Tuesdays Are Definitely Better Than Mondays

Now that yesterday is over, I can say "Hurray for Tuesday!!". When I arrived home last night the horror show had ended. The wallpaper was all off the walls and the painter (who is a perfectionist - thank goodness) had patched and primed so you would never know the stuff had ever been there. They had started edging with the new paint, so now I could see what it might look like. It is so different from what was there before, I'm sure when I get home tonight and the job is done it will be like coming into a house that belongs to someone else. Of course the full effect won't be had until the new couch arrives (and you'll be happy to know I didn't buy the lime green one), and the hardwood floors are put down (next week's big adventure). I picked out a couch that is pretty modern, but I don't think too wild. My friend Elaine might even approve! It has a soft chocolate brown background (if I can't eat it I might as well sit on it), with 2" circles of light tan, a darker brown and aqua. So the wall color is the aqua color of the circles. Since I haven't bought a new couch in 22 years it was a bit overwhelming. You never think about the style - with a ruffle, a pleat, with no ruffle or pleat, wooden legs, what finish for the legs, etc. and then go on to pick out fabric for the couch and fabric for the pillows. UGH - I spent quite a few hours in cyberspace putting different covers on various couches until I think I have one I'll like. We'll see when it arrives in 8 weeks or so. In the meantime the old one will be there not quite matching the new decor, but what's a girl to do? I definitely need a spot to sit when I sew on quilt bindings.

Speaking of quilt bindings - I'm just finishing the binding on a quilt that I'm donating to Quilt Pink. It looks sort of antique so if you want to see it, look for it under "The Christmas Shoppe, Richmond, NH" on Quilt Pink's site in the future. They will auction off the quilts they receive on e-bay and the auctions will run for several months depending on the number of quilts that are donated.

Today my daughter, Allison, graduates with her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Antioch New England. We're going to celebrate by going to the Blue Trout Restaurant. She has worked long and hard to get to where she is today and we are so proud of her. And to top it off, she received a great job offer yesterday....so I guess it really is "Hurray for Tuesday". Mary Jane

What A Day!!

Some days don't you just think it might have been better to stay in bed?? Well, today is definitely one of those days. Let 's see - started the day off at 7 am moving things around for the painter. Not such a bad day yet, but when the painter arrived it rapidly went downhill. When the painter came to give the bid on the job, he tried taking off some of the wallpaper....no problem and the bid reflected this no problem situation. When he arrived this morning wouldn't you know that the one piece he removed so very easily was the only piece in the whole entire 30' room that would come off. Now he's talking about the length of time = money this will now cost, and my husband is talking about how women always have to change things (even though this wallpaper has been up for almost 11 years). And by the way, which women is he referring to since I'm the only woman in his life?? I'm not sure about all husbands, but at least my husband thinks that anything you have will last your entire lifetime. There is never a need to modernize or change with the times. I believe this about spouses, but not wallpaper - I'm not trying to change him into a younger model! Then the next fiasco is the painter calls to say there is water leaking in around the chimney - of course, that is right where they are painting! This was fixed twice by the man who built the chimney and then next by my husband. It hasn't leaked since my husband fixed it 2 years ago so it would pick today to start again. If I were a drinking woman, I would probably stop at the bar on the way home. But since I don't drink, I think lovingly of chocolate, but I've decided to cut the calorie intake (what a bad time to think I needed that) but when my husband weighed the other evening and I realized that we weighed the same......it was a shocker. So now I'm watching him eat 4 donuts yesterday (only one so far today that I know of) along with many, many other LARGE calorie foods and thinking that I need to IGNORE the donuts, STEP AWAY from the donuts.....carrots are your friend! I overcame the donuts calling me and maybe when I see friends at Quilt Market in Portland next month they will actually notice (HINT-HINT) how hard I worked, and what amazing will power I have. So now I'm on my way home to see just what has happened there today. I'm hoping that the beautiful Ralph Lauren paint I picked it is on the walls and it will all be worth it. I'll try and let you know tomorrow. Mary Jane (P.S. Thank you for the therapy session - I feel much better now!)

