Friday Night Sew In

As one of the 194 quilters /crafters that took part in Homemade by Heidi's Friday night Sew In . I worked on my "If the new grandbaby is a girl" quilt. As usual--I didn't complete as much as I had intended or hoped to. I did finish sewing the blocks together-(had to rip apart one row when I found I had the center block one turn too far) and added the three borders.
Hopefully tonight-after the grandkids leave- I will sandwich it together and work on the quilting.

I drove DH for another blood draw last night and we stopped for dinner at Adventures afterward. We also stopped at Menards for some walking time. So that took up some of my "Sew In" time.

DH is beginning to climb the walls-for someone who has always been a workaholic and now has a ten pound lifting limit and no wheels, it is challenging. Thankfully one of our sons does all the feeding of cattle on his way home after work. A few friends have picked DH up this week to ride with them to appointments or for coffee. Hopefully as the weather warms up and the ice melts he will be able to walk outside.

February 's Friday Night Sew In

Friday night I am planning to take part in a virtual sew in with over 100 quilters/crafters. When reading A Stitch and a Prayer's post I learned about the Sew-in. To sign in and find out the details read Homemade by Heidi.
I think I will try to finish my "Ava Jo" flannel baby quilt. It is my "if my new grandbaby is a girl quilt." I need to finish sewing the blocks together, add the three borders and quilt. Saturday I will post what I have finished!

WooHoo! Farm Taxes Finished!

This stack of file folders contains the statements, invoices, receipts, and bills for 2009. I am thankful for computer spreadsheets and bookkeeping programs that have made record keeping easier. Tuesday after school, I meet with the tax preparer who will put my numbers into the correct spaces. Last year's tax return was 48 pages. (Farm taxes are due Feb. 28 )

It took a little longer to finish because of several interruptions. Friday we had to go for a blood draw for DH's INR levels and revised coumadin doses. Saturday the grandkids were here for the day. All three were here for a couple of hours--lots of fun! I am so blessed.
Sunday after church and breakfast at the deli with friends, I came home to cook a birthday dinner for DIL-M's birthday. We had lasagna, cheese garlic bread, and White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake. It was delicious!
Tonight out came the sewing machine! I worked on sewing blocks and sewing strips to cut into blocks. The long weekend is over-- back to school in the morning.

I WILL NOT QUILT

I made myself promise I will not work on any quilting projects until my 2009 Farm Income taxes and bookwork is complete!!! Oh NO!!! My fabrics arrived today for the John Deere Baby Quilt! No school on Friday---I will work on bookwork--I will work on taxes!!!!!!

Looking for Ideas!

I am looking for ideas for making a baby quilt using John Deere fabrics for my grandbaby that is due in April. We won't know until if it is born if we have a new grandson or granddaughter. So I am covering both bases. I have a good start on a quilt if she is a girl--however, papa thinks it needs to be a John Deere quilt if he is a boy! All the tractors and most of the machinery on our farm are John Deere--so what else would a baby boy need! Especially when the newest baby's Daddy is employed by a large John Deere dealership!

Any suggestions will be appreciated!

Patches and Mending- the wrong UFO for January

Sometimes necessity has to take priority over pleasure. Chad needed his jeans patched. So I put aside my UFO for January to sew patches and mend 8 pairs of his jeans. They are coming for Herb's birthday day dinner-so I will send these home with him and anticipate receiving another stack of jeans needing patches.


Where's Kasey?

There she is! She likes her new "big girl" blanket. Of course "blankie" is wrapped up inside of her new blanket. And yes--this is the last you will see of Kasey's Fuzzy Flowers!!

New Experience

I had several new experiences during our week in Minneapolis while Herb was a patient at Abbott Heart Hospital. One involved three "Good Samaritans" who happened to be walking the skywalk, two security guards and three Hennepin County Paramedics . The result was a huge goose egg, one very black eye, black and blue shins, very bent glasses and three concerned family members back at the hospital. The boys hadn't expected to receive a call from a total stranger using my phone. Stress does strange things to your body! Later in the week, one of my "Good Samaritans" recognized me at the Skywalk Cafe in the hospital. She filled in the missing minutes for me. (Herb didn't see my black eye until just before we came home on Sunday--makeup really worked well)

Slow Walk

I just went for a very short and very slow stroll down the hall at Abbott Northwestern Heart Hospital with my boy friend also known as my DH. The new valve is working--a few difficulties-but things are looking up!
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
Linda

I'd Rather Be Quilting

Today "I'd Rather Be Quilting". I am attempting to do the things that need to be completed before we leave for Mpls. early Monday morning.

