Random Thoughts of AMW

Precious Gift

2012-02-05T16:46:00.001-05:00

I love penguins. I have collected them for many, many years. In my collection, I have literally all kinds of penguins. Made out of many different kinds of mediums. From wood, to metal. Ceramic to brass. Glass. Plush. A penguin made out of LEATHER. And a lot more. (Including a penguin tattoo!)

This year, as part of the Make My Christmas, a friend of mine drew my name. She remembered this tidbit about me, and here is what I got from her:

She did a pencil drawing of a penguin for me and framed it!

Isn't it amazing?

A few years back, she visited Africa, and in her travels there, they came across a colony of penguins. She took a bunch of pictures, so she made a collage of those pictures and put it on the back of the frame!

But she didn't stop there!

She recently had a milestone birthday, and a bunch of us went down to the OuterBanks for a birthday weekend celebration. Unbeknownst to me, she was finding driftwood pieces on the beach, and collecting bottle caps at her party.

And out of that, she made me THIS:

The bottom of the body is a piece of the license plate from when she owned a motorcycle.

Isn't it GORGEOUS!?!? So innovative, and so much fun! It is hands down the most creative penguin I own. And the best handmade penguin I have in my collection!

I can only imagine the time and thought that went into this. And then I realize that's what I do when I quilt. I try to capture the recipient in the fabric. I think of them the entire time I work on it. I hope it shows, and I hope they can tell it was made with love. Just like this guy above was!

What's your favorite handmade gift that you've received?

AMW

Busted...

2012-02-01T21:52:00.001-05:00

Well, I got busted big time. Here is a text I received last week:

"So no random thoughts since Jan 4. Whats up with that?"

LOL! Don't you hate when your friends are RIGHT!?!?

So since KDF was the one who busted me, I thought I'd feature her in this post. See, she was the name I drew for Make My Christmas!

You may remember how worried I was after THIS post. I went to talk to her the morning of the party, and she was amazing, and it all worked out.

And I got it finished and delivered to her... Wanna see it? Here ya go:

I'm not sure if you can tell, but she's a big football fan. Specifically, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. (I know... hard to tell....)

And I think she was pretty happy with it. In fact, the day after I gave it to her, I got this picture sent to my phone:

But don't tell her I'm using this picture, k? She doesn't like it... But since it will be MONTHS before she checks this blog again, I think I can get away with it.

And then she posted this one on Face.Book, so I guess it's is safe to use, too...

I adore this chick, and was THRILLED that I drew her name! Keeping the secret was BRUTAL!!! But the payoff of giving her this quilt made it worth it.

Love ya girl!
AMW

Brrrrrrrrr......

2012-01-04T12:03:00.001-05:00

I've been reading all the "year-end" posts, and the "New Year" posts.

This isn't one of those posts....

I started the new work year off with a new attitude, really hoping this year was going to be different, but no such luck. It started out on the rough side.

First thing, it's cold! It was 28 yesterday morning when I came in, so that made the lobby 61 degrees.

With a shot of 28 every time one of the four side doors open. It made for a VERY cold day. I sat with my full length wool coat and gloves on.

Then, my "deskmate" (the security guard and I share a workspace made into two desks) proceeded to once again go on a cussing/swearing rant at a game he was playing on his phone. This is not the first time. It's a regular occurrence for him, and I've been listening to it for the last year. I guess I finally had enough, cause I kind of exploded on him. (We'll blame it on the cold and being less tolerant in the new year....)

Now, I'll say, that I am not his boss, not his co-worker, not his superior in any way, nor do I answer to him in any way. We share space. He sings regularly (not well), talks to himself, makes comments about people under his breath as they go by, talks over me, and so much more. (Can you tell I'm not a big fan of his???) But I'd had enough. And it had been building up for quite some time. And I could tell from the shocked look on his face, that he wasn't expecting that from me. Brought the new year in with a bang, I guess...

Today, I got in, and the lobby is now 59.9 degrees. With a blast of 29 with each door opening.

Brrrrr.....

I'm cold!

Here's to a better 2012.

AMW

Holiday Observation at work

2011-12-21T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'm in the service industry.

Throughout the work year, I provide services to my clients, and don't accept any gratuities. Yes, there are service fees for some things, and others are done for free.

At the holidays, my clients will sometimes give me a cash "thank you" for the year. Others give actual gifts.

And as to be expected, that has dwindled over the last couple of years due to the recession. Times are tough!

Here is what I realized today......

Some of my less prosperous clients have given me MORE this year. In some cases, more than they've given me in the past.

And some clients (especially one who I know for a fact has done EXCEPTIONALLY well), gave me markedly less. And these are the clients that people would consider more successful (Lawyers, Executives, etc...)

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not being a grinch. I appreciate ANY time a client remembers me at the holidays. It just struck me as odd, that the ones who typically have less to share gave more.

Oh, and here's a non-work observation.... Our petsitter (who we'll be using after Christmas, and plan to give her a little extra "thank you" gift) sent our dog a Christmas card. Not only that, she included a gift card to the local pet store! AND - thanked us for letting her watch our dog! Completely BACKWARDS! It's those little things that really mark the holiday season.

Have you had any special things happen that have that certain holiday charm?

AMW

Occupy Norfolk visits my work

2011-12-15T21:36:00.000-05:00

Wednesday afternoon, the Occupy Norfolk protest group was scheduled to come and protest at my building. About 50 of them showed up.

One of our state Senators holds an office in our building, but has only been here for visits a few times in the last couple of years. This is not his home, or his normal office.

But they wanted to to be heard by him, and wanted him to come down and talk one on one with them.

Wasn't going to happen. In fact, the police had a serious presence there, as it had been widely publicized and was planned to get "rowdy".

"Wednesday's march will be in great need of supplies, as always- Urgent items include markers, signage, t-shirts, American flags, musical instruments of every sort, especially horns, drums, and guitars. We also need donations of 2 sets of Army style fatigues and 4 sets of prison style jumpsuits. Please. Most importantly, bodies will be needed. Everyone who can make it should be there for the noon r......ally and the 2pm march. If you can't make it please send items.]"

We (the building staff) were also informed that they planned to "push" things and have arrests.

It was certainly interesting to watch as things unfolded, and at some points, it was seriously entertaining.

This officer pictured above was apparently well-known by the O.N. group. His name (and YES, it's his REAL name) is Sergeant Lovely. At one point, all the women protesters of O.N. started chanting -

"Hey Sergeant Lovely - You're Sexy, Your Cute, Why's your vest, Bullet proof?"

Several times.

And then the all yelled -

"Hey Sergeant Lovely - How about you OCCUPY MY HEART!"

I wasn't expecting either of these, and I bust out laughing. So did all of the staff members that were there keeping an eye on things. The other police officers were unfazed. Must have heard it before.

But one of the officers had been video taping the protest, probably for their own protection.

He walked up to Sgt. Lovely and said, "Got it. You haven't seen the last of these...." As he walked away with a smirk. My guess is that if the recording doesn't show up at the next staff meeting, it will show up at his bachelor party, or retirement party, or someone equally embarrassing.

It wasn't long after that, that things went south. Five people purposefully walked up to the sculpture, banded arms together, and sat down. They knew they were trespassing, but did so willfully. The officers patiently warned them that if they didn't go back to the sidewalk, that they would be arrested for trespassing. I saw one of them get up, and go back. The other four were peacefully arrested after about 5 minutes of warnings.

All of the other protesters just yelled that this was an injustice, and how could we let this happen, etc, etc.. But let their friends get taken away anyway. I'm not sure I understand all that.

This last picture I included, simply because the officer in the picture was a member of the State Police. There were a couple of them supporting the city police, and we heard that there were plenty nearby waiting to show up if there was a need. But mainly I included the picture cause he was super nice, and kinda cute too.

I wish I had thought to bring my real camera to work. All of these were taken with my phone.

Certainly made for an interesting afternoon at work....

AMW

Holiday Cheer

2011-12-14T11:33:00.001-05:00

I think I mentioned already that last week was a tough week. And it has continued a little into this week as well... (If you see a post titled "Rental Property", then you will want to either skip it, or settle in, because it will be a RANT for sure...)

So, in the midst of this week, we were shopping in Target. We went by the frozen food section, just to pick ups something quick. And Ice Cream. Cause we always have to have Ice Cream in the house.

