Happy Birthday, Jodi!

Today is Jodi's 37th birthday. Seems like another lifetime that she lay to rest (in a wheel barrow) under the Christmas tree. She has sometimes not been happy to have a birthday on Christmas Eve. She has often felt overlooked. She never liked having to wait a whole year to get a present. But since she chose to make me wait 3 weeks past my due date, I've not had a whole lot of sympathy for her. I did, however, get a kick out of walking into my mom's house that Christmas Eve..."great with child"... suitcase in hand and contractions becoming regular and announcing that I was going to the hospital because, "there was no room at the inn." But for those of you who get to celebrate a day just for yourselves at another time of year, let me point out a few things. Only if you have a Christmas Eve birthday do you:

...need to remind people to wrap your gifts in birthday paper (instead of the Christmas wrapping paper just because it's handy).

...need to have a birthday party with your friends that's not on your actual birthday, because they won't come otherwise.

...hear people say, "Thanks but I really don't want any birthday cake. I'm full of cookies and fudge."

But now that she's all grown up and realizes all the gifts she has in her life every single day, and has so many people to share the joys and celebrations with, I think she's taking it all in stride.

I Had a Seizure

That's right. Last week -- right in the middle of the great cookie bake -- I had a seizure! I was melting some chocolate morsels for my chocolate covered peanut clusters and then it happened. Instead of a bowl of smooth, creamy chocolate that I could work with, I pulled from the microwave a bowl that had a wad of chalky brown stuff in it. I was very upset. I had bought several bags of different types of morsels for my baking and none of the rest had any problem. I had more, so I could go on with my clusters...but then I wouldn't have enough for the fudge. You've GOT to have the fudge!! So I told the girls I was going to write to Nestle and complain. Jodi ignored me and Jessica just rolled her eyes.

The next day I dropped an e-mail note to Nestle. (Don't you just love the computer? I would never have taken the time to sit down and write them a real letter!) I was very pleased to get a prompt reply. They told me my chocolate had "seized". Hmmm. They also said they would send me by mail a pamphlet that has baking tips and talks about seizing and how to avoid it and how to fix it. They also said they would include a coupon for a free bag of morsels. Now aren't they just the nicest people? They could have just said, "Look, stupid, you got moisture in it somehow and we can't be responsible for that." But they didn't. So I sent a copy of the e-mail and their answer to the girls and said, "See? The squeaky wheel and all that." Jodi's reply was, "Yep, that sounds like you. Seizing the chocolate. And the coupons."

May your holidays be bright and your chocolate always creamy!

A Bit of Christmas Bling

Several years ago I was at my friend, Gail's, house and had admired one of her Christmas decorations. Her mother had taken old jewelry and cut it apart and glued it onto a red fabric background in the shape of a Christmas tree and then framed it. It is very cool.

When my mom died this past June, my sister, Karen, was asking if anyone in the family wanted any of mom's jewelry. I told her I would take everything that nobody else wanted. She said she suspected a craft project (she knows me well).

So my plan was to make 3 of these Christmas trees...one for me, one for my sister, and one for my brother. I wanted to have them finished to give to my siblings on December 14th because that was my mother's birthday and she would have been 90 years old this year. But I found that although mom had lots of jewelry, she didn't have much of the silvery and shiny pieces that I wanted to use for the trees. By adding some that my mother-in-law had passed down to me many years ago, I was able to make one tree. Since it was from both of them, that tree is mine.

Then I took most of the gold pieces that she had and made an angel for my sister. By now I was down to the plastic pieces...but still some lovely things. Mom had a long necklace -- the kind you loop around twice -- that was made of shiny green beads. For each two round beads there was one sort of pointy bead. That pointy one made me think of a holly leaf. So brother Chuck got a wreath.

And thanks to the gift that is retirement, I actually finished them on time! Even in time to mail my brother's to him in St. Louis.

