Marching Right Along...

Here it is, Sunday morning...I've been up for several hours already as I start writing this. Haven't done much...tried to get caught up on my blog reading...still need to make comments on about 3 dozen blogs...fed the dogs, took the following photos...read a bit...got dressed.

I miss Tango very much, but we're doing okay. And, again...thank you so much to everyone for your support and caring.

I haven't had much to say this week, but today...I DO!

Here's a picture of the fenced-in backyard...not quite daylight when I took this. My poor pups, having to go out into this frozen wasteland. I was going to say 'tundra', as that word just kinda follows 'frozen', but #1 - I do not live in the arctic & #2 - wasteland (get it...'waste'!) is just such a more fitting word. When the shoe fits and all that, hey?



Jill and Tim were here yesterday. They were in Madison Friday night to see George Thorogood at the Barrymore Theater. Sounds like it was a great concert. While they were here, Tim changed the oil & oil filter in my car and carried about a bazillion things up from the basement (more on that to follow).
And, they brought me some birthday gifts! YAY! Thank you so much!
"The Rifleman" dvd with 3 episodes...young as I was at the time of that series (1958-1963), I loved that show...and the beginning always thrilled me. Here it is...

They also gave me a Yankee jar candle - BUTTERCREAM scent...ohhhhhhhhhhhh YUMMY!!! 2 hangie-thingies for my car windows...one is I LOVE MY COLLIE and the other is (of course), I LOVE MY CHOCOLATE LAB! I will hang them proudly! And, my godchild (as in, "My. God! Child."), Michelle, sent along 2 pair of slipper sockies with non-skid dohickies on the bottoms. Thank you so much!

We had a great visit & ate pizza from Papa Murphy's for lunch - steak fajita - it was delicious! And, I gotta say, it's always great fun to be with my baby sister. Who is now 50, by the way! Now, all the 4 J's are in their 50's. ohwow...time really does get by you, hey?

As most of you know, I've been putting in some serious time working on sewing projects and hooking projects. Then, I made that flannel blanket (thanks, Kelley!) for Kaylynn, and that lap quilt for Kim. Which led to me getting all interested in quilting. Fabric started speaking to me, calling my name, in fact!!!! Then, I joined the BOM club at the quilt shop in Stoughton. I found the cutest counted cross stitch patterns...ohmygosh. I cannot show you, as I don't want to spoil the surprise for those of you who may be receiving them as gifts at some point off in the future. Then, there's the online course that I am teaching this semester. Just a lot of different things going on...all of them with 'stuff', which is getting out of control! I have tried to keep organized, but I just cannot do it! Too many things to do...too many ideas going through my head. I have been trying to put things away as I use them...but we all know how that goes. And, if I brought something upstairs from the basement, I didn't take it back down. Well, I was planning to, but just haven't done it. Then, a coworker gave me some vintage fabric...and has more to come. And I've picked up a bit more fabric on my own.

Speaking of BOM...yesterday was the first meeting for me. There was a meeting in January, but I didn't join until just after that...so I missed it. Apparently, that was when they explained things in great detail and gave a few tips. Just an example of a small but very important tip they gave...make a practice block first. Who'da thought? I mean...I started sewing over 40 years ago...but I sewed clothes, never quilts...and no one made a practice dress before they made the actual dress! Why would I think of doing that now? (well, okay, the bigshot designers do, but that's cuz they're following what's in their head, not a paper pattern!) ha! Well, now I know! And, apparently, you get credit for how many blocks you made (whether they're practice blocks or the start of another quilt with that new block design or whatever)! Even though the BOM quilt only has one block with that design. Know what I mean? I'm not quite sure what the credit gets you...but it's interesting. All new to me!
LOOK at this...isn't it adorable??? Was thinking to make girlie summer clothes...now I'm not sure. It'd be adorable in a quilt...but I really don't know anyone to make it for...so that'd be a waste. Doncha think?

I don't know what I want to do first. But, I do know one thing. I'm going to try really hard to buy fabric ONLY if I have a specific need/project for it. Otherwise, I will surely end up with a cotton stash to rivel my wool stash! YIKES! Cannot have that.

So. I decided that what I need to do first, is to get everything organized. With my cluttered mind and my cluttered dining room and sunroom, I really cannot settle on doing any. thing. at. all! Plus, I really need to get rid of stuff that I don't need and/or won't use. So. While I had a strong manly man here yesterday, I had Tim carry up my tubs of wool and 90% of my project containers, as well as a wire cube unit. Here's what my dining room and sunroom look like now. (Yes, the pups are in their crates...I had just fed them breakfast when I took these photos.)



Even though this looks AWFUL - please don't come to visit me in the very near future unless you plan to help! - I am actually looking forward to going through everything and getting it all in some sort of order.

Here's my office...desparately needing to be straightened/cleaned. My desk is full...couldn't find anything on here if I had to! But, there's my trusty can of Pepsi! I didn't turn off my monitor before taking the pic...I think that's Kelley's blog showing. Look at that table...there is wool from 2 or 3 different rugs all over it. I started working on filing my taxes, so that paperwork is on top of that mess. Since I closed my website, & don't do any of that anymore, my closet could get a good going through. My bookcase needs to be organized...more books & patterns in the other room.

So. Office first. I plan to put the wire cube storage thing in here. Then, some of the mess in the dining room/sunroom, can move into this room once it's organized. THEN, I will have easier access to the things I need/use the most. That will save me many trips up and down the stairs...which is really awfully hard on my bad knee.
AND. Once I get everything organized, I am going to move my sewing chit-chat and in-progress photos and what I'm going through as I learn to quilt over to a new blog. It's all ready to go...just waiting.

So. That's what I've been up to and what I will be doing. How about you?