There was a young teenage boy (my guess is 13 to 14 years old) shopping with his mother. Instead of the typical attitude you would expect from a boy of this age who is shopping with his mother, the young man had a different approach to dealing with the monotony of shopping.

He was singing the 12 Days of Christmas!

When he got to the 4th day, he was trying to remember the lyrics. His mother joined in and helped him out. (We were secretly smiling at this point)

When he got to the 5th day, we joined in! And sang through, and then again at the 6th day. By the "7th" day verse - we were all laughing at the spontaneity of random people caroling in the frozen food section.

The best part was that the young man didn't get embarrassed and stop singing when we joined in. He just kept going.

And gave us all a little bit of holiday cheer!

Have you ever experienced some randomness like this???

AMW

What a week...

2011-12-11T21:51:00.001-05:00

Well this week has been full of challenges. Lots of them. Big ones and little ones.

But one of the most frustrating ones has to do with Make My Christmas this year. If you aren't familiar with MMC, it's similar to a "Secret Santa" gift exchange, but you MAKE a gift for the person whose name you draw. And in return, you get a handmade gift from whoever draws your name.

This is my third year participating, and I've had a blast! Of course I made quilts, and the first year I stressed about getting it done. The second year, I enjoyed it more and had little stress.

But this year is different.......

I've got the top and back and binding ready.

I reserved the long-arm for tomorrow.

And then I got a call that the machine is down, they are waiting on a part that they HOPE will be in Wednesday, and hopefully the machine will be back up and running by Thursday or Friday.

And MMC is due Saturday.

Saturday.

I really have no idea what I'm going to do. I've got calls out to several other shops to see if they rent or know of other rentals. But no luck yet.

I really like this quilt, and don't want to try to do it at home, just to get it done. I won't be happy with it.

I can cross my fingers and hope for the best. But if not, then I don't know what to do.....

Not go to the party?
Drink a little?
Go, and give an unfinished quilt (in front of everyone!)?
Drink moderately?
Visit the recipient ahead of time and explain?
Drink heavily?

What would you do?

AMW

Valiant Effort

2011-11-27T17:33:00.001-05:00

Well, I gave it a shot, but didn't quite make it through the whole month of NaBloPoMo. We had no internet access this weekend, and unless I posted a picture of our fire each night at the campsite from my phone, I didn't have anything to post.

That's what we did almost all weekend. Hung out and relaxed. The only major exception was Friday night. We met my folks for dinner and then drove the boardwalk in Virginia Beach for the lights. Here are a few pics from the drive...

It was an enjoyable weekend of camping. Even with the lack of internet! Or maybe because of it... Either way, it was great.

AMW

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T18:19:00.001-05:00

And this is how I'm winding down the day...

By the way, I'm trying out the blogger app for my phone. So if you don't see a picture, then I screwed up!

Amazing Sunset

2011-11-23T17:58:00.001-05:00

Today started off dreary and rainy. It was forecasted to be this way all day, and for the most of the day, it was.

We ran errands, and did stuff to get ready for our camping trip over the next couple of days.

In the yuck...

The hardware store was out of the wing nuts we needed, so I begrudgingly went back out this afternoon.

I came out, and saw this:

I thought, "That's kinda cool! The sun came out, and it looks neat reflecting off of the trees as it's setting..."

Then I drove home, and I could tell that it was looking even better, so I drove past the house, just a couple blocks, to the water. And THIS is what I was rewarded with!

I should have stopped by the house to grab my regular camera, but I was afraid I'd miss it. So these pictures came from my camera phone.

But I didn't want to miss it! What a WONDERFUL ending to a dreary day! IT was absolutely stunning!

AMW

Our Christmas Tree

2011-11-22T18:02:00.001-05:00

I know there are a few days left until Thanksgiving. But we were working around the house today, and I decided to go ahead and put up our tree.

Luckily, it didn't take very long, as we still have a lot to do around here...

Yes, it's our very own "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree"! And even plays the trademark music...

Let the holidays begin!

Do you "deck the halls"? Go all out? Or are you a minimalist like we are this year?

AMW

Vacation ahead

2011-11-21T15:16:00.001-05:00

Starting at 5:00 pm I'll be on vacation for a week. After yesterday's post, you can tell that I need it.

What's planned? Some house work, Thanksgiving dinner, and CAMPING! Don't know how much internet access we'll have, and have never tried the blogger app for my phone. So it will truly be a miracle if I can keep up this every day pace through the weekend. But I'll give it a shot!

Also, visiting a new campground near the oceanfront that we've not been to before. Really excited about that.

AMW

Frustration is the word of the day...

2011-11-20T20:44:00.001-05:00

I got some frustrating news today and have been spending time processing it. So have had NO time to think of a post today.

Definitely have some sorting out to do, and figuring out some alternative options.

How do you handle life changes, and choices, and stress?

AMW

Odd Squirrel

2011-11-19T18:29:00.001-05:00

The other day, there was a squirrel under the AC unit of the neighbors house. He wasn't moving, and even as walked by, he just hung out. I came back in and grabbed the camera, and went back out and he was still there....

And stayed for a bit.

I was starting to think he might be ill, as he let me take a bunch of pictures.

And then finally, he took off. And then kinda hung out on the wall for a few minutes for some more pics.

I think he was bored and wanted someone to talk to, so I happily obliged.

AMW

FTF - Sewing Foot

2011-11-18T18:16:00.001-05:00

I'm very late for the Favorite Thing Friday party with Shay at Quilting in My Pyjamas. So late, that I think it's already Saturday at her house! Ooops!

This week, my favorite thing is my quarter inch sewing foot with guide.

I have no idea why it took me so long to get one of these, but I've been using it for about a year. It has really made me a better quilter as my seams are much more accurate.

I also don't spend hours pinning everything before I piece it. And it has increased my confidence levels by leaps and bounds.

I'd used markings on sewing feet before, but the guide on this makes all the difference.

So this little tiny foot is my FTF!

AMW

PS - I'm so late today, cause me and my foot were playing most of the day....

Weather related

2011-11-17T16:56:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's almost the end of the day, and I'm just getting around to posting. I've felt pretty miserable with a headache most of the day, and couldn't figure out why....

But I think I figured it out!

We've had a radical weather change from yesterday to today.

Yesterday was 80 degrees, sunny, a little windy, but VERY warm and pleasant.

Overnight, a cold front came through with rain, so today has steadily dropped in temperature and mid day was 45 degrees.

Overnight is going to drop well into the 30's....

Someone even said they saw sleet and snow flurries today. After yesterday, I'm sooooo not ready for this! I'm a warm-weather gal, for sure!

Looks like there will be a little bit of a warm-up in the next couple of days. Not up into the 80's, but warmer anyway.

AMW

Inspiration

2011-11-16T08:32:00.001-05:00

Today, I want to tell you about my friend Kirk.

I've known Kirk for a few years now, and have always admired him. I knew him personally, and then realized we were in the same profession and that he was just down the street from me at work. He has since left that career path, and had other adventures.

When he read yesterday's post, he shot me an email with some suggestions:

Places you want to visit. A memorable cache. Or if you have time, tell me about a grandparent you loved, or a pet. What scares you? What words do you notice are mispelled the most? What are you reading on other blogs? Do you think it will snow this year and do you care? Pizza: pepperoni or pineapple? Have you ever danced naked?

I promise I won't answer some of those questions! Trust me, if I have ever danced naked, that's an image you DON'T want!

But he did inspire me with his email, and by just being him.

Here are a few examples:

When Kirk was a Concierge at a MAJOR hotel here in town, he took it upon himself to do an annual food drive from the local restaurants. He had dealings with these restaurants from the Concierge industry by staying in touch with them, and recommending them to folks staying at his establishment. No one asked him to do this, he just decided to do something positive.

In 2009 alone - Kirk collected over 2800 pounds of food, and over $1000 in cash donations.

In the 4 year run of the "Green Bean Challenge" - he collected more than 5 TONS of food, and over $2800 in donations.

One person CAN make a difference.

He STILL inspires me. A few weeks ago, his partner was commuting to work on his bicycle, and was hit by an SUV. He suffered a serious leg injury, but thankfully is coming along a little better every day. And Kirk has been there every step of the way as his advocate, his caretaker, and so much more. And THAT inspires me as well. He's been amazingly strong in the face of this horrible accident. And I know Leo is thankful for all he's done (and continues to do) as well.