Terror Strikes Small Town!!!

I have several Christmas village pieces and I usually set some of them up on the mantle and some on top of the piano. The grand kids haven't been that interested in them until this year. Now they play with the ones on top of the piano (because they're the ones they can reach) every time they come over. Sometimes I won't notice what they've done until I plug in the lights for the next evening's ambiance. Then I get a chuckle. Like the time the hedges that usually "grow" on the sides of the house had been transplanted to the front...and a yellow rabbit in a pink hat seemed to be standing guard in front of the door. I can only wonder what was going on in their imaginations.

Then another evening I noticed that pirates had taken over the house and stood watch on the balcony. This one I can understand a little better. One of the things they like to play with when they come to my house now is the pirate ship toys. Besides the big ship which they can build, there are pirates, treasurer chests, canons that really shoot canon balls...and their new favorite -- a crocodile.

But the other day while they were here playing, I saw what Emery was doing. There were canon balls laying on the ground and all the people in the village (the "Village People" as it were) were laying down as well. There were pirates and the ever-popular crock. I said to Emery, "Oh, my! It looks like the pirates are shooting the people with canon balls!" He calmly, and somewhat sadly, said, "Yeah. The crocodile has ruined Christmas."

Cookie Bake Day

Yesterday was our annual "Mother-daughter Cookie Bake" day. Before we started I explained to Savannah that even though Emery would be helping and Grandpa and Daddy like to wander through and see how things are going, it's basically up to the women folk of the family to make the Christmas cookies. I also told her that she was old enough now to have her own baking utensils. Then I gave her an early present. Now she has her own rolling pin, wooden spoon, cookie cutters, decorator tube and cookie cook book. She was quite proud...and couldn't wait to put them to use.

One of the candies I always make is potato candy (don't knock it if you haven't tried it!). At the beginning you keep adding powdered sugar to a mashed potato until the dough becomes stiff. Near the end of this process, I need to call in extra muscle -- Grandpa. Emery told me he has muscles and he wanted to do it. Turned out he liked the whole process very much. So here's how you make potato candy:

First you stir the powdered sugar and mashed potato until it's good and stiff.

Then you roll some of the dough out and spread peanut butter on it (sound better now?). Next you roll it up jelly-roll style and "roll it back and forth under your hands like when you make a Play-Doh snake".

Then you cut little slices off so you can see the pinwheel of peanut butter inside and put them on the tray to dry.

Making potato candy is hard work, so then you need to go lie down and watch a movie...maybe even take a

nap.

But after a brief rest, they were back at work.

After all...it takes a lot

of hands and hard work to produce a spread like this!!!

A Strange Tradition

Living the first 43 years of my life in Illinois, I didn't think much about mistletoe. But after coming to Georgia and seeing it growing high up in the tree tops in the winter time, I've wondered many times about the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas time. So I did some research. Here's what I found out:

The word mistletoe is derived from the Old English words "mistle" (dung) and "tan" (twig). The plant is thought to be named after bird droppings on a branch. Mistletoe is a parasite that grows attached to a tree or shrub. It is poisonous and causes acute gastrointestinal problems including stomach pains, diarrhea and low pulse. In culture and mythology, the Norse god Boldr was killed with mistletoe. An old Christian tradition said that mistletoe was once a tree and furnished the wood of the cross and that after Crucifixion, the plant shriveled and became dwarfed to a parasitic vine. The sticky juice of mistletoe berries was used as an adhesive to trap small animals and birds.

Then suddenly I read that according to a Scandinavian custom of Christmas cheer, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. (!) The origin of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is vague. However, the tradition may have stemmed from either the Viking association of the plant with Frigga (the goddess of love) or from the ancient belief that mistletoe was related to fertility. The correct mistletoe etiquette is for the man to remove one berry when he kisses a woman. When all the berries are gone, there's no more kissing permitted underneath that plant.

