Cell Phone Superhero

So I'm driving the son somewhere in our nearby big city, and I hear a car honk. At the light, a dentally challenged, ball cap wearing, extra from Deliverance gets out of his car and begins screaming at the suit and tie wearing man in the car behind him. I leave the actual fighting words used to your imagination, but he used all the ones that their ethnic and class differences allowed for and proved that it is possible to enunciate an F sound without front teeth.

The gist of his rage is that he was cut off. By the car behind him. My son pointed out, in horrified fascination that it's really hard to be cut off by a car that is now behind you. I was swirling with the rage and sick fear of this-would he draw a gun? Would the man in the suit get out of his car? I could call 911, but it takes forever and we all know that it's not real 911, it's cell phone 911. I look at the cell phone, and it comes to me. Take pictures. I lower the passenger window and begin to click away. The perp turns at that familiar sound, gets in his car, and goes away. MMhhmmm, nice to look like I actually did something to the kid, at least. I'm going to try and remember this, as it at least felt like I was doing something, even if I didn't.

Lovebird Quilt

Here's a lousy picture of the quilt- or I should say, spread, because it has no batting. Quilts with no batting, but having a top and a back, are called summer spreads. I read about them, and I thought it was a nice idea. I like to have something on me when I sleep, but it gets pretty hot up here in the summer. The photo is dark- the birds are actually blue. I cut the pair of them freehand out of a folded piece of blue left over from the t ball coach's quilt.

Two things I learned with this quilt are that I cannot remember measurements worth beans. (This is approximately the three hundredth and forty seventh time I have learned this.) Therefore, the quilt is a little too narrow for the bed. I did remember the extra length I wanted, but I somehow failed to grasp the rectangularity of it all. ( It's about 75 by 90 inches, a little narrow for this queen sized bed. The second thing is that the darker elements are the most noticeable, not the brightest. I had thought that the pink rose appliqués would be more prominent. I think it is fine the way it it, though. I made the center baskets while getting blocks made for the Marston and Moran class I took in March.

I already started a red and green quilt. I think I am an addict.

Well, off to work tomorrow. Next post probably in a week.

Old Quilt, But New

Well, here's the beginning of my copy of Bernice's quilt. I'm not sticking to fabrics she would have had- I'm sticking to fabrics she would have liked. Every family story about her refers to her love of bright color, some times to the embarrassment of her grandchildren. Apparently there was a set of orange and green dresses with matching aprons and hankies made for all the girls that makes them either shudder or laugh to think of.

Being a nurse was OK today, too. I like Sundays- a lot of folks come to see their people straight from church, and there is nothing cuter than a bunch of little kids, all shy from the strangeness of the hospital, dressed in their church clothes.

old quilt

THis was made by great grandmother. I'm guessing that it was a lot brighter when she made it- reportedly her favorite color combination was green and orange. You can see on the lower right that this top was put over another top after it was worn out. I'm thinking of making a copy of this quilt, sort of. First, she hand sewed all of the flower and leaf shapes. She was a really great embroiderer. Me, not so much. I will most likely make the blocks bigger, so that the work will be easier to do and the quilt larger.

Worked today and realized that I don't hate my job, any more. Although I did have a diabetic tell me that "insulin is for suckers" and that checking one's blood sugar is "too repetitive" . Wow, some new excuses that I had never had before! My other patient, who was to go home today apparently had some type of aspiration or episode and is not expected to live much longer. Thank goodness I checked the chart before barreling in the room in maximum cheerful aren't we happy to go home today mode. The only saving grace is that this is an extremely elderly person surrounded by a close loving family. It will, I hope, be a peaceful death.The other two patients were less notable, but very nice people. I got to take both a thirty minute lunch and a fifteen minute break, and it was a very nice day. (Yes- I realize that the thirty minute lunch and fifteen minute break were passed into national labor law in , like, 1947, but it really doesn't have much to do with most nurse's daily life. I try to care, but most people accept it and shrug.)

The chickens are much bigger. More like pigeons than chicks. Pretty nice around here.

Didn't Want It

Well, I'm nursing some hurt feelings along. I started making a quilt and I started to dream big- the quilt reminded me of a family story, and I started to think that someone in my family would notice the resemblance and want the quilt. I even plotted how to make them see the resemblance, and then praise me for the gift. One problem: they didn't want it.