When I had my surgery, he came by and hung out and brought me lunch. And didn't judge the state of the house!

And then there was the time that he organized a bunch of crazy geocachers to perform the Macarena dance in a public place as a flash mob event!

Even when the sound equipment failed, he pushed on through and we all danced and sang and laughed like nobody's business. (I hear that he may be planning a "Hokey Pokey" flash mob, too!)

He has traveled to places I could only dream of going, and done things I could only dream of doing!

There are many more examples that I could share, but you get the idea....

Kirk, my friend, you DID inspire me with your email! Thank you for being you!

AMW

Half Way There

2011-11-15T09:28:00.001-05:00

So, I've made it half way in the NaBloPoMo.

Most of the time, I feel like I'm babbling. I struggle everyday to figure out what I'm going to post about.

I've actually had three separate posts about one quilt. Definitely stretching the limits here....

Usually, by the end of the day, I'm able to eek something out, even something trivial.

But I'm hanging in there.

And if I can get away with a few more posts like these, that really don't have any substance to them, then I'll be fine!

AMW

Fall Quilt Finish

2011-11-14T15:54:00.001-05:00

Back in August, I bought a jelly roll (or bali pop, I'm not sure what the difference is) that would be good for a fall quilt. When I was was recovering from surgery, I decided to figure out what to do with it.

After much googling, I found a pattern for a super simple jelly roll quilt, that I learned later is also called a "lasagna" quilt.

The top came together in no time, and last week I was able to rent the long arm and quilt it. Here are some final pictures of it...

This is a comfy one. And it crinkled up so lovely that I just adore snuggling under it...

AMW

2011-11-13T14:40:00.001-05:00

Have any of you guys found Pinterest yet? I'm soooo addicted!

It's like an online vision board of sorts, where you can pin stuff from around the web that you like, but you can also browse what other people have pinned and either "like" it or "re-pin" it.

I've already found several DIY projects that I wanna try, have gotten some inspiration for the house, found some really cool recipes, and much more!

If you get as addicted as I am, let me know! I'd love to start "following" bloggy friends.

AMW

Dining out

2011-11-12T18:47:00.001-05:00

Usually, every Saturday night my roomie and I go to our neighborhood restaurant. It's a great little dive that has been around forever, and now we know the owners, and all the wait staff.

It's just a comfortable place to go.

My roomie is out of town this weekend, so I decided to go alone.

Normally, I don't go to restaurants alone, unless it's fast food. But this place doesn't bother me at all.

Do you eat out alone? Does it make you uncomfortable?

AMW

FTF - Freedom

2011-11-11T16:14:00.001-05:00

Today is Friday, and that means it's Favorite Things Friday. FTF is inspired by Shay over at Quilting in My Pyjamas. Go check her out for everyone else who has linked up!

My FTF this week is simply Freedom. It's Veteran's Day, a day we celebrate and honor all of the veteran's who have fought in wars to keep us free. 11/11/11.

My heartfelt thanks to ALL Veterans!

AMW

Catching up over dinner

2011-11-10T15:22:00.001-05:00

Last night, I FINALLY caught up with a couple of friends that I don't get to see often enough.

You may remember the post that I did on November 1st, that was all about friends. You can find it here.

We all use to bowl together on Wednesday nights, so we saw each other regularly, and it was easier to keep up. But asked last night, and NONE of us miss bowling. We miss the company, but not the bowling!

It was great to get together and hang out and catch up on everything that's been going on for the last couple months. Yes, a couple of months. The saddest part about that statement, is we love just a few blocks from each other! A stone's throw!

Working on remedying that, as these two are keepers!

AMW

Trip down memory lane

2011-11-09T11:19:00.001-05:00

I had to run some errands this morning for work, and decided not to take the interstate, but take the side roads, instead.

This lead me to an area of town that I grew up in, but haven't visited in a few years... In fact, it lead me to right past the street I grew up on. So, I turned down the street to reminisce.

The house is pretty much the same, and so is the street. We moved in there back in 1976, and my parents sold it and moved to a more suitable house in 2008. So, 32 years in one house. I moved out in the mid '90s, but it was always a place I could go back to (and did several times).

What struck me was there was probably only one house that still had it's original owners from when we moved in back then on the whole block. Most of them moved out long before my parents did, but they held out for a while.

The whole general area had a different feel to it. Not bad, just different. Old landmarks had been torn down to make way for big box pharmacies. Houses that had stood for generations were gone. All in all, just regular old progress.

Still, it was strange to see.

What's the longest you've lived in one place? Have you been back to see your childhood home?

AMW

Binding Confession

2011-11-08T08:21:00.000-05:00

I know that most of you out there hand sew down your binding to the wrong side of a finished quilt. And it sounds like the majority of you who do that LOVE it. I've seen it said that it's "relaxing" or "a great stress reliever", etc, etc... And to be honest, this is how I learned to do it too.

My confession? I don't really enjoy it. To the point where I stopped doing it. No - not stopped putting the binding on..... But stopped hand sewing it down, and started machine sewing it down.

And yes, to be honest, it doesn't look as good. It was always "good enough for me".

But now that I've been quilting on the long-arm and seeing really cool results with my quilts, I'm appreciating the look of the hand-sewn binding. It's definitely a much cleaner and polished look to a finished quilt.

So, I'm trying to love it. This is the second finish in the last couple of months that I've done it on. And I do love the results. I'm working on loving the process. Which isn't quite there yet.

AMW

This is gonna be tough...

2011-11-07T14:27:00.001-05:00

No, not a sad post or anything like that.

After my first post this month, I realized it was National Blog Posting Month. I thought it would be fun to try to post something every single day.

And now I realize why I'm not one of those bloggers that DOES post every single day.

WRITERS BLOCK!

OMG - It's only the 7th, and I'm at a loss.

I looked around online for "Blog Prompts", and those are really not my cup of tea. "How do you feel about....?" "What are your thoughts on.....?" "Describe your favorite......"

BUT - I'm gonna try to stick it out, and see just how far I can get before it gets so bad that I'm writing what I had for lunch or breakfast or snack or whatever! Trust me - you don't want to read that......

But for today, I've filled in another day (with absolutely nothing. How about that???) and I've only got 23 more days to go.

Tomorrow, I PROMISE something more exciting than today.

AMW

Scatterbrained!

2011-11-06T15:51:00.001-05:00

I don't know what in the world happened to me this morning, but it was a pure scatterbrained morning.

Just as we were heading out the door, I realized I didn't have my wallet. I ran back in to get it, and couldn't find it. Now - that in and of itself isn't all that unusual. It could have been in one of several places. But then it wasn't in any of the usual places.

Panic ensued. You know that feeling, right? You're wallet holds all kinds of stuff, and most of it isn't easily replaced.

But I KNEW it was in the house....

And it was.

Right by the wine rack. Of course. Isn't that where EVERYONE keeps their wallet?

Sheesh!!

We drink wine about once a year, and were heading to a friend's house for dinner last night, so I grabbed a bottle to chill. And Yep, apparently sat my wallet right down there.

No idea why I didn't look there FIRST!

Hey - I didn't leave it in the freezer where I put the wine to chill.....

AMW

Long Arm Quilting

2011-11-05T08:17:00.000-04:00

I rented to long-arm quilter yesterday. It had been a while since I had been there, so I felt like I had to re-learn a few things again, but it went really well, and I had a great time. I even had a friend tag along for the company, and she took a couple of pictures.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE long-arm quilting and really need one of these in my life! Just wish they weren't so darn expensive.... One day.....

AMW

(Day 5 of NaBloPoMo. 25 to go!)

FTF - Fall Fling

2011-11-04T07:32:00.000-04:00

I've been out of the Favorite Thing Friday loop for a bit. FTF is inspired by Shay over at Quilting in My Pyjamas. Go check her out for everyone else who has linked up!

This week was a simple one for me! My FTF this week is an annual event in NC that I've been able to attend since it started 6 years ago. It's "Fall Fling" where a bunch of crazy geocachers gather for a weekend of fun, friendship, fellowship, food, finds, and much more!

This is a group shot from the end of the day of the main events. These people ROCK! Admittedly, I only know maybe half of them, but it doesn't matter.