A confusing tradition to say the least. I further read that the ancient Druids were in awe of this plant and would catch the cuttings in white cloths as it was never to be allowed to touch the ground (thus the hanging of it in homes). But leave it to the rednecks to put their own spin on this rite. Mistletoe shooting has a long tradition in the southeastern United States. A headline in Nation Geographic states, "Harvesting Mistletoe: Gunfire Gets the Job Done." The article goes on to say, "Those cute little wonders of nature, those totems of romanticism that turn Scrooges into smoochers during the holiday season, often find their way to doorways by first getting themselves blasted out of treetops."

So there you have it. Everything you ever needed to know about mistletoe...and then some. So as you go about decking your halls this year, don't forget the lowly, poisonous, cursed "dung twig" and it's proper place in you home. Remember the etiquette of removing a berry for each kiss...but be careful not to ingest it. Don't let it touch the ground...unless you see signs of gunshot residue -- then it probably doesn't matter. And be sure to avoid getting birds or small pets stuck in it's juices.

And have a Merry Christmas.

Those In-Between Days

While most of you spend the days after Thanksgiving recuperating from an overload of turkey-induced tryptophan or napping after getting up in the wee hours of Black Friday morning to go shopping...I'm cooking, cleaning and getting ready for Thanksgiving. When everyone else is gearing down...I'm gearing up! It has been our tradition the last several years to celebrate our Thanksgiving dinner together on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That way Jodi, Jeremy and the kids can spend the holiday with the York side of the family without any hassles and Jessica can work and give someone else the day off to be with family. Then we can relax and enjoy our day together.
Since I love the colors of fall and the harvest themes of Thanksgiving, I don't like to decorate for Christmas before we have our big dinner on Sunday. But I do make a few concessions to that. I like to put the outside lights up the day after Thanksgiving and put up the big Christmas tree in the basement. The reason for putting that tree up is that after our Thanksgiving dinner, we all decorate ornaments for this year and go down and hang them on the tree.
Jodi and the kids came over on Friday to help with these lighting chores. So one more item that I included this year was a snowman magnet set that I got to put on the refrigerator. The grand kids had a ball putting it up (and taking it down, and putting it up silly, and taking it down and doing it all again...and again.).
But tomorrow morning I need to kick into high gear and decorate the rest of the house. I'm hosting the Batty Babes on Tuesday night and want the house all decked out for Christmas by then. After this week, the rest of the holiday season should be a breeze!

HELP!

This is the time of year when it really starts to sink in how blessed we are. It is a time when we also, hopefully, begin to look for ways to help others. This year I encourage you to help your local food pantry...in as big a way as you can. There is more need this year than there has been in a very long time.

Here are a couple of other really cool ways to help. This first one costs you nothing and helps very much. Can't beat that! If you're easily addicted to computer games (like I am), then click on the picture or go to http://www.freerice.com/ It's an on-line vocabulary quiz. They give you a word (where do they get some of these???) and 4 definitions to choose from. If you guess it right, 20 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program. If you get it wrong, they give you the right definition and then a few questions later they ask you that one again. So it's, fun, educational, helpful. I love a "win - win - win"...don't you? There is a warning on the website, though. It says, "This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance...." If you think 20 grains of rice aren't worth the effort, it adds up. I can't seem to quit playing until I win at least 1,000 grains. If you click on the "totals" tab on the top of the game page, they will show you how much rice has been donated since this started in October of 2007. Are you ready for this? So far...51,690,666,050 grains have been donated by the sponsors who show up on the bottom of the game as you play. Go ahead -- have some fun, and be helpful!

And here's another cool one. This one isn't free...but it costs so little it's almost like being free. I got this one off of Jodi's web page. If you came across a shoe sale where you could get 2 pairs for $5...you would be all over it, right? Well...now you can! Just click on the picture below. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.50000shoes.com/ and help them get 50,000 pairs of shoes in 50 days.