My checklist for school:
Plans for the substitute for two weeks --done
All work graded and grades in computer for the end of the quarter---done
Quarterly Goals reports as required by IDEA for Students with Disabilities---done
Parent Letter describing accommodations, modifications or alternate curriculum-done
Notifying parents I will be gone from the classroom for two weeks---done

Checklist for ME!
*Reservation at the Sheraton which is attached to Abbott Heart Hospital by sky walk--done

*Books --2 Debbie Macomber, 2 Sherryl Woods, 2 Jennifer Chiaverini's quilting books, Kate Jacob's Knit Two and Knit The Season, my small group study book--Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow and Pearl Girls ( a collection of short stories -"encountering grit, experiencing grace by a variety of authors) I didn't know I would feel like reading so I have a variety--I won't take all to the hospital. Oh! and the latest Country Sampler magazine to dream over!

* My friend, Julie, put together a care package consisting of Bath and Body lotion & body wash, a crossword puzzle book, and CHOCOLATE!

*Now the best--genius on my part----I have borrowed a folding cutting mat from Amy. A tote is packed with my rotary cutter, two rulers, blocks that need to be squared, fabric that needs to be cut for future projects, and quilt pattern books to dream from!! If I really need to escape at night if and I can't sleep.

Seriously, I don't know how much time I will be at the hospital or the hotel-so I don't know really what to take. Todd, Marie, and Chad are coming on Tuesday the day of the surgery. Katie will stay at home with the three grandkids. DH doesn't understand why they need to take off work to spend the day at the hospital. MEN!!!!!

Now--back to cleaning and laundry--and really "I'd Rather be Quilting"!!!!!!

Trusting in Him,
Linda

Every Teacher's Wish

This is a copy of a facebook post that my friend (we claim we are sisters-that's another story) put on her facebook. I am sure it applies to teachers in every state.

"New Year Wish! Every teacher in Wisconsin for one week could just teach their classes. Without any paperwork to fill out for government mandates, grants, programs, WKCE, ELL, Special Education, mentoring, PI-34, and any other testing or assessment program known to mankind. That would be a great week :)."

We found out on Monday that Herb's heart surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 19. We go on Monday, 18th to meet with the surgeon and for the angiogram. That means I have to prepare for a sub for two or three weeks. I need to prep for daily instruction for 8 math levels, 6 reading levels, and 5 written language levels. I need to have "extra" material ready for the sub to pull from if she needs extra independent work.

The second quarter will end while I am gone. That means all grades need to posted on Skyward (on line grading for the district), quarterly goals reports written and given to gen. ed. teachers, and accompaning letter for each report card reflecting the amount of pullout services or support given to the student.

I have a LONG "to do" list on my desk at school of things to be completed before next Friday afternoon. Such as scheduling IEP meetings, finish writing an IEP, initial evaluation testing of a student recently referred for Special Education, oh--I need to teach next week also!

HHMMM! No wonder I'm too tired at night work to on quilt projects! I am hoping to finish my UFO project enough to take it to the hospital with me to do the handwork while I am waiting. Has anyone read a good book lately you would recommend I take along?

HERE IT IS!

Kasey's Fuzzy Flowers--It is not huge (48" X 64") --But, just right for a two year old moving into a "big"girl bed before her baby brother or sister arrives this spring! After washing and drying it is fuzzy and soft! I will take it to her tomorrow after church. It involved much more than I had anticipated and I learned a lot doing it. I had never done applique before.

For Christmas we gave Kasey a wooden doll cradle. I bought foam to make a mattress and sewed a cover. Then I made a small doll quilt for her. The mattress cover and quilt back matches the back of her new quilt.

It is almost finished!

I have finished sewing on Kasey's Fuzzy Flowers flannel quilt. WooHoo! It is now in the washer, when it comes out of the dryer I will post pictures. I sewed the binding on by machine--1. I thought it would be difficult pushing the needle through all the flannel and binding--2. I really wanted to finish it today!

Has anyone ever used a time sheet for projects to see just how much time actually goes into some projects??? Kasey's quilt seems like it took along time!!!!

Linda