These are the kind of people that accept you for who you are, flaws and all, and still think you're cool. You walk in to the group, and fit right in.

I look forward to this event all year. The down side is now I have almost another full year until this event happens again. No worries! I will make sure I see some of these people before then. They enrich my life!

And that's my FTF this week.

AMW

(Day 4 of NaBloPoMo! Only 26 more to go!)

Sunset on Singletary Lake, NC

2011-11-03T17:24:00.001-04:00

I got away this weekend and spent it with some great people. As part of the weekend festivities, there was a schedule sunset paddle on Singletary Lake.

I went as the photographer, since my kayak sank a few years back. Didn't hear that story? Check it out HERE. And if you want all of the follow up posts, they can be found HERE in reverse order.

I really think I had as much fun as those people paddling, and I stayed dry! I took about 100 pictures, but these are just a couple of the really good ones.

AMW

(Day 3 of NaBloPoMo! Only 27 more to go!)

NaBloPoMo

2011-11-02T08:19:00.001-04:00

Yeah - that title was greek to me, too, and I had to look it up.

Apparently, November is National Blog Posting Month. And the goal is to post SOMETHING everyday. HA!

But then I realized that I already started off right by randomly posting yesterday, even though I was unaware that it was NaBloPoMo.

Oh, and look! I've got today covered too!

I have no earthly idea if I can keep this pace up. I mean, really? Posting EVERYDAY? Have you SEEN my track record??? I doubt I've posted 30 times this YEAR!

But what the hey............

2 down, 28 to go! Wish me luck!

AMW

Success comes in many forms

2011-11-01T15:30:00.000-04:00

I posted something on Facebook this week, and got some weird looks. Well, not looks really, cause it's the internet and you can't really see, but I could certainly FEEL the strange looks as it was probably (ok, REALLY) out of character for me.

But it got me thinking that it would probably make a pretty good blog post (albeit a bit more insightful and serious than normal). Hey - you did read that this is RANDOM THOUGHTS, right???

----------------------------------------------------------

What makes us successful? So many times, we judge success by how much money we make, the car we drive, or the house we live in. Sometimes even by the neighborhood, or who we associate with, or where we dine.

Sometimes it's in our job title. But sometimes it's not. I own a small business. So my title is often "Owner" or "President". Four and a half years ago, I bought the company that I worked for. And for many people, they would call me successful for that. But I don't see it that way. Over the last four years, the logistics of my business have change, and I don't really enjoy it. Don't read that wrong.... I love what I do, but I'm not currently enjoying aspects of it. But that's for another post on another day.

If my success was based on solely on even some of the criteria above, I'd be considered a dismal failure.

Fortunately - success comes in many forms. Friendships, relationships, family, and many other ways. But recently for me, it's come in the form of friendships.

Most of my friends don't care that I make VERY little money. Or that I drive an 11 year old beater of a car. Why? Because they are my friends!

I haven't always been a good friend. I've gone through slumps where I've been very selfish, to the point of not even noticing my friends were struggling. And I haven't always known how to juggle multiple friendships at once. I was really bad at it. I've slowly, over about the last 5 years, learned to manage this, and come to really enjoy it. And even more recently, I feel like I've started noticing, and trying to offer to be more of the kind of friend that I would like to be.

And in turn, it has me appreciating my friends more. The more I contribute to my friendships, the more I appreciate them. Funny how that works out.

It's also made it easier to develop new friendships into lasting friendships.

And I consider that a success.

What does success look like for you?

AMW

This is backwards

2011-09-28T01:00:00.000-04:00

I've been recovering from routine (yet major) surgery, so I've been a bit sluggish. Still tired, and sore from time to time. Nothing out of the ordinary for recovery. I've actually stopped taking the prescribed pain medicine except on rare occasion. Like tonight.

I was a little extra sore today, so thought I'd take a pain pill tonight to help me sleep through the night.

And here I sit WIDE AWAKE at 1:00am.

I went to bed at 10:00pm. I just could NOT fall asleep.

I imagine I'll have no trouble drifting off to sleep tomorrow in the lazy boy recliner, but right now it alludes me.

Would be the perfect time to get some sewing in, but that would wake up my roomie who has to work in the morning, and that wouldn't be good.

So I'll just hang here in blogland with you guys, K?

;)

AMW

Fractions pattern

2011-09-18T06:42:00.000-04:00

This will be a picture-heavy post.

After my last post about a quilt that I wasn't crazy about, but that grew on my, I thought I'd share a finish that I've loved from the beginning and love even more now.

The pattern is called "Fractions".

It used mostly fat quarters with the exception of the sashing and borders.

I quilted it on the long-arm after I got done doing the black, white and red quilt as practice.

Just a large all-over meander.

One of the things I love about this one is how nice it "crinkled" after it was washed.

The "crinkling" has made me a fan of NOT washing fabrics before piecing.

The back.

Although originally made to go in the remodeled office, this has been my go-to quilt during surgery recovery. I LOVE it!

It will make it's way to the office eventually, but for now, I'm loving snuggling under it!

Do you always pre-wash your fabrics? I used to, but lately haven't. I find it easier to cut and easier to piece fabrics that haven't been washed, but I especially love washing it and seeing how it turns out.

AMW

It grew on me...

2011-09-14T10:30:00.001-04:00

I wanted to make a black, white, and red quilt. I found some fabrics that I liked, and just had to figure out what to do with them.

I figured a simple pattern would be best. So I just did a trip around the world on point.

Well, when I got the top done, I didn't like it. Has that ever happened to you? You plan something, and get it nearly done, and then don't care for it?

I figured I'd use it as a practice piece for the long arm, and backed it with something else that I didn't really care for. Since I didn't really like the front, I couldn't see putting a great back on it!

I used it as practice, and quilted it all over with a loopy pattern, and really had a good time playing with it.

And was glad when it was done!

But funny thing - when it was done AND BOUND, I didn't hate it so much. It grew on me...

I'll admit that it's not a quilt I could cuddle under and relax. But it's perfect for throwing in the camper, or the back of the car. Using it for a picnic quilt or just general purpose. In fact, we used it Labor Day weekend when we went camping and someone sitting outside was cold. Threw it around her shoulders, and it warmed her right up. So all is not lost.

Have you ever made anything that you REALLY didn't like, but it eventually grew on you?

AMW

What? Did I miss something?

2011-09-13T08:18:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I've been MIA again. Kinda, but not really... I've been reading all my favorite blogs, just not writing.

I'll blame it on being a little busy, but also on feeling like I didn't have anything to say.

Now I'm recovering from surgery, and am getting to the bored point. It's only been 5 days, and I'm bored. I still can't move a whole lot, and am still in a fair amount of pain, so sewing is out for now.

And frankly, you guys aren't posting any more than normal, so I don't have any EXTRA reading material. Can you all just step it up a bit? If all of my favorite blogs did one extra blog post a day, well, then I'd hardly be bored at all... Yeah, I know it's a lot to ask, but it's for my sanity after all. And what's one extra post a day??? (Asked by someone who hasn't posted 6 weeks????)

Fine. Keep up the normal pace. I'll try to catch up on a few posts that I've been meaning to write. And share some of the happenings from the last few weeks.

AMW

My Morning in Traffic Court

2011-08-03T13:08:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was driving along, minding my own business, not doing ANYTHING wrong, when one of Norfolk's Finest thought it would be a good idea to pull me over.

I wasn't speeding.

I had my seat belt on.

I wasn't texting (or facebooking).

Just minding my own little business.

He thought it would be a good idea to remind me that my state inspection was due by the end of June. And that it was July 6th.

So, maybe he had a point in reminding me that this was something I am supposed to take care of on my own without reminders. And I took care of it the next day...

I had heard (and remembered) that sometimes if you just show up in court, and show that it was taken care of, they'll dismiss it. It was worth a shot, since the fine and court costs would be $90! $90!

I show up this morning, and immediately see a sign that no cell phones are allowed in the court buildings. I guess this is something that I should know since the sign was dated 2006. But I didn't, and I had my phone, and didn't have a clue what to do with it.

Being a good geocacher (check out www.geocaching.com) I just decided to stash it in the bushes. Fearing that it could go missing, and my non-stop connection to all technical life would be on hold, I made sure it was hidden well!

