Peters and our Rep Brenda Lawrence were there. It was cold, 18 degrees but the sun was shining. I plan on going to the Women's March on Saturday in D.C.

The Leaf Project

Carole and I are still working on the leaf quilt. Progress is still slow. It is only a nine-patch but sometimes the patches have up to five pieces in each of the nine patches.  The directions call for paper piecing which I have never found to be easy. Probably the wine doesn't help. The last patch I did had to be completely redone because the color I chose for the leaf didn't match the adjacent block with the same leaf.

A Comfort Quilt

I have a good friend, Sue, whom I met through the Lions Club.  She makes pajamas for under privileged kids. Then she gives me her scraps and I make quilts from them.  So far I have made seven quilts using her scraps and have enough to make three more. This quilt is not a work of art by any means but it is warm with a flannel front and back and no batting.  I yarn tied it. I made one just like it for myself.  Hubby uses it for naps, with the dog, on the sofa.  My daughter, Mary has one that she took to her chemo treatments.

Leon and Lulu

In Clawson, Michigan, there is the most wonderful store, Leon and Lulu.  I went there on Tuesday with my friend, Dorothy, a sprightly 87 year old, who makes me look like a lazy bum. We had a wonderful time.  I bought this coral shaped paper weight that just kept calling to me. Afterwards we had lunch at the Majave Cantina and Dorothy introduced me to a Mule.  It had too much lime juice.

Happy New Year

I have always been one to make New Year resolutions but every year they are the same.  I went to water aerobics this morning.  However Mary and Sofie came over for dinner and so the losing weight part will have to wait until tomorrow. I went to see my Mom today and had lunch with her.  She had her 99th birthday on the 21st of December. (She always reminds us that it is the shortest day of the year.) Hubby got a drone for Christmas which he says he can't believe how much fun he is having with it. I was glad to find out his makeshift wind sock was not made out of toilet paper.