If you know of more fun and easy ways to help in what other people have set up to give aid and comfort to those who really know what "need" means, please let me know. I'm on it and I'd love to pass it along. Thank you for participating!

Fun Fall Weekend #6

For the past 6 years it has been a somewhat new "tradition" to take a weekend in the fall and get away together as a family. We have stayed in state parks and mountain rental cabins. This is the first year we have gone to a place where we've been before. We went to F. D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia. The reason we went back there is because of the things there are to do nearby. When we were there in 2005, we went to the Wild Animal Safari park. Emery was just a baby and Savannah was not quite 3. We all liked the park and knew the kids would really enjoy it at the ages they are now. And they did. Emery, especially, loved feeding the animals from the bus. He didn't mind holding the food in his hand and letting all kinds of yukky tongues lick it from him. We all enjoyed the giraffes putting their heads right into the bus windows to come for the food. Jodi had to finally pull the hood up on Emery's sweatshirt because the giraffes were drooling all over him! Savannah just wanted to watch from a little safer spot inside the bus.

When we were there 3 years ago, we noticed that we missed the opening of the Fantasy of Lights at nearby Callaway Gardens by just a few days. So we went a week or so later this year and included that. It was wonderful. They had just opened a few days before we went and since it's early and we were there on a Monday night, there were no crowds and the weather was cool but not terrible. It put us in the mood for Christmas which is, after all, just around the corner. The next day, on our way home, we went to Callaway one more time and went to the butterfly house.

When we weren't out enjoying these activities, we were at "home" in our 3-bedroom cabin. We built a fire and roasted hot dogs and made s'mores. There was no TV (oh, my!) but luckily Jeremy (who was going into withdrawal) had his projector in the car and when he hooked it up to his laptop was able to show movies on the wall. "The Artist" -- formerly known as "Savannah" -- recorded it all in drawings. If you give her a blank piece of paper and a pen, you have a happy child. And she's very good at remembering and recording what she has seen.

And each year I draw someones name and they win a Christmas quilt. This year's winner was Emery! I posted a picture of this year's quilt on September 21st, when I finished it...but here it is again.

Gotta Get a Gun

Do you know what a "Gund" is? Here's one on the left. They are adorable, cuddly little stuffed animals. "Gund" is the brand name and their marketing slogan is, "Gotta Get a Gund". Cute.

Every once in a while I look at my neighbor across the street and paraphrase that slogan to myself, "Gotta get a gun". Most of those times have to do with his motorcycle. He is a man about our age, not a kid. But his motorcycle has no muffler!!! So many times while we're sitting on the front porch enjoying nature sounds or just mostly peace and quiet, he will decide to get the bike out and go for a "little" ride. And I do mean "little". He'll rev the bike, rev the bike, rev the bike...then go down the road. We can literally hear him when he makes the turn on Salem Road -- a mile away! Then in a couple of minutes, he's back. He'll rev the bike, rev the bike, rev the bike and then put it away. Just making sure it's still loud enough, I guess. This is an almost every day occurrence. Sometimes more than once a day. Sometimes early in the morning. Sometimes in the afternoon, when the grand kids are napping if they happen to be here. As I sit on my front porch, I level my eyes over the top of my book as he goes slowly -- but loudly -- past the house. And I think to myself, "Gotta get a gun".

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a violent person. I've never shot anything in my life (I'm no Sarah Palin, after all)...but there's a first time for everything.

Then earlier this week, as dusk was setting in, Jerry noticed something across the street. "Mike's got his Christmas lights up", he said. It's not even the middle of November yet! What ever happened to Thanksgiving? He gets earlier every year. And he's one of those fellows who will be out there on Christmas morning taking them all down. I don't get it. But it's a pet peeve of mine when people rush the season like this. It not only takes the joy out of it because you're sick of Christmas by the time it gets here, but it also makes me feel pressured -- like I should have my tree up, all my gifts wrapped, and be sitting here sipping egg nog already! Not only all that...but his decorations are UGLY. The bushes in front of his porch are all completely covered in red lights (the big bulbs). It looks like his bushes are bleeding. More like hemorrhaging. All except for the one on the far left. It is covered in blue lights. My thinking is that there are no more red light bulbs to be had in the county.