Imagine my surprise when I walk through the door of said court house, and there are lockers! LOCKERS! Right there for anyone to store anything they needed to store. For a mere 50 cents. UGH! Go back and get said cell phone and securely lock it up, or risk it????

Yep - I risked it!

I take my seat on a hard wooden bench and wait for my name to be called. When my officer is up, I notice they are going in alphabetical order. Of course. By last name. Notice my initials: AMW. Surprisingly, it only took about 35 minutes.

AND MY CASE WAS DISMISSED! YEAH! I can think of so many better things to spend that $90 on!

Left quickly (so there was no time for him to change his mind) and went to my hiding spot to grab my phone and............

IT WAS STILL THERE!

So while I had to spend part of my morning in Traffic Court, it coulda been worse.

AMW

FTF - Full Circle

2011-07-29T07:30:00.001-04:00

Well, this week seems like a good week to jump back into the Favorite Thing Friday with Shay over at Quilting in my Pyjamas!

On Friday, January 28th, I posted about the Norfolk Botanical Gardens Eagles as my Favorite Things Friday. I posted an update on February 16th, announcing 3 eggs laid. I didn't get a chance to post that all three eggs had hatched and eaglets were doing ok, before the devastating news that the Mama Eagle had been hit and killed by a landing plane. I never followed up about what happened to them, although I followed them regularly.

The three eaglets were removed from the nest and taken to a world-renowned wildlife center. The Wildlife Center of Virginia. This wasn't without controversy, but the experts decided that Daddy Eagle wouldn't be able to provide for three growing eaglets and himself, and that several would perish or Dad would perish if he tried.

Fast forward to this week, and three months to the DAY that they were removed from the nest.

All three were released into the wild, as well as two other juvenile eaglets that from different situations that were rehabbed and ready to go. A 5 eaglet release into the wild.

I went and attended this in person, and this is my Favorite Thing Friday this week (even though it happened on Wednesday!)

These incredible birds have come full circle and are now free to live out their destiny as the symbol of our country. Here are some pictures of the big day:

This picture does not do justice how many people were there. Last I heard there were 1200 people from 22 state and 4 provinces in Canada.

DGIF (Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) were on hand just in case a rescue was needed.

Ed Clark was THE man of the hour. He is one of the main people in charge at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

Ed Clark gets ready to release the first of 5. Can you just SEE the size of these creatures???

Release in ONE......

Two......

Three! And off she goes!

Dr. Miranda (a key vet in the eaglets care) gets set to release another one.

Off to freedom in ONE.....

TWO.....

Airborne!!!

Steve Living (with DGIF) gets set for another release. Note the sign in the background. It refers to the mama eagle who some have dubbed "Lady Legacy".

Getting ready for lift-off!

And the toss!

And she's airborne!

It was truly emotional to watch, and I cried as each eagle flew to it's freedom. Happy and Proud tears. I wasn't the only one! Lots of folks were crying... LOL! I think it was really Eagle dander in my eye....

And lastly, for your viewing pleasure, I managed to capture one of the releases on video:

Thanks for hanging in there through all the pics and the video! I hope you enjoyed it ever-so-slightly!

AMW

I have a problem

2011-07-09T15:54:00.000-04:00

What's my problem???? Too much fabric, too little time...

Pieces of fabric are stashed everywhere in the craft room... And a great variety. Part of the problem is that I don't buy the minimum amount I think I need... I buy the MAXIMUM I think I need. Need a yard? Why not get 3???

Polka dot fabric

More polka dot fabric

And while it's all **somewhat** organized, it's still a big mess!

Fat quarters

One specific project waiting to be started

Various charm pack and jelly rolls

Why yes, that IS a bookshelf in a BATHROOM full of FABRIC. That's not a PROBLEM, is it???

So, you see my problem? Where to start? So many ideas in my head, yet no where near enough time to do what I want....

Ok - going to figure out what to do next!

AMW

T-Shirt Quilt Makeover

2011-06-13T21:13:00.000-04:00

Last year, I was asked to "makeover" a t-shirt quilt. Now, I have to admit that I forgot to take before pictures, and that really bums me out. Not because it was that bad, but because it was that bad! (Sorry, Kelly!)

Kelly was in band and graduated in the early 90's. And after she graduated, she took her band t-shirts, and kind-of cut them square, and haphazardly sewed them together with some other random fabric. It was in rough shape...

So, I took it, and pondered what to do with it, since the shirts were neither square, nor all the same size.

Her school colors are black and orange. I looked and looked for some kind of complimentary fabric, and finally found a black background fabric at JoAnn's with musical notes in multiple colors on it. It was perfect!

But I still had the issue of random sized shirts...

I stabilized them (a definite must for t-shirt quilts!) and then took some of the black music fabric and sewed 1-2 inch strips on all sides of the offending shirts, and then trimmed them all to the same size. Odd solution, but it ended up blending well...

OK, OK, OK..... Here are the pics of the finished quilt, since I didn't take before shots:

Front

Back

Happy Recipient

With both of us

And this one she posted to Facebook laying over her sofa.

She said that she has napped under it many times. And that makes me happy... And I learned that I actually REALLY enjoyed making this T-Shirt quilt. I'd be happy to make MORE of these... I've got to add one of these to my growing project list!

Have you made a T-shirt quilt? Would you have one made for you? It sure is a fun way to save memories and have something to snuggle under....

AMW

"Auntie Paula"

2011-06-08T20:57:00.000-04:00

I don't really talk much about my family here... We're the typical dysfunctional type and small in numbers...

The family

But this past week, we lost one of our own. Suddenly and unexpectedly.

My "Auntie Paula" (as she signed all of my cards and emails) is my mom's only sister. She has two daughter's both in their 20's. Paula and the girls are very close. While Paula lived in NC, the girls both got jobs in Tampa, FL. Paula JUST bought a house down there and was making plans for her move there, as soon as she sold her place in NC. But tragically, she was taken away before that day came.

Paula with her oldest daughter on her wedding day.

When you lose someone, you "remember" all kinds of things. I remember when I was 14.... Paula lived in Jacksonville, FL. She picked me up in VA, and took me to FL to hang out for a few weeks. We went to St. Augustine, FL which is still one of my most favorite places because of that trip. She also took me to Disney World for the first time, and as fate would have it, she couldn't ride a single ride with me as she had just found out she was pregnant with her first child!

She also made the best fudge ever. She swears it's the recipe off of the cocoa can, but I KNOW she must have doctored it somehow. It was something I looked forward to every single Christmas. No matter where I was, she always made sure I had a container of fudge.

So beautiful, so classy, so loved!

She had a great sense of humor, and always sang a very off key rendition of happy birthday to me no matter where either of us were in our lives.

I do have many, many, many happy memories of her, and I'm very grateful for all them.

But honestly I'm so mad she was taken way too soon. It's just not fair...

I'll miss her beyond words.

Rest in Peace, sweet Paula.

AMW

Hand project needed

2011-05-24T09:12:00.000-04:00

Since we just bought a new camper, I find myself really wanting to get a hand project going so that I can have something to work on while we are camping. I know if I find the right project, it will be very relaxing... And I also know if I find the wrong project, I'll stress myself out!

I've never been really good at or drawn to applique, but it's something that tends to lend itself toward hand work. And as you can tell by some of the things that I've posted that I don't really go for traditional patterns. So I'm looking for something a tad different.

Does ANYONE have ANY suggestions???

Thanks!
AMW

I'm losing it!

2011-05-23T23:23:00.000-04:00

Literally!

About a month ago, I went to an event a couple of hours away in a cute little town called Victoria, VA. They have a great Rails to Trails trail, and we spent the better part of the day on this trail geocaching. Sometime during that day, I lost half of my pen. Big deal, right? But it was!

In 2004 my "dog" gave me a Space Pen for Christmas. This pen writes on any surface, at any angle, in any temperature, every time. The cap has a carabiner attached to it, and I've used it for years without losing it. Until that fateful day in April when the pen part went missing. I was so sad!

Last weekend, I went to an event at Twin Lakes State Park about 20 miles from Victoria, VA. Sometime during the day on Saturday, I lost my glasses. My regular glasses. I have prescription sunglasses, which I wore most of the day, but somehow, someway, somewhere, my regular glasses made a break for it! And I didn't realize it until Sunday, so there really was no "retracing my steps" except those that were close to home.

But here's where it gets strange........

