I finished Unit 4 of Esther’s Bloomers this weekend and was very relieved to find that the pieced borders fit when I added them to the center.  There are only two units left.  If the weight of the packages is any indication, they will keep me busy for a while. 

Before I can move on to the next unit, however, I need to change directions.  There is a scheduled drop off for anti-ouch pouches Friday and I want to have some to turn in. 

 Our guild’s board has been meeting via Zoom for several months.  Since it now appears we will not be having in-person meetings for a while longer, we attempted our first general membership meeting using Zoom today.  I think it went well for a first attempt and considering the meeting conflicted with the presidential inauguration.  By now, many of our members have already become familiar with Zoom meetings through other organizations.  It will take a while to decide how we want to conduct business and whether we want to attempt programs.

 

Live -- My 2021 Word 

“It is only possible to live happily ever after on a daily basis.”

― Margaret Bonanno

A Surprise Delivery

Everyone needs a happy surprise from time to time, and this afternoon was my turn.  This box of goodies was delivered by our outgoing guild president as a thank you for serving on the 2020 board.  As Membership Chair, I had very little to do in a year when we did not meet after February.  But I deeply appreciated the kind gesture.  You may notice that two of the chocolates didn’t last long enough for the photo shoot.

Live -- My 2021 Word

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ― Albert Einstein

Snow Day, Sew Day

The components for Unit 4 of Esther’s Blooms are coming along.  This section does not require any applique and my aching thumb is very appreciative.  I’ve never been a big fan on pinwheel blocks, but I do like the ones with the borders.

 

Bob and I have tried very hard to lower our exposure to Covid and so far, we have been fortunate.  So, Friday was a real awakening.  Our air bed has reached the point where it is in serious need of repair or replacement.  We made a run into Georgetown Friday to learn about our options.  I think we managed well.  We distanced, hand sanitized, everyone was masked, and there were only five of us in the store including employees.  What amazed me was the amount of traffic and the crowded parking lots for shopping and restaurants we passed on the way there.  I guess living in a small city with a high percentage of retirees has pretty much kept me out of the loop on pandemic life in bigger cities with younger populations.

 

Sunday was a rare treat.  It ended up being a fuzzy sock, stretchy sweat suit, watch it snow kind of day.  Snow is a novelty in our part of the world, especially when it occurs on a weekend when business and school traffic is minimal.  The temperatures never dipped below 34 degrees.  So of course, it disappeared quickly, but was quite pretty for the three hours it fell. 

 

I was at my sewing machine looking out at the front yard while it happened. Bob was not quite as happy about it, though.  It interfered with satellite reception for the football games. 

 

I absolutely love my Roomba, especially now that we can program specific areas rather than doing the entire house at a time.  I then decided it was time to upgrade my mop as well.

 

Even the self-wringing models you can find at the grocery store are hard for me to operate and their heads are smaller than I like.  I decided to order one of these spinning mops.  I was impressed during its maiden voyage Saturday.  The mopping motion has a different feel than a standard mop and requires some getting used to; but it did a good job.  Of course, after Sunday’s rain and snow event, I need to do it all over again (I love my dogs).

 

Live -- My 2021 Word

Get busy living or get busy dying. -- Andy Dufrensne,  The Shawshank Redemption

It's Cutting Up Time Again

Cutting is definitely my least favorite part of making a quilt.  This is especially true when cutting from a purchased kit where minor miss-cuts can result in major problems.  I spent a few hours this weekend, cutting Unit 4 our Esther’s Bloomers.  I had one minor miss-cut, but was able to salvage it by using remnants from Units 1-3.  I probably don’t need to worry too much about getting replacement fabric, because I know the shop owner held some back for just such situations.

In other news, I discovered this thread cone over the weekend.  I think I'll blame it on our grand puppy which visited briefly last week.  Certainly, my dogs would never do something like that...yeah, right.

I noticed that a number of bloggers I follow are choosing their word for 2021.  Mine is “live”.  

Frequently during 2020 I felt like my life was on hold.  I was waiting for the pandemic to end, the vaccine to arrive, the election to come to a grinding halt and mostly for restrictions to lift.  All of these were things totally out of my control and I had to keep reminding myself not to let them pull me into a morass of self-pity.  So, in 2021 I want to focus on how to live fully on whatever terms life presents itself.

One blogger I know, ends her posts with some quotation pertaining to her word of the year.  So, to follow her example, I’ll start with:

 

Live and let live.

 

 

Happy New Year

I put the final stitch in my red and white quilt on the last night of 2020.  This was made with leftover fabric from a previous project.

 

I also finished reading (or in this case listening to) the 67^th book during 2020.  That’s a new record for me.

 

And to really make a happy start for 2021…only minutes ago we received word that our youngest grandson has been accepted to Texas A&M University.  I am so proud!!!!