Hurray for Sunny Days!

Don't you feel wonderful on a beautiful sunny day? Well, today is one of those days in New Hampshire. The sky is blue, there are a few fluffy clouds and it is warm. It is so easy to let your imagination loose and dream about all of the quilting projects you want to complete.....and so easy to forget about all of the dust "bunnies" around your house. In preparation for the installation of the new hardwood floors, I was packing up the CD's (not money, but musical) last night and I found a few of those "bunnies" that were hiding on the shelf behind the CD's. Who knew they were there? And most days, who cared they were there? I have a friend who refers to dust as a "protective coating". Since most of us juggle our lives, there is usually one or two things that kind of take 2nd place. I find that the dusting is definitely on the bottom of the list, especially when I make so much dust every day with cutting and sewing that it is an endless task.

So what is on my list to create soon......I received a shipment of bright fabrics with penguins and polar bears. I fussy cut the polar bears and I'm going to make a childs quilt using the bear blocks and some pieced blocks of bright fabrics. So far I've picked out lime green, orange and pink. I want it to be fun and I think the bright colors might just do it.

Hope you are enjoying your day and if it isn't sunny, just make your disposition sunny and it won't matter. Mary Jane

The Blonde Whirling Dervish

Ok - So it's been almost 2 months since I last posted on my blog. Did you think I was on a 2nd honeymoon, or reading trashy novels and eating bon-bons (this is what my sister always asks me when she calls), or maybe just taking a break? Well, it is none of these. When I returned from Virginia there was 4 weeks of helping my husband recuperate from his broken rib, then I went to Lancaster, PA and vended at Quilters Heritage Celebration. This is a wonderful quilt show and, of course, I love seeing the Amish families. Somehow when you see them working in their fields or in their buggies, it is really easy to think about a simpler time. Our frenzied pace seems to be at odds with their lifestyle. Then from Lancaster, I went to Chicopee, MA for a small guild show. Then this week-end I was in Manchester, NH for Machine Quilters Expo. So there is my life in a nutshell.

Now I have a few weeks off - but you have to remember that I am not a "normal" person. My friend, Elaine, calls me a maniac! So my time off, is not really off. I might work 16 hours a day instead of 18 or 20! Here's my goal before my next show in June in New Jersey: finish my newest quilt pattern and hopefully talk some friends into doing the applique for me, then I'll do the piecing. Go to Spring Quilt Market in Portland, Oregon! Can't wait for that because I get to see the newest designs, fabric and old friends. It is such an experience to see everything. Then at the end of May we're going to Wisconsin to see relatives that I haven't seen in almost 20 years. I have such wonderful childhood memories of Wisconsin and visiting my grandparents on their dairy farm, so I can't wait to see all of my cousins again and reminisce about the "old" days. I also have to get new samples done and off to the quilter so I'll have new and wonderful things to show in New Jersey. And then just to up the stress level we are having hardwood floors installed in our family room and hallway. Since our family room is almost 30 feet long we have to move everything out.....to where I don't know, but I guess we'll figure it out by May 6th when they arrive with the hammers! It sure will be much nicer without our 20 year old carpet. Not that it is in bad shape with just the two of us, and Mick the dog and Roxy the cat. But then of course, I thought why don't we talk off the wallpaper - a Warren Kimble plaid 1/2 way up the wall with a Canada geese border on top, and paint. Ten years ago I thought that was really fine, now I'm thinking off with it! I am going to buy a new couch and the "maniac" me was looking at lime green, terra cotta or pale aqua. That is quite a range, wouldn't you say? So who knows what I will come up with, but it definitely won't be "normal". The only furniture I have to work off of is my husband's navy leather Mission oak chair. So who says lime green doesn't look good with navy? Oh come to think of it, my friend, Elaine, said it wouldn't look good. But since I am a native Californian, maybe I have a different style than my New Hampshire neighbors. Well, I've got to run and make a little dinner. We spent the whole day working outside trying to get the winter mess cleaned up so that spring can be seen! Hope you are all well and hopefully I'll get back to posting more than every 2 months. Mary Jane