It was a lovely day of work- we had record high temperatures and so I hid out in the downstairs (sort of a half basement- it stays cool down there but has windows) play room. I have to say, now that all the quilting and spinning stuff is down there rubbing elbows with the legos and videos, it has turned into a family play room. The room actually has turned out as well as I could have hoped, and Mr Woolly is very happy to have the use of the table upstairs back. It may be some time before I can wedge the knitting yarn down there, but I digress. I had a lovely day, yesterday, cutting and sewing and humming and thinking about the person I thought this quilt was for. I hung it up in the bedroom before I went to sleep, and thought over the next steps. I'm a design as you go kind of gal, and really , I need to be grateful for the lovely day of creation.

So today my intended victim ( err, recipient) came over, and I had the top all spread out on the ironing board, draped for maximum, casual but prominent display. Doesn't it remind you of so and so? UHm, no. A glance, but that's all. Oh. A few moments later, I bring it up again, and again, a disinterested glance. My husband has come in and is looking at me intently- he knows what I'm up to, and he shakes his head. He's sorry for me, but he doesn't see why I bother.

I think I might have felt better had the intended recipient said something mean or dismissive- I could have drowned out the hurt with anger. In stead I was left with the sick hurt of embarrassment. It's not fair- I set up the so called gift recipient. She didn't know that her lack of interest was rejection, and I was too chicken to put it out there- look I made this for you and I hope you like it. Nope. Din't have the guts for that.

It took a few hours, and I was back to enjoying the making of the quilt. I don't know what I'll do with it. I have friends and family ( and friends who are like family) who love me and my wacky creations. I can give it to them, I can donate it to a stranger, I can fold it up and put it in the linen closet. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow, if it's not windy. ( It will have to cool down substantially before I can quilt it- the idea of a quilt piled in my lap makes me crave ice cubes. )

Still hurts, though. Wish I had the kind of mom who wanted me to make things for her. I'd make her a lot of them.

Gratuitous Lamb Picture

Cute, yes? It's a big world out there. Best to stay close, stick together, and remember who loves you.

Chicks!

Looky! Chicks! We have two. About two weeks after that I confirmed that chickens were legal in my town, I was at the feed store scooping up two. Very cute. The book I have says to purchase five pounds of chick starter food for each chick. At the end of the five pounds they will weigh...wait for it...five pounds. Amazing. We have named them Sally and Lucy.

Starting again

I have been thinking a lot about starting, finishing, and starting again. Like many fiber folk, I go thru phases of startitis and finish-it-up-already. I have been in a New Years induced finishing phase, culminating with deciding to felt a hand knit sweater that I never wear and make it into a bag yesterday. There are a few more UFOs and single socks, but not nearly the number there were. About half of the knitted projects were finished, about half ripped out. All of the quilt projects are finished to the top stage, and as I enjoy quilting the tops i have no angst about there being more tops at present. I actually like having a little stash of tops to quilt. They make me happy, in a little pile on the shelf downstairs. When I want them to be quilts, there they will be. Until then, they do not get anything spilled on them, they do not wear out. Sort of like sleeping beauty in cotton form.

I read somewhere that addicts have to go to rehab 4 or 5 times before it takes and they have a chance of staying clean. When I think about it further, that seems like an admirably quick recovery. How many diets have I been on? How many times have I sworn to make my bed before I leave the house? How many times have I said" this is absolutely the last dog we have. When he dies, we never get another one."? Indeed, how many times have a written three or four blog posts and then trailed off, uncertain if I have anything to say, or the energy to say it.

I have no quilts in progress just now- I have a strange fear that I will never make another. Considering that I just spent $80US on fabric ( half off sale on batiks- low resistance), that would be a very bad thing. I have twelve tubs of yarn staring at me just now ( why yes, plastic tubs do play a large part in my bedroom decor- why do you ask?) I don't know what my next knitting project will be, but I do know that it will not be multi colored.

I think the greatest gift I have as a human is this ability to start from the beginning, again and again, and enjoy the thrill and uncertainty that accompanies new projects. That is, as long as they involve cotton or wool.