Thursday, April 17, 2008

Hello again!!

Hello, ladies. Long time no post... life gets rather busy for me around this time of year, apparently... one of these days I'll remember that.

Anyhoodles...

There has been a little (a very little) stitching going on... I have proof!

Block 19 for your viewing pleasure:
Block 19 - seams done
As I'm going up the right hand side of the quilt, I'm blending the seams a bit more. My favorite seam on this block is feathered chain stitch with extra chain stitches added.
Feathered chain stitch
The perle cotton looks blue but in person it shows as a steel grey. I likes it!!

In case you've forgotton just what this quilt is going to look like (if I ever get it done!), here is a mock-up of the plan:
Midsummer plan B
and here's an explanation of the quilt.

Want to see what else has been happening? We had the Modern Phoenix Home Tour on April 5th and 6th this year. The first day was seminars and vendors galore, while the second day was the actual home tour. Glenn and I volunteered to take tickets and give out maps, so we only saw a few houses. Actually, we were more interested in the outside of the houses, since we want to do some front yard landscaping this year. Well, at least get it planned. It will soon be too hot to really work outside, at least for Glenn and I, old fogies that we are.

Here are a couple of photos, the whole set can be seen on my Flickr account, if you are into modern/contemporary/desert landscaping.
Purple wall front patio
I love this little courtyard... I want to have a place like this in front of our house... it seems so welcoming to me!
I love this purple wall at the same house. So cool...
Purple wall closeup 2
And I love this little set up in the back yard. We've been talking about putting a firepit out in our back yard, and this really fits the bill.
Purple wall firepit patio
Here's a walkway/patio treatment that really caught my eye. There are lights hidden down in the gravel that shine upward at night. Oh, yeah!
Red posts front patio close up

Hokay... that's enough pictures for today. I have some more saved up, but don't want to post too many at one time.

Mom arrives next week for a two week visit. It will probably be her last visit with us, since even the short, non-stop flight from Denver to Phoenix is worrisome for us. She has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and her short term memory is practically non-existent. I've seen it coming for a few years now (we watched my father-in-law's struggle with it ten years ago), as she turned more toward the past and became even more socially tactless and forgetful. Of course she doesn't really believe it, but the rest of us can see it happening.

Well, didn't mean to end on a downer note. So, here's something to make you smile. Java, my Boston Terrier/Pit Bull cross, likes to roll around on the carpet in our bedroom when she is happy. Well, several days ago I had sorted clothes for washing, putting them in appropriate piles on the bedroom floor. Glenn and I were in the livingroom talking, and I saw Java walk from the hall into the kitchen and she had something around her neck. She sauntered around the corner from the kitchen and I couldn't believe my eyes.

You're not gonna believe this...


This is what we saw...



Java & her bra

ROFLMAO!!!!! SNORK!!

Here she is doing a happy dance 'cause she's the center of attention... silly dog!

Java & her bra happy

There... now you're smiling!!