As I was getting in the car at Twin Lakes State Park to head back home on Saturday, a man I had met at the first event in April came up to me, and HANDED ME THE PEN PART OF MY SPACE PEN!

Yes, he did!

Now, I know this will be hard to believe, but I was speechless. I didn't know what to say.

I can't hold out much hope that my glasses will appear so easily, nor could I possibly go over a month without them, so I started wearing an old pair. And placed an order online tonight for a couple of new pairs.

It's hell getting old! LOL! I wonder what I'll lose next? I'll have to start putting tracking devices on anything important.

AMW

Osprey Day

2011-05-17T22:58:00.000-04:00

The other day, we went for a drive to the Lion's Bridge. This is a bridge on the James River that is flanked on both ends by statuesque lions. It really is a beautiful site all it's own.

But just as we got to the area - I looked up and saw Osprey. Not just one or two, but at least EIGHT of them. And probably more, but that's the most I counted at one time, and that was with them flying in and out of the area directly above me.

I made D pull the car in the parking area and grabbed my camera. It was a little overcast, but I was determined to get a few shots of these super cool birds of prey. And in the process, also got some great shots of a couple of Great Blue Herons.

Now, I don't claim to be any kind of photographer, but I had fun... Here ya go:

Five Osprey in one picture!

Great Blue Heron

I didn't get this Osprey's head, and it wasn't the angle I really wanted, but it's way cool that I got him with the fish in his talons!

Great Blue Heron

Another Great Blue Heron

Hard to see, but there are actually two GBH's in this shot. One at the top of the tree, and the other at the water at the end of the path.

Finally, a half way decent shot of the Osprey!

And some idiots who completely disregarded the sign after I pointed it out. And scared off the GBH's that were hanging out there. A$$HOLE!

GBH in flight.

This is a view of the James River Bridge from the Lion's Bridge.

The Osprey's nest.

Wouldn't you want to live here?

Osprey in flight. Actually, I think he was hovering - focussing on the fish below!

A relaxing hour just hanging out watching them fish.

And one last picture that caught my eye as I was heading back to the car:

He's airbrushed on. An airbrushed rat.... Go figure!

I'm sparing you the "outtakes" or "bloopers", and there were a ton of them.

Hope you enjoyed a piece of my weekend morning...

AMW

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2011-05-13T23:01:00.000-04:00

I noticed on another blog a link to a Quilt Festival. I decided to check it out, and join in. Check it out for yourself here:

I decided to highlight this Tie-Dyed quilt, because it was one of my favorites and also one of my most challenging to date. The full background story and who it went to can be found here, but in short - it was made for a Christmas exchange called "Make My Christmas". We draw names and make something for the recipient.

The front.

Close up of a few blocks...

The back.

Close up of the back (with a little of the quilting).

Folded on the pool table.

The recipient LOVED this quilt! It personifies her personality completely. And I loved that she was so happy with it.

Stop on over to the Quilt Festival and check out all of the other entries!

AMW

FTF - New toys

2011-05-06T06:57:00.000-04:00

It's Friday, so that means Favorite Things Friday again inspired by Shay over at Quilting in my Pajamas. Check it out, and join in!

We've had a pop-up camper for a few years now, and it served us well to upgrade from a tent. We bought it used on Craigslist and really got our money's worth and have really enjoyed it. Although we have enjoyed it, it was certainly a lot of work and we still had to deal with canvas when it rained. Not that it leaked; it never did. But as you know, you can't put canvas away wet or it will mildew. So you would have to pop it back up when you got home from camping, let it dry, and then pop it back down again. And of course - it rained every time we went camping. Of course.

We accidentally sold it a couple of weeks ago when D was at work and a coworker/friend said they were looking for one. They came and looked at ours, and wanted it.

It needed an inspection, so we took it to our favorite RV dealer. And while there, we talked to our favorite salesman. The same one that has put up with us over the last few years as we go to EVERY RV/Camper show in the region. And we looked at campers. Specifically - the same one we continue to be drawn to at these shows. BUT! We said maybe we'd wait a year before we replaced the one we just sold.

UNTIL we found out that it was still on sale from the last show we went to AND Scott would be willing to throw in some *extras*. Now we really had something to think about...

Which of course didn't take long.

So today, for Favorite Things Friday, we are picking up our new camper! Our new TOY!

It even has it's own POTTY! YEAH!

We're still not 100% sure how we're gonna tow it, as neither one of us has ever towed anything of this size... But it should be fun learning it all. As you can see - it's completely hard-sided, so we just pull in, and we're done.

When we actually get it home today, we're going to camp in it this weekend in the back yard. Then Memorial Day weekend, we'll take it out for it's *real* first camping trip!

I plan on making sure I can connect to the house internet this afternoon and visit all of the other FTF posts, from the comfort of the new camper!

AMW

Another Random Update

2011-05-03T09:37:00.001-04:00

What'd you expect with a title called "Random Thoughts of AMW"???

I feel like my work meeting went pretty well last week. That meeting was for the other party to gather information to take to another meeting, this week. So I haven't heard anything from them yet, and that's ok. Most likely, it will lead to more meetings, and then more meetings. Not really a fan of meetings, but they are a necessary evil sometimes. Work itself is pretty stressful as I share a space with someone I don't really care for and don't really respect.

I've been keeping an eye on the eaglets from Norfolk Botanical Gardens that I've shared about numerous times on this blog. The quick update is that the 3 eaglets were removed from the nest, and placed at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. It was determined that while the dad would continue to try to provide for them, it would soon become too much for him (3 rapidly growing eaglets eat a LOT of fish) and still provide enough to nourish himself. This solution saves the lives of all three eaglets and dad. They are being "rehabbed" so to speak to prepare them for release into the wild hopefully in August. They have set up webcams at their facility and still broadcast at the former webcam site: www.wvec.com/eaglecam

I "rehabbed" an old T-shirt quilt that a friend had done back in high school, and wasn't crazy about. She gave me the old quilt and asked me to do *something* with it. Her birthday was last week, and I was going to give her as a present, but didn't see her. I'll post pictures of it when I get it to her (since she hasn't seen it yet!).

In other quilt news - I've got a couple more in line to finish the tops, and then I'll make a run to rent the long-arm again. Don't want to wait too long so I don't forget al the stuff I learned! Could certainly happen in this over-crowded mind of mine....

And there's one other piece of big exciting news, but I think I'm gonna hold that one close until Favorite Things Friday! So stay tuned!

AMW

Devastating News...

2011-04-26T16:25:00.001-04:00

Last month, I posted for Favorite Things Friday a link to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens Eagle Cam.

Three eggs hatched, and the eaglets have been thriving nicely.

Today - the unthinkable. The mama eagle was hit and killed by a jet.

NORFOLK -- A plane landing at Norfolk International Airport struck and killed an eagle Tuesday morning, and it has been confirmed that it was one of the very popular eagles from the Norfolk Botanical Garden.
Tuesday afternoon, Stephen A. Living, a wildlife biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries confirmed it is indeed one of the nesting pair from the Norfolk Botanical Garden.
These eagles were well known through the Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagle Cam provided by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), Norfolk Botanical Garden and WVEC, and have been at NBG since 2001.
Eagle Cam watcher Linda Eszenyi drove from Northern Virginia in hopes of getting a personal glimpse of the pair and their eaglets.

“They told me and I just had to go have a cry. I was so hurt and disappointed, not for just me but for everybody that watches,” Eszenyi said.

Reese Lukei, a research associate with the Center for Conservation Biology (CCB), has monitored and blogged about these eagles for ten years.

“It’s about like losing one of your kids,” Lukei described.

Moments before the confirmation, Living said "We are fairly certain it's the female from Norfolk Botanical Garden based on the location, the physical characteristics of the eagle and the fact that the female hasn't been seen on the nest since early this morning."

DGIF management is meeting at the NBG. They're trying to determine the status of the eagle nest. They are concerned whether the male eagle can raise the three eaglets solo.
“We are going to be watching this nest very closely over the coming days to see if he is able to provide regular feeding for the chicks,” Lukei stated.
Biologists with the VDGIF, CCB, and the staff at NBG will continue to monitor the nest and are working to ensure the health of the eaglets.
The strike happened sometime between 8:30 and 8:50 a.m. A US Airways regional jet coming from Philadelphia was preparing to land at 8:50 when the pilot reported the bird strike.
Shank says the eagle was reportedly feeding at Lake Whitehurst with another eagle when the strike was reported
The plane landed safely and no one was hurt, Shank stressed. He added that there was minor damage to the aircraft.
Shank told WVEC.com that this is the second eagle strike in several weeks and fourth in 10 years; the others occurring in 2005 and 2001.
Shank said the airport is working with the US Fish and Wildlife office to see if anything can be done to protect airline passengers and wildlife.

