A New Post

CAUTION:  LONG POST
 
No, not a new post in a fence~~a new post on my blog!  Another person gave me a little nudge today.  I didn't realize I haven't posted since OCTOBER!  Sheesh!  But so much has happened and I really haven't felt like it.  But here it is.
 
Thanksgiving was really nice.  Daughter came from Texas and we had a lovely time watching the Macy's parade and the dog show afterward.  Then came all the cooking and clean up.  My daughter makes it easy for me...I cook, she cleans up.  She left Sunday.
 
Tuesday my husband got laid off his job.  Our life changes AGAIN.  We cried and fretted and yelled at each other about downsizing, throwing stuff away (my stuff of course) and yada yada yada.  On and on and on. 
 
Husband got a job with a company that he used to deal with at his old job.  YIPPEE.  Lots less money, but it's a JOB!  He has to go to Colorado Springs for training for two weeks.  YIPPEE.
 
Daughter came for Christmas on New Year's Day night.  We had a wonderful time.  Husband left the day before she did so we had some time alone.  It was very nice to have her to myself.
 
While I was blissfully alone for two weeks I made a few things to eat that nobody else likes.  I LOVE boeuf bourguignon~~Julia's recipe.  My family doesn't like it.  They call it boeuf bourguignyuck.  They think they're funny.  NOT!
 
First you cut up the bacon into lardons (fancy schmancy word) and cook it until crisp.  Remove from the pan.Then you cut up beef and pat it dry.  This is important otherwise it will not brown properly and that's VERY important.  All the sizzle in olive oil and butter! It looked lovely. Remove from the pan. Then you saute an onion and cut up carrots.  Then everybody back in the pool.  Add the red wine and beef stock and put in the oven for 3 hours. 

 
 In the meantime, you saute some mushrooms and braise some pearl onions. After the 3 hours, you bring the pot to a boil on the stove and add the 'shroom and onions. Stir them up. 

 

 

I eat it over wide egg noodles. YUMMY! And the house smelled HEAVENLY!

 

 

And now he's back and been working at his job for a week.  We've run into some other snags already with his new job and his old job.  It just never stops.  I'm just so happy that I have my sewing to keep me sane and that he has a job.  But I haven't been sewing...I've been somewhat paralyzed with all this.  And then to top it all off, my cat Pepper is limping for no apparent reason.  Vet said she couldn't find anything.  What next??  Stay tuned.

A Major Milestone - Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

I have just reached a major milestone in my Sylvia's Bridal Sampler quilt.  I started it on April 16, 2009 with a large group of ladies.  We were to do a random block every week.  The "cheerleader" sent us an e-mail with which block to make and tips to make it.  The e-mails stopped in February, 2012. Several have finished; most haven't. 

There are 140 blocks, finished to 6" each.  I have completed 100 blocks; 40 left to do.  Anyway~~~~~~

 

I HAVE COMPLETELY SEWN HALF OF THE QUILT!

 

I am so excited I can hardly stand it.  It really is pretty.  My husband usually just says "that's nice".  But tonight he said "Wow...that's really pretty.  Very nice."  All of it is scraps except for the sashing, cornerstones (pink) and the back~~it will be plain muslin. 

 

Please leave a comment.

New Post

Last night I went to my local quilt guild meeting and got a gentle nudge from someone that reminded me that I hadn't blogged for awhile.

So while listening to the debates, I will write!

My trip to Texas was good.  I saw my friend and members of her family~~her son from Atlanta was there on business and stayed to see us, and her daughter with her 2 small twins came for dinner~~, played bridge, with my old bridge group, did NOT go to the steak restaurant I referenced, and had a good time with my daughter.  We went to La Madelaine for lunch twice...caesar salad, tomato basil soup, and strawberries Romanov.  When I lived there, the strawberries Romanov were served in a lovely big wine glass.  Nope...now they're just plopped in a dish.  But the soup tasted the same and so did the salad.  This is the ONLY time I eat tomato soup.  This is the bestest!  Sorry Campbell's.

We had dinner with another friend of mine and her significant other and she gave me a LOVELY bracelet from Tiffany.  She knows how much I love blue, but I still don't know why she did this for me.  I did accept it graciously, but wow!


I haven't done any sewing since I've been back.  Just not in the mood.  But I'm still working on Sylvia's Bridal Sampler (I have only 40 more blocks to make and then put the damn thing quilt together) and while in Texas I did some work on the big star quilt from the previous postings. 

I have to get my butt in gear and get moving on these projects.  I'm tired of looking at them!

Going to Dallas

I leave tomorrow for Dallas to visit my daughter and a very dear friend who is very ill.  I'll be there for four days.  I hope the weather is nice.  Hopefully, I'll get to eat at one of my favorite restaurants~~Del Friscos Double Eagle.  HUGE yummy tender steaks...my daughter and I could split one and we'd both be happy.



Only 7 more to go!

Had a great sewing day yesterday at the Chandler Police Station.  Great ladies and beautiful projects in progress.  Made a big star block.    Yeah!  Been working on this quilt since we moved here two years ago.  I have -2- made now...need total of 9. 

Stash report - Week 36

Yds used this past Week 9/2/2012	0.25
Yds used year to Date	26.25
Yds added this Week	8
Yds added Year to Date	16
Yds net Used for 2012	-18.25

Not too bad!  Haven't added too much this year so far.  I'm sure that, in the past, it was much worse!

Not doing much today.  Kinda icky outside.  More laundry and more sewing for sure.

Happy Sunday!

Stash report - Week 27

Yds used this past Week 6/24/2012	0
Yds used year to Date	26
Yds added this Week	4
Yds added Year to Date	8
Yds net Used for 2012	-22

OK...so I added some more fabric.  I was in CA on my yearly retreat and I needed more shirtings for a quilt I'm working on.  I couldn't go any further because I ran out.  What was I supposed to do?  I want to finish this quilt!  Here is a picture of the block.  I just love it.

I stayed at my friend's house before and after the retreat.  I have my own little room, the dog comes and visits me there, we get to eat outside, good food, lovely wine.  Doesn't get much better than that.

The retreat was at Sonoma State University.  It's always quite lovely there.  We have a routine:  leave around 10:00 am, stop at Quilted Angel quilt shop in Petaluma, go to a fish and chips restaurant in Santa Rosa for lunch, then on to the retreat.  We get there just in time to get into the rooms.  Then nothing but sewing, laughing, and having a good time for 3.5 days.  I really miss these women.  Moving is so hard and now I'm going thru the "breaking away" stage.  I'm beginning to feel left out.  I know this is a natural progression of moving, but I still feel bad.  But my group still Skype sews with me once a month and that's good.  So someone will have to come here for a visit or I just wait and bear until next year's retreat to see them in person!

Please leave a comment!  Happy Sunday~~first day of July.

Phoenix Zoo

DH and I went to the Phoenix zoo today.  It was a lovely Phoenix day~~meaning under 100!!  Slight breeze.  Lots of crazy people out today.  Sheesh!  Here are some photos...leave a comment.