Hippity Hop

Easter is fast approaching. For some crazy reason I took Thursday off instead of Monday to make a four day weekend, why I don't remember. Ah well, I get four days off either way, woohoo! Above is my April Tisket/Tasket block, so I am definitely keeping up with the challenge ... another woohoo!
Not much on the home front this week. The week started out by seeing Shutter Island on Sunday, with a friend and Leonardo Di Capro (not hard on the eyes even as he matures). Good thriller and not any real gore so you don't have to keep averting your eyes. Then Tuesday was the theatre and a very good production of Pride and Prejudice. Thursday was the stitching group and we had a lovely time!

The rest of this week has been spent diligently working at mother's Easter door hanging. I've made the pattern
before but using different colours. I must admit I really like this version and am kinda jealous that she's getting it! Did a wee bit of machine quilting to outline the shapes, then hand stippled the inside and am now hand quilting around random "leaves" in the border. Hope to have it completed by Easter for her - which will be at her apt. I'm doing all the work and supplying most of the food, so although a long weekend it will be exhausting! Of course I'll have to borrow it back for Show-n-share at guild the next week!
TTYL

You Can't Go Home Again

Sorry for missing a week or two, I was busy with a visit from a childhood friend! I spent two weeks cleaning my brains out trying to get rid of winter's accumulated detritus and cat hair ... I got rid of two bags of older clothes and one of kitchen stuff. I can officially say I have almost completed my spring cleaning. Only two more rooms and the basement and windows, and it isn't even Easter yet. WooHoo! Of course my friend wore black corduroy and black velour so all the cat hair remaining in the house was instantly drawn to her as if I had never cleaned!!! ARG!

I think it was Thomas Wolfe who said "You can't go Home again" .... Although I loved having her (I don't get too many visitors) and it was great catching up in person (not via email, facebook or blogging) it seems our lives have diverged. Afterall she's a SAHM and housewife while I'm a SWL (single working lass). I continue to find it interesting that although I understand her lifestyle, most SAHM continue to think my life should be exactly like Sarah Jessica Parker's in Sex in the City . NOT!!! So, after answering way too many questions about my love life and my financial choices (I choose to pay off my mortgage ASAP and prepare for my upcoming retirement, and NOT live on credit, which means I will not be travelling soon), I can honestly say I was glad to get back to work where nobody bothers to ask anything ;) None-the-less I was totally THRILLED to have her here, it was tres fun walking down memory lane and can't wait for another visit..
What else have I been busy with you ask? Well, there are now three of us in the Tisket Tasket challenge. I'm calling us the 3Cs, for obvious reasons. Block two and three on either side and block four is well on its way - YEAH! Of course the challenge is to have four blocks completed by the April guild meeting. I'm sure I'll make it! But then again mother has asked twice now for a spring hanging for her front door. Uhoh, I'd better get busy! Here's row one for my challenge group ... eat yer hearts out heeheehee.
TTFN

P.S. After several stimulating e-conversations I have come to understand that not everyone rejoices in the term SAHM (all the blogs I read glory in it, so you'll have to forgive my skewed POV). In future we shall use the term CFOW when referencing CB. Slowly, yes slowly I creep towards an understanding of life, mine, theirs and others.

Socks!

Socks! I finally have a pair of hand knitted socks! Woohoo! A few years back I organized a stitch-n-bitch group (although we don't call ourselves that!) and we meet once a month during the quilting year and twice per month in the summers. Mainly it's quilters ... we all bring handwork and many ladies knit or embroider. As most of you know knitting is very popular right now (been there, done that) and one of the ladies in our group is into knitting socks. Anyway, as more and more ladies showed up to meetings with a pair of these lovely socks I've been teasing her for a while now about "where's my socks?". Well, now I have them and they are LOVELY! Thank you thank you thank you Ann! I'll have to tease you about something else now, hmmmmm.

The sun is shining and it's a wonderful weekend. While chatting on the on the phone to a friend I watched 2 Cardinals competing for the tree out front of the house. Soon it will be Robins, oh yah - spring is almost here!

Progress on the home front - to the right are the country vegetable blocks. The applique is all done now all I need to do is get the embroidery completed. But I've been delayed while working on the applique challenge block(s). Block one is on the left - not bad! Block two is started, may have it done for Thursday guild meeting may not. I have started my spring cleaning as I have a friend from out west coming in next weekend for a visit. Haven't seen her for - oh - 10 years maybe. Will be real nice to see her again.
TTYL