Parties, pyracantha, and politics

I have been busy this week, and felt like I accomplished a lot.

The goodie bags are complete for Wednesday's party, I have prizes for the games, and the gift bag for the Witches' Gift Exchange is ready. Thank goodness all that is left is the party itself!

I finished machine quilting this lap-quilt which was started several years ago. It is bound and complete except for the label. What appears to be pink in this photo is actually a rust color. I really like the way it turned out.

We had a cold front go through last night and this morning. This tree is the only pine tree in the neighborhood, and is in our front yard. It lost a lot of small branches and pine cones.

The pyracantha is just loaded with berries this year. I plan on using some of them for decoration this fall and winter.

My Halloween decorations are ready for next week, such as they are--although I haven't bought enough candy yet. We're also giving out small cans of Play-Doh to kids that are the right age to use it.


The caladiums and the coleus plants are doing well, but soon they will start their downward slide towards winter, if you can call it that here in South Texas. The temperature will only get into the low 50's except for one or two colder days.

I need to start the next quilt, but I haven't figured out how I want to quilt it. I guess just getting it done any old way would be better than not doing it at all. Maybe I'm over-analyzing the problem.

We learned this week that my elder son will be going to Iraq at the end of March. I'm not happy about it, but I don't get any say in the matter. I think the best way to deal with the anxiety is just to pretend that he is home in Virginia with his wife and kids. I don't hear from him very often as it is, so hopefully it will be easy to pretend. I hate this war and wish it would be over soon. I don't think any one in the government has any idea of what this war does to people on a personal level. The best joke I have heard recently has someone telling the president that three Brazilian soldiers have been killed in Iraq, at which the president puts his head in his hands in despair for a few moments, only to lift his head and ask, "Just how many is a brazillion?"

When election time comes around, the only politicians to get my vote will be the ones that want us out of the Middle East. Reacting to a threat is one thing; creating and sustaining an artificial threat is totally different.

Busy, busy!

I spent this past weekend pin-basting three quilt tops, and today I am piecing backings for two more, then will baste them. They are all either lap-size or wall-hangings. On Wednesday I will knuckle down and start machine quilting all five, which should keep me busy for the rest of the month! I'll post photos as they are completed.

Tomorrow is going to be full, with preparations for an Eastern Star potluck dinner. I have to help set up the chapter room in the afternoon, then I'll fix a crockpot full of spaghetti and meat sauce, with garlic bread on the side. That should satisfy the OES ladies. I had to skip the last potluck (there were three this month, plus desserts for the lodge BBQ!) so they may be a little miffed at me. I can only do so much on a limited budget.

It's been raining each morning, then the sun comes out each afternoon. At least the temperatures are down now in the 80's with nighttime lows in the 70's. I do miss fall colors, though--we don't get much leaf change here. Our Arizona Ash trees are dropping their seeds now, making a big mess; and the Chinaberry trees are dropping their large seed berries as well. DH is planning to try to sell some seeds on eBay--we don't know if anyone will be interested or not.

Halloween's coming!

I am in charge of making 22 goody bags for a Halloween party for my Red Hat group. I have been busy coming up with ideas--candy, of course, but other things, too.

I just finished these 22 mummies. They are made of craft sticks, craft spoons, strips of fabric soaked in a 50-50 glue and water solution, and googoo eyes. Aren't they cute?


I also made 22 clothespin fridge magnets with foamie bats, ghosts, and jack-o-lanterns attached to them. I painted the front side orange before putting them together.


I bought these door-hanger dolls (22, of course!) at the dollar store. They have velcro hands.


I got 22 brown paper bags at Michael's, stenciled a treat bag design on the front and put self-adhesive foamies on the back. They will be full when I put everything in them. I think I'm done!


Now I have to come up with some games for the party. I have a mad-lib story that will work for one. We will do a "witches' gift exchange" where everyone brings a gift bag and we draw numbers to see who gets to choose first, etc. We may do charades of horror movies, too.

