Singing (and Crying) in the Rain

Typical morning routine:

• Wake sometime between 5:30 and 6:30. Usually before DH leaves for work.
• Get into my "grubbies".
• Check e-mails/job ads/quilting groups/blogs, etc.
• Have Breakfast.
  
• Decide what project I'm going to work on till time to get ready for work in the afternoon.
• Sew or do housework or both
  

Well, this morning I was sitting here at the Laptop at 7:25 and all of a sudden decided I wanted to go take a walk. Had my sweats on, threw on my sneakers, grabbed the timer, and headed out the door without hesitating. WHAT, Wait a minute....where's the "old" extremely self conscious Barbara who wouldn't go for a walk till after 9am because by then people have mostly left for work and there aren't any kids around to make rude remarks....I hadn't been taking many walks lately because I was nursing a sprained ankle either...

But I headed out the door....Not knowing that it was RAINING...well, not really raining, but that fine, foggy, dew like mist... anyway, I did NOT turn around...I trodded on...

Now 4 months ago, I couldn't make it 2 or 3 houses away without hurting and stopping and turning around to go back home. That's what weighing 350 and having a BMI over 60 will do to you.

Today, I'm down 50 pounds, a lower BMI, NO more lower back pain, very little knee pain, and I just did a 30 minute walk IN THE MISTY RAIN! I was crying very happy tears as I kept going one house further, one street further... I felt like I could have walked a lot longer, but I couldn't see as my glasses were all wet.

As I walked, I thought about all the things I'm grateful for...This is getting to be a long entry but I don't freaking care.... I am on a roll and want to express myself....

• Thank you Liza, Mimi, SueAnn, and Suzette for being my sounding boards, my comrades, and teaching me lessons about things other than just quilting. For giving me a gentle "Poke" when I need one, for encouraging me to go for it, From you I've learned what having a real set of Girlfriends is all about. I look forward to every time we meet. It really is the highlight of my month.
  
• I'm grateful that 1 year ago today my beautiful little niece came into my life. On this her first birthday, I vow to spend more time with her over the next year. To be a better Aunt. To keep getting healthier so I can go chase her in the park and live to watch her grow up.
  
• I'm grateful for all my online quilting friends. DH doesn't understand why I call them friends since we've never met. They've been there for me when I've undergone major surgeries. They were there for me when my Cousin died tragically. They've seen me through good days and bad, and we share the things going on in our lives. I call that being a friend.
  
• I'm grateful for my Mom. What can I say? I love you with everything that I am. You've loved me even when there were times I didn't love myself.
  
• And Yes, I'm grateful for my husband who has loved me and put up with me when many times he shouldn't have. Who has loved me no matter what my weight. He doesn't agree with the way I "cheated" to start my weight loss, but loves me anyway. We have our serious problems, but I love him too.
  
• There are a myriad of other things...Deb, Helle, Jennifer, my friends at church, belonging to a church that lets me be myself, my talents, etc...but I will save them for another time...

Love you!

Barbara

Snowy Pond

Here is our house after the last little snowfall.







The house backs up to a city Greenbelt with a pond. I wish you could see the snow and ice that were on this tree. In the pond this day were 2 beautiful Snowy White Egrets. The digital camera wasn't working so I couldn't take a picture of them. We're hoping that they are a mating pair, it would be nice to see more of them around.

This pond is one of the reasons David never wants to move. He looked at the picture above and mentioned that it doesn't even look like a picture that was taken in the middle of a big city. The pond has been home to a turtle family, ducks, egrets, and a beaver that decided he wanted our small peach tree. We've also seen nutria, and had a crawdad crawl up from there, which David found when he was using the weed whacker one day. I love to go out and see what's going on in the pond. I try to ignore the litter that ends up along the sides. Once or twice a year the neighborhood has a "Clean the Pond" day, and since I'm losing weight, I hope to participate in the next one.

One day I may design a "Landscape" quilt based on this pond.

Yesterday I finished making all the cats. Need to press them and square them all up and decide on layout. I found the mouse pattern, but now I'm not so sure I like the way they'll look with the cats. Plus the tails all have to be embroidered and that would take me forever. So now I'm deciding what to do for the borders.

I'm gonna be a Quilting Fairy for a friend that can't finish some blocks for a swap. These Buzzard Roost blocks are really cute. So far I've gotten some great blocks. This gal sent me the fabrics to make hers, and a yard of this adorable butterfly fabric for doing this for her. I have to have some more of this fabric...I usually don't like glittery fabrics, but this fabric is too CUTE! I can't seem to find it in any of the online stores, and the camera's still busted or I'd take a pic. It sucks that I have to use a disposable and then wait for CD's to be developed. I've e-mailed her to ask where I can get it.

Well off to work on the Buzzards......

Scrappy Cats and UFO's

Here are some of the "Scrappy Cats" I'm currently working on...

I had 54 of them and need 80. I have all the pieces cut and made the "ear" sections last night. I hope to get all the cats finished today. Still need to find the pattern for the paper pieced mice I want to do for the border. I tore the pattern out of a magazine but can't remember where I put it. So I'll be looking for that today too.

This is gonna be a really cute quilt for a kid or a cat lover when I get it done!


In the MSN group "Quilting Forever" we have a "Block Block Swap" we send our partner a set of blocks and they set them for us.

I sent my partner the Black and White blocks and here's the top I got back! I Love it! I've never set blocks on point, always been scared to, but this has me thinking...




And here's the top I made for my partner using her blue and yellow blocks. I have these same blocks and intend to set them the same way for mine. Except that I think it needs another border of some sort around the whole thing....any ideas? Blue or Yellow?