Yep....Gotta get a gun. Maybe I'll ask Santa.

New Kid on the Blog

On the right side of my blog page, under the green box, is a white box. In the top of that box are two links to other web sites. The first is McCall's and the second is Sweet Home Quilt Co. If you've clicked on Sweet Home before, it's just said it was a "work in progress"...just like me. Well, I'm here today to say, "Ta Da!!" Click on it now and you can see all kinds of good stuff. Everything from pictures of the sweet house that is Sweet Home and all the wonderful displays inside to a calendar, a newsletter, info on classes and workshops and you can even shop on line for patterns, kits, and fabrics...including all the latest. If you can't find what you need or want, just drop Melisa a line. Now no matter where you are, you can enjoy Sweet Home Quilt Co. as much as we do who live around here. She's also going to be blogging on there. So be sure to check back often. Also check back because it will be evolving. She says it still isn't exactly what she wants it to be, so she'll be tweaking it for while yet. Check it out!

Go Vote

Whatever your political views...get out and vote (if you're not among the many who already have). And I hope you're praying for the voting today and the outcome of this election. This very large mantis on my back door is!

Falling Back

Unless you live in Hawaii or Arizona, you turned your clocks back this weekend. We're saying goodbye to Daylight Savings Time until next spring. Time to hibernate.

Everyone gets all excited about getting an "extra hour" of sleep. Well, if you get up as many times as I do during the night, that sounds great. But yesterday as we were going around the house resetting all the clocks, this occurred to me:

We have 19 clocks to reset. That includes the computer, the coffee maker, my watch, the car and truck, radios, and two TVs as well as actual time pieces...but still. If you figure it takes an average of 3 minutes to reset each clock, that's a total of 57 minutes. That means we actually gained only 3 minutes! Hope you enjoyed your "extra time" and spent it wisely.

Just wondering...why do two people who are both retired need to know what time it is anyway???

Happy (Belated) Halloween!

Yes, I know it was two days ago. But I was waiting for Jodi to post pictures of the kids in their Halloween costumes. And besides...I've been in pain for two days! (Sic 'em, Dawgs!)

Savannah had seen The Wizard of Oz for the first time last fall and she loved it. So for Christmas, I got her ruby red slippers and a basket with Toto. She's enjoyed playing with them ever since. Then one day a couple of months ago, I saw some blue and white checked material in my sewing closet and I asked her if she wanted to be Dorothy for Halloween. Well, of course she did! Then Jodi found a Dorothy wig on line and she was good to go. Also last year, my mom had gotten Emery some Batman pajamas...complete with a cape. They were too big on him, but this year they worked just fine for a Halloween costume. Again, Jodi just had to find a Batman mask and he was all set.

Since I don't have children to dress up any more (except for making a dress for Savannah), I "dressed up" my living room with a few new pieces this year. I have recently discovered an artist by the name of Bethany Lowe and I like her stuff. I like the old fashioned look of this little Trick or Treat girl...and the gnarly feel of "Mr. Gourdo". One more "treat" I gave myself was a spider web valance for the top of the window along side the fireplace. Jessica looked at it and asked, "So...is Elvira living here now?" (I don't know where she gets that smart mouth of hers...must be from her dad.) But I like it! That way I can leave all the rest of the cobwebs in place and call them decorations, too.

Hope you had fun on your Halloween!