I'm saddened and heartbroken. I've watched this pair for a few years now, and since they've been keeping track, this pair has raised almost 20 young. And now I have no idea what will happen. To these eaglets, to the male, to the nest. So sad.....

AMW

Work - A four letter word

2011-04-25T15:47:00.001-04:00

I've been contemplating a post venting about work. But then the universe intervened and had other plans....

You know how it is. You hit a point where you wonder why you do what you do. You know you love your job, but then forces come along and chip away at that love. Maybe it's a boss, maybe it's a client, maybe something else.

And then, just like that, it turns around again. (At least *hopefully* in my case)

I've got a meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning, Tuesday - 4/26, at 9:30 am Eastern time. If anyone has some extra good vibes to send my way I could sure use them!

AMW

Long Arm Practice

2011-04-17T20:18:00.001-04:00

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I found a local quilt store that rents their long-arm after you take a class. I took the class two weeks ago, and went back this past Friday to practice.

I've got to say that it was a TON of fun. I can tell I need a lot of practice, but boy did I LOVE it!

So without further ado... here are some pics! (Keep in mind, this was my first time!)

The whole thing. I ran out of bobbin in the bottom left. I was just about done, so I just left it...

The hearts were done with "groovy boards". They turned out not bad. The rows of flowers directly below them were "groovy boards" too. Didn't turn out as well.

I do ok with loops and stars. And apparently cursive capital "G". Didn't even realize I did that...

The very beginning. A little nerve-wracking, but we all have to start somewhere, right?

I kinda liked this star, although not perfect.

And not too bad of a swirly.

These atrocious stars were an attempt at a "groovy board" well beyond my abilities at the moment.

I can't wait to go back again and play some more. Next time, I'll actually quilt a quilt. It will be scary, but I've got to just jump in and do one. I finished a top for my roommate in December, and I think that one will be the guinea pig. If it turns out horrible, I'll just make her another one! LOL! She won't mind...

If you were going to do long arm quilting, what would be your default quilt pattern??? I think mine will be meandering loops! LOL!

AMW

Quilts for Japan

2011-04-15T21:50:00.001-04:00

In my last post, I mentioned that my friend JAB and I had made a "sew date" to make some simple quilts for Japan. We each started with one each, and quickly decided we could do two each. It took us a little over a week.

My two are on the outside, and JAB's are the two on the inside.

JAB's. She has an affinity for purple.

Mostly scraps or leftovers. My two.

It was extremely rewarding, and the time with a good friend was fun. So much fun, we're going to try to get together about once a month and make a couple of quilts for charity.

But I've just gotta share.... I picked the WINDIEST day ever to try to get pics... Here are some out-takes:

OK, so this one isn't tooo bad. I could always claim I planned that so you could see the back. Right?

So yes - they are very simple quilts. But hopefully they will bring some comfort to a few people.

AMW

Sheesh...

2011-04-13T10:26:00.000-04:00

Has it really been more than a month since I posted here??? Crap! Why didn't someone poke me? Oh yeah, that's facebook...

It's been stressful and relaxing this last month. I've been busy and bored.

But no real excuse for not posting... I've been reading and keeping up with everyone, but just forgot to post anything.

Maybe it's age?

Anyway -

Took one small weekend trip to one of my favorite places, the Outer Banks! Went with four other fabulous women, and we went to Endless Possibilities in Manteo, NC for a day of creativeness. We each weaved a rug:

Our finished rugs!

And I bought a bucket hat made out of men's neckties:

I've since been given a grocery bag full of ties, and will try to make another hat.

The Japan earthquake/tsunami disaster happened while we were on that trip, and I've been following things since then. The devastation is utterly amazing. I started seeing calls for quilts at a lot of blogs I was following, so I teamed up with my friend JAB to see about each of making a simple quilt to donate.

We set up a sew date, and were doing so well, we ended up making 4 of them in a weeks time. (no pictures yet, but will post when I do have them...)

That left us wanting to do more, so we've decided to get together once a month and make a quilt each for the local children's hospital. Will post more on that later as well...

(See how I'm setting myself up for more posts later??? Clever, huh? Or lame... whichever....)

JAB was also the one to tell me a bout a local quilt shop that offers a class on how to use their long-arm and then rents it to you by the hour. Class is done, and let's just say that I'm in LOVE! Renting it this Friday for some practice time..... But more on that later (yet ANOTHER segway to a new post!)

As for the stressful stuff, I think I'll leave that for a separate post. Mostly so I have a subject to post about , but also cause it's a bit of a vent, and that will make it easier to skip over. (Although, really, do we skip over people's vents? Or secretly welcome them as a way to see what's REALLY going in the real life of some of our blogger friends?, Yeah, that's I what I thought...)

Enough rambling for today.

Thanks to all of you who post regularly so that I have something to read when I'm not posting!

Favorite Things Friday

2011-03-11T09:00:00.003-05:00

Time again for Favorite Things Friday Ms. P. over at Quilting in my Pyjamas.

This week - my favorite thing is something so simple. Something that only comes around once a year, but signifies the beginning of spring for me. I'm elated when they start showing up, and sad when they are gone.

It's - Daffodils!

What's not to love about these? They are bright and sunny, and a sure sign that spring is here (or almost, at least!)

I love driving down the road, and seeing these grow wild. It really makes me want to stop and grab a handful to fill a vase. (Yes, yes, I know it's wrong, and I won't really do it, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to!)

So that's my FTF this week. What's your favorite flower or sign of spring???

AMW

Squeaky Door re-visted

2011-03-10T15:36:00.001-05:00

I wish I had a great follow-up story to yesterday's post about the squeaky door. I don't.

It appears that after hours, the squeaky door fairy came in and fixed it. That's the only thing I can deduce. Nobody knows anything, has heard anything, has touched anything. It just magically fixed itself.

That - or the guys don't want to admit that it was really a simple fix after all that fuss yesterday...

So it will remain a mystery, however the squeak is GONE!

AMW

Easily Amused...

2011-03-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

I fully realize that this will only be comical to me. But today at work, I let the engineers know that the door was "squeaky".

I thought it was funny, that two of them went to work on it, but thought, "OK, they're both new, so maybe they are leaning on each other..."

Then the third one showed up...

Then the chief engineer showed up...

And finally, a contractor perched himself on top of the ladder to watch the festivities. All over a squeaky door...

As of this typing - it's been almost 1 full hour to fix the squeak, and it's still squeaking. And I'm heading out the door...

I'll update tomorrow, to see if the squeak is gone. But really? With 5 of them, one can only hope....

AMW

Favorite Things Friday

2011-03-04T08:23:00.001-05:00

Time again for Favorite Things Friday Ms. P. over at Quilting in my Pyjamas.

This week, I was going to say that my favorite thing is traveling. And while that is true, it's a bit broad. So, I'll narrow it down....

One of my favorite things while traveling is Roadside Attractions. Some we've come across by accident, and some were actually the destination. Some were just plain odd, and some were just something we thought were kinda cool...

Here are a few we've come across:

Goats with their own walkway to a feeder. No fear, and cars passing right underneath!

Foamhenge. A full scale replica of stonehenge, made out of foam.

In front of an auto body repair shop.

Also in front of an auto body repair shop.

In front of the GraveDigger Monster Truck shop.

Full mosaic art in San Diego.

Paul Bunyon and his ox, Blue. Somewhere on the coast of Oregon.

Sea Lion Caves on the coast of Oregon. This place was promoted with major tacky billboards for miles ahead of time. Couldn't resist... And the caves were actually AWESOME!

Quilt painted on the road in Bell Buckle, TN.

Concrete troll under a bridge in Seattle, Wa. There is a full size VW Bug under his left hand.

Lucy! Lucy is an Elephant-shaped building near Atlantic City, NJ. She has formerly been a restaurant, tavern, house, and is now a tourist attraction.