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I received this fabric postcard this week from Laurie. The postcard had to feature paint in some way. She used Setacolor paints to sun-print ferns and puzzle pieces on the fabric, then added real ferns under netting. I love the colors. I have the instructions for doing this on video from Georgia Bonesteel's program, and I want to try it one of these days.

progress made

I've finished the top of the wall-hanging; it turned out quite well, I think. Now to find a backing fabric so I can get it quilted. It reminds me of watermelon, somehow.

I have some other projects in mind that are sewing related, but the next one is to finish a leaf-themed quilt top that I made about three years ago. I have the backing fabric for it, I just need to get it pin-basted and machine quilted. It was to be a lap-quilt, but I'm not sure now just what I will use it for. It would make a nice table topper, or even a wall-hanging. I'll decide when I get it done.

I haven't heard from the quilter yet whether she has started on the Christmas quilt. I told her that as long as it was done this year I'd be happy. I'll check with her in a week or so to see how she's doing.

DH had his CT scan on Tuesday. No results yet, but we're hopeful.

Back in service

I'm still battling bronchitis, but I'm generally feeling better now. Those summer colds are killer!

These blocks are destined to be a wall hanging for my 'dining room' (now serving as a sewing/crafts room.) The pattern was in the latest issue of McCall's Quilting.


The green and red quilt is now at the quilters' and hopefully will be done in a month or two. She has quite a backlog to get to. I'm just glad to get it to her and know she will get to it eventually.

DH has planted some new plants in my flowerbeds. The one on the left is a coleus, variety unknown. On the right is a Maui Ixora.


This bed has different Croton varieties in it. The center one is actually bright purple with twisted leaves on it. The sun was so bright it is hard to see the color.

Isn't this yellow and green one gorgeous?


Here are the caladiums and the hibiscus, which has seen better days.


Today I went to lunch at the Olive Garden with two different Red Hat groups, the Red Hat Rascals (my group) and our guests, the Texas Cowbelles. We had a great time. Everyone talked about something they collect. I showed some of the fabric postcards I have received in the mail. People are always so surprised that they can be mailed.


DH got his first SS check today, and we've already spent it catching up on the bills. We should be in good shape now.

Sick

Sorry I haven't posted recently--I have had a bad summer cold for the last two weeks and am still coughing badly. I haven't had the energy to do much, although I have painted some more pages of my board book, and am re-thinking the theme for it. I am now considering doing a book on my ancestors, with photos of some of them and something about each one's life. We'll see how that goes.

I am also tasked with planning a Halloween party for my Red Hat Society group. At least I have plenty of time to think about that one.

More later when I'm feeling a little better.

Jury duty

I have actually made a little progress in my artistic endeavors- I have painted out about half the pages in my board book with two coats of white acrylic paint. I have also gotten a good start on my Buddha piece, as you can see in the photo. I need to print the Buddha figure onto fabric, then I can start sewing things down.

I have also started making postcards again, and signed up for a swap with two other people, "Painted Postcards." I painted some white cotton fabric with blue Jacquard paint, painted the main design, and added rubber stamped words, some fibers, and some little embellishments. I'll take a photo when they are ready to be mailed. I'm easing back into it, but I decided it was a good opportunity to try some new techniques. I had never used fabric paints before, and was pleased at the results. My efforts may not be up to the standards of the others, I don't know. I have spent several hours on each card, but they are more 'cute' than 'artistic.' I need to work on coming up with new and more sophisticated ideas.

This will be a busy week. Sunday was my MIL's 88th birthday. She has asked us not to give her any gifts, so we took her out to eat at her favorite restaurant. Tomorrow (Tuesday) I have to set up the Lodge for Eastern Star in the afternoon, go grocery shopping at the base commissary, then attend the Eastern Star meeting, with dinner at IHOP afterward.

My DH has a jury summons for Federal Court tomorrow, so he won't be available to help. Then on Thursday I have a jury summons for Municipal Court. I have no idea how long that will take--we have been called to jury duty on the county level at least once a year for many years, but neither of us has ever been called to either Federal or Municipal Court. It might be an interesting experience. I don't mind jury duty, I just resent the fact that the county calls us so often while other people never get called at all. I have told DH that if we ever move out to the country, we have to move to a different county!