Random Musings

The last three years North Carolina quilt shops have participated in an event called Row By Row . During the summer months (between June 21 and the end of August), wherever you're traveling you stop at a participating quilt shop and get a free pattern that is 9"x36". Many quilt shops sell kits to go along with the pattern (from just the fabric to laser cuts pieces to accessories like buttons). Most shops have a fabric "license plate" with their store name and saying or name on it. Once you collect 8 patterns, you make a quilt using those patterns (it must be quilted, bound, and labeled) and return to one of the stores that you picked out a pattern from. If you're the first one to bring your quilt in to that store, you'll receive a fabric prize. The last two years we've actually planned our vacation route around quilt shops so I could hit up certain stores for the pattern. I've completed some of the rows, but never enough of them to actually com...

This morning I opened Facebook and saw an unexpected announcement that Marilyn, owner of Bernina World of Sewing, a member of our local Quilts of Valor group, and someone I consider a friend, died Sunday. I know she's no longer suffering, and that these last few months have not been easy on her, her family, or her staff, but it's still hard to hear. Post after post mentioned her kindness, her ability to remember customer names. And all of that is SO true. But for me, I remember her pulling me aside during a non-busy quilt group meeting and asking me if she could ask some personal questions. She was tactful in everything she asked, but by some of her questions I could tell she had some experience with being a caregiver. She then opened up and talked about her first husband and his illness, and then her life with John and how she believed God truly brought him into her life. No matter how busy she was in the store, if I ever walked in, she always asked about Bobby. While I will e...

I'm not sure what year it started, but Hwy 301 in North Carolina started having an "endless yardsale" in June every year. The hope is that eventually it will spread to other states and be like others that are multi-state and very popular. We went to a few places last year, and when we saw the signs a few weeks ago thought we might try it again. Except this year we have so many places to be tomorrow that we will get up and and begin hustling and not stop until bedtime. So we went today. (It's a two day event.) We didn't get an early start. I think it was about 9am when we arrived in Benson. (The sale starts at 7am.) By 10:15am I was starting to wonder how much longer I was going to last. And I know if I'm getting hot and sweating, Bobby is entering the danger zone. We stopped for lunch and took our time in the ac to cool off before hitting the road again. We finally stopped around 2:20 and began heading back towards home. It was fun, but we were also both mor...

Monday at Bobby's 3 month follow-up, we were told that his at least one of his heart meds wasn't doing it's job (which we already knew). Because of various factors, there are many other drugs that are used for this that he simply can't take. One that his doctor was willing to try requires observation in a hospital setting for at least 6 doses. I thought we were about to head to the hospital then, but he said we could wait one or two days. So I went ahead and worked the election. Wednesday we got up and started trying to get things ready, waiting for the call to come. And of course, as soon as we got up, I heard chirping. Some of our eggs due to hatch next week hatched that very night. So in the midst of taking care of things on my list, I added a run to the hardware store for starter feed and cleaned out the brooder box. Current count is 9 biddies and two more currently hatching. So while it's only day one of the waiting game at the hospital, it feels like forev...

This is pre-written. Alarm time: 4:30am On the road time: 6:00am (delivering supplies, helping troubleshoot with machines that won't work or bad phonelines, etc in my eight polling places before the polls open). Polls open: 7:30am (Chief Judge assistance and checklist notes begin, visiting all 8 sites at least twice during the day). Polls close: 7:30pm  For this election (a non-busy one), my phone should start ringing within the next 5-30 minutes as my precincts report in that they are closed and results are submitted. Should results not submit, then my night is about to get long. If there's a site with a long line or a new chief judge, I'll be there to assist with closing. Paperwork: 8pm - until? Once paperwork is completed, head to my drop-off site to sign off on all the back-up supplies. This could be as early as 8:30pm. It's also been as late as 11pm. Suppertime with my sweetie at Waffle House...though last year we met at Denny's because m...

One of my blog friends posted a summer reading challenge. She listed 15 categories, asking participants to read at least seven of them. I'm not entering the official challenge, as I seriously doubt I'll read 7 books over the summer with the garden and baby chicks on the way, but I do think it would be a neat challenge to read these before the year is out. I went ahead and listed more than seven of the categories, just in case (haha!). 1. Professional development (can be loosely interpreted): Creating Web Pages for Dummies I bought this book several years ago so the info may already be obsolete. It's not exactly thin, either, and has exercises included. But still, even if it takes several months to work through it, I think this might be well worth delving into...finally. 2. History: Scalia Dissents Bobby picked this book up at a book sale a few years ago and I've had it on the dresser since he read it thinking I would get to it soon. Since Justice Scalia died this y...