There are plenty more that we've seen, and been so in awe, we've forgotten to take pictures. But it's definitely fun to find these oddities out there...

I just can't resist these types of attractions while traveling. Sometimes, it adds a lot of time onto a quick trip, but I consider it "Stopping to smell the roses"!

AMW

Quilt Show - Art or other?

2011-02-28T20:39:00.001-05:00

This weekend was the Mid-Atlantic Quilt show at the Hampton Roads Conventions Center. I'm very fortunate to live VERY close to this location and LOVE to visit this show nearly every day.

I stopped by there on Thursday for a brief visit of vendors, before leaving for an appointment.

Thursday on the evening news, there was a story about a controversial quilt. Complete with someone being threatened to be removed by police. At a quilt show.

What had some people up in arms? A quilt, of course. But it was an art quilt. Some of the offended women claimed it was por.nographic and should not have been included.

It was part of a special exhibit named "No Place to Call Home". The description in the program reads:

"Homelessness exists all around the world. There are a myriad of conditions that result in homelessness: poverty, unemployment, lack of education, drug addiction, abandonment, mental illness, war and civil unreast, along with man-made and natural disasters. This exhibit takes a look at homelessness in all its implications. Presented by the artists of SAQA and curated by Kathleen McCabe, SAQA Curator-in-Training."

I've been trying to decide whether or not to post the photo here or not, and let you decide. And in the end, decided not to. I will however post the "label" that was beside the quilt with the artists description of the piece and how it was made:

The basic description of the quilt was a woman living in a cardboard box. She was completely naked, sitting "indian style" (that's what we called it as a kid, not sure of how else to describe it). She was pregnant and semi-transparent, meaning you could see her breast as well as her heart and lungs, and you could see her child in her her uterus, and veins in one arm. And since she's sitting cross-legged, you can see her private area. And that's what had people upset. Even demanding it to be removed.

To the credit of the quilt show organizers, they did not remove it. I think it's up to each individual to decide how they feel about it, and move on if it offends you. Simple.

I was personally NOT offended. I saw it for what it was. I enjoyed the entire show, and saw some other amazing quilts as well.

How easily offended are you by art? Is there a point when it's too graphic?

AMW

Nothing update

2011-02-21T13:55:00.001-05:00

I don't really have anything new to blog about. But still wanted to post something anyway. What do you do when you want to blog, but have writer's block? For me - RANDOMNESS.

I've been looking for a pattern for the black, white, and red fabric I bought. Most of the fabrics are rather large print, so I needed a pattern that would highlight them. Thumbing through April/May 2011 issue of Quilt magazine, lo and behold, there was a Black, White & Red all over pattern. I like it, but will probably adapt it a bit to better suit my fabrics.

Coming up this weekend is the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show just a couple short miles from my house. People come from all over the county to go to this show, and I can get there is 3 simple turns. Yep, I'll be there all weekend. More on that later in the week...

It's "President's Day" here, so that means a day off for me. I love President's Day holiday because it's always near my birthday (which was Sunday), so it was an extra day celebration for me.

The weather continues to fluctuate. 78 on Friday, 65 on Saturday, 55 Sunday, and back to 72 today. Can you believe they are talking about flurries tonight! With a high of 40 tomorrow. UGH! Some consistency would be lovely. Consistently 70's, please!

Yep, that's all I can think of...

AMW

Favorite Things Friday - The Weather

2011-02-18T17:02:00.001-05:00

It's Friday, so that means Favorite Things Friday again inspired by Shay over at Quilting in my Pajamas.

Sorry this one is so late, but I was actually out enjoying my FTF!

Today, my FTF is a rare 78 degree day in the middle of February. Earlier this week, it was 45 for a high, and as you can see from the 7-day forecast, it's going to get chilly again shortly.

But to have this kind of sunshine and warmth today was a real treat!

I went outside. I opened the windows in the house. I walked at the Botanical Gardens for hours.

So that's it. Simple, but so refreshing and good for the soul!

AMW

Eagle Update

2011-02-16T09:55:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted about the Norfolk Botanical Garden's Eagle Cam as part of a Favorite Things Friday. We were anxiously awaiting the eggs, and now they are here! 3 eggs were laid, each three days apart. The first on February 3rd, the second on February 6th, and the third on February 9th. The eggs will hatch between 35-38 days later, which will be around the first part of March.

While there is not a "LOT" of activity right now, there is almost always guaranteed to be an eagle on the nest. The male and female are switching out right now, and at times you can see them get up and "roll" the eggs.

The camera quality is one of the best I've seen on any wildlife cam. Here is a screen shot from this morning:

Male eagle (or DADDY)

It's supposed to be 70+ degrees here on Friday, and I'm off work. I'm seriously considering wandering over to the Gardens to see if I can see the eagles out hunting!

Wish me luck!

AMW

Suggestions?

2011-01-31T14:04:00.001-05:00

I found this combo of fabrics this weekend, and just loved them. I really want to make a quilt out of them, but have no idea of a pattern to them justice.

Anyone have any suggestions for a fairly easy pattern???

AMW

Favorite Things Friday - Eagle Cam

2011-01-28T09:37:00.002-05:00

It's Friday, so that means Favorite Things Friday again inspired by Shay over at Quilting in my Pajamas. Check it out, and join in!

This week my FTF is the Norfolk Botanical Gardens' Live Eagle Cam. It's just been turned on, and the viewers are anxiously awaiting the laying of the eggs. The eagle pair have already been spotted mating on camera (eagle po.rn?) so the wait for eggs is on. This pair have been nesting together in NBG since 2003. This is their 3rd nest location, and they have been successful in raising multiple chicks most years.
Here is a breakdown by year:
2004 - 2 eaglets
2005 - 1 eaglet
2006 - 3 eaglets
2007 - 3 eaglets
2008 - A tumultuous year - 2 eggs laid, and intruder female forced resident female from nest. Eggs not viable. Nearly 1 month later, resident female returned, laid 2 more eggs. A couple of nights later, something spooked her, she jumped up and broke both eggs and laid an additional several days later. That egg hatched, and a couple of weeks later, viewers of the webcam noticed a growth on the eaglet's beak. Eaglet was removed and examined and diagnosed with avian pox. He was treated and is now thriving at the Wildlife Center of Virgina, unable to be released.
2009 - 3 eaglets
2010 - 3 eaglets
2011 - CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT!

Seriously - this is an addiction, with no cure. I can't wait to tune in each day to see if there area eggs, then to see if they've hatched, then to watch them learn to eat, learn to stand, learn to stretch their wings, and much more. And then, like anxious parents waiting for their children to take their first steps, we wait for them to fly. And when they do, we are overjoyed and completely devastated at the same time!

Male on the left, Female on the right.

It's amazing to me, that people from all over the WORLD tune in and watch this cam that is in my own back yard. It's about 4 miles from where I sit to type this.

Won't you tune in with me this year???

AMW

Pay it Forward

2011-01-26T19:55:00.001-05:00

So, there is a "Pay it Forward" theme going around the blog-o-sphere, and I decided to jump right in with both feet. I found out about it from Cynthia's post at Home Matters 1st.

Here is how it works:

1. I will make a little something for the first 3 people who comment on this post. Your gift will be a surprise and it will arrive when you least expect it.

2. I will have 365 days from today to mail your gift.

3. You must have a blog. Hopefully you will want to post about your progress.

4. Once you comment here, you must post about your "Pay It Forward" on your blog to keep the fun going. Please use the "Pay It Forward" badge.

What's the catch? To get a handmade present from me, you have to play too! This means YOU pledge to send a little handmade something for 3 readers of your blog. It doesn't have to be quilty - just handmade.

And that's it. Whatever I make you will be just as much a surprise to me as it is to you! But I WILL get it done!

Any takers?

AMW

FTF - Handmade

2011-01-21T08:03:00.001-05:00

Last week was so much fun participating in Favorite Things Friday with Ms. P. over at Quilting in my Pyjamas that I decided to jump in again.

This week I want to show you all what I received from the Make My Christmas exchange.

As I stated in my previous post, I was lucky enough to draw someone I knew, and really had fun making her a quilt.

But when my really good friend KimmyD announced that she had my name, I was elated!! Everyone wants to have her draw their name, and for only my second year participating, it was amazing that she drew me!

Kimmy takes old wooden windows, and paints the American flag on the