The Making of a Fan

Except for enjoying the successes of my friend Mellie's son, Sam, as he finishes his high school football career and goes on to benefit from his full scholarship at Mississippi State...I don't care anything in the world about football. In high school all I cared about was going to the game for social reasons -- and the dance afterward. I don't care about college ball, pro ball or any of the bowl games. I don't eat chili, I don't tailgate -- I simply don't get it. And I'm fine with that.

One of the fierce local rivalries around here is between the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. Jodi and Jeremy are big UGA fans and they go to home games whenever they can. And when the "Dawgs" are playing an away game, you can bet they're hosting a party or watching the game with friends at someone else's house. Today, for instance. The grand kids are playing in the other room as I write because mom and dad are cheering their hearts out with their friends. I think they are playing Florida today. The "Jackets" are on TV today also, but I couldn't tell you who they are playing. As I said...I just don't care.

But I'm starting to rethink that now. The weather has been great here this week and I've been enjoying sitting on the front porch in the afternoon sun and reading. Yesterday as I was doing that, I was sitting with my legs stretched out on the porch swing. As I gently swayed and read, my feet were crossed at the ankles. Then -- all of a sudden -- as I slowly rolled my feet together, there was this INTENSE PAIN! I had trapped a yellow jacket wasp between my feet and he, in a snit, decided to inject me with copious amounts of his venom! A simple "ouch" on his part would have brought out an instant and heart felt apology on my part. Why did he overreact like that? I put ice on it and took some ibuprofen, but that horrible and excruciating pain lasted for over 15 hours. I couldn't do anything the rest of the day but lay with my foot up and an ice bag in place. I couldn't sleep, because as soon as my foot left the ice, the pain would instantly wake me. Today I refused to give into the pain, so I'm going about my normal routine. But the intense pain has been replaced with a constant sore ache. Jerry's been stung before, and so he's sympathetic. He asked, "Does it feel like a deep puncture wound?" Well, yes, as a matter of fact...that describes it very well.

So from now on when I hear that UGA and Tech are playing against each other, and word on the street has it that the Bulldogs are going to obliterate the Yellow Jackets, I have only one thing to say: "Go, Dawgs! Sic 'em!"

An Oldie But a Goodie

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! Or "Grampy" as the little ones have decided they want to call him. Today is Jerry's 65th birthday. We had his party last night, though, because I have a quilt guild meeting tonight. It just wouldn't be right for me not to show up...since I'm "the program". But after 65 years rattling around on this planet one has to learn to be flexible.

So everybody got together yesterday. Savannah helped me make the cake -- that way she was first in line when it came time to lick the beaters, etc. She also came in handy when it was time to set the table, make place cards and tell everybody where to sit. I don't know how we managed to celebrate before she came along! Maybe she'll grow up to be a "community organizer". Hmmm. Emery was very helpful when it came time to open the presents. And it was so nice of him to show up wearing a John Deere tractor shirt...Grampy's favorite.

During the gift opening and cake eating festivities, Savannah made sure Grampy had a crown to wear. She didn't want anyone to forget who the star of the show was. When she was taking orders as to who wanted cake and Jessica politely declined, she told her it was "chocolate...and has 3 eggs in it". Still couldn't talk her into it, but that's okay. Just left more for the rest of us.

We love you, Grampy!!

Continuing the Tradition

I must have been about 5 or 6 years old when my mom and my aunt took my sister and I to Chicago to see the Ice Capades. I still remember it clearly. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I vividly recall being awestruck by the graceful skaters doing amazing turns, jumps and spins...all the while the lights glistened and sparkled and little beams bounced off their sequined costumes. These amazing skaters just basically showed their talents, but in a very spectacular way. I remember the wheel type formation where the ones in the middle would hardly move, but the ones on the ends of the "spokes" would have to skate like crazy to catch up! I remember the clowns, too, and the barrel jumpers. To say I was wowed would put it mildly. I got to take home a souvenir program and I would look at it over and over again and relive all the glitz and pageantry.

My girls were probably about the same age when my mom and I took them to Chicago, too, to see the spectacle. Jodi says she remembers it well.

So it was with great pleasure and excitement that I bought tickets to Disney on Ice when it came to Phillips Arena in Atlanta this past weekend. I had planned to take Jodi, Jess and Savannah. But Jessica had a weekend retreat with her Sunday School so Savannah got to take her friend, Reese. They had a wonderful time. This show still features the skills of many talented skaters, but the kids just mainly see characters they are familiar with...The Little Mermaid, Tinker Bell, The Lion King and the Cars...but they are still fascinated. The girls were on the edges of their seats through most of the performance. The most fun for me was watching their faces as their beloved princesses, etc. glided across the ice with fantastic sets, music and lights. I think it's harder these days to impress kids because they are constantly stimulated from birth with bright colors and images and beautiful music...in movies, on the computer, and everywhere they turn. But the girls were "wowed" and that made my day.

Savannah tried ice skating last winter for the first time and she did it the way most 5-year-olds do it. Clumsily and with a lot of shuffling and falling down. I asked her if she was going to skate like Ariel when she gets on the ice this year. She said, "Oh, yes." And I smiled; because growing up in Illinois I did get to ice skate every winter. And even though I was always clumsy and inept, in my mind I was just like those stunning stars in the Ice Capades that I had seen so many years before.

Week in Review

Okay, okay. I've had some comments (complaints, too) because I haven't posted for a week. What can I say? I've been busy just being retired. Following my nose around most days, just giving into my adult ADD. I didn't think there was much to write about. But looking back, I guess it was a pretty good week.

On Monday we went with the Yorks to the Pumpkin Patch in Watkinsville. That's just south of Athens, so Jess and I went up earlier in the day and went clothes shopping at the mall...then met up with the rest of the family at the Patch. It turned out to be a very nice warm and sunny day. There was lots to do besides pick pumpkins. Emery and Grampy are pumping water into the pvc troughs to race their ducks. There was a cow train ride, a big slide, a petting zoo, a hay ride, a bale maze (similar to a corn maze, but easier and less scary for the little ones) and pig races. Savannah's pig won the race, so she got a pig nose as a prize. After the Patch, we ate dinner at Rafferty's...always a treat.

On Tuesday I finished piecing the fish bowl quilt that I'm going to give Emery for Christmas. I started it back in April at the retreat. Tuesday night we had Batty Babes and I took it to one of my friends there to machine quilt it for me. Then I spent a lot of time in the sewing room the next few days working on Savannah's pink and purple that I also started last April. I want to hand quilt this one for her for Christmas and I need to get on it!!! I also finished a wall hanging that I made for a friend for Christmas. It's the same as one I made for myself last year, but the border fabric is different.

On Wednesday we had some good friends over for dinner and played cards. It was fun. I don't know why we don't do that more often.

Then yesterday I dug into a new craft project I've had on my mind. I can't go into details here (more Christmas presents), but I will tell you that there is a HUGE mess on the dining room table. But I like the way it's coming along.

So there you have it. My week in review and it was a good one.

Newly Inspired

Yesterday I went with a couple of friends to the Georgia Quilt Show at the Gwinnett Convention Center in Duluth, Georgia. It's been a while since I've been to a quilt show, and this was a good one. So many beautiful quilts to admire and be inspired by. I usually find something in many of the quilts I look at that I want to try or a part of them that I want to incorporate into my work somehow. Whether it's a new color combination, a slightly different spin on something I've done before, a new technique or the way a quilting pattern changes the look of the piece. Sensory overload at it's best! Many shows have a "vendor mall" also. That's an area where quilt shops, sewing machine dealers, etc. have things you can buy. And, boy...did we buy! There were lots of vendors at this show and I came home toting bargain fat quarters, new patterns, and a couple of really cool storage/tote bags. So I will have fun today putting everything away in special places and in the next few days/weeks dreaming of all the new things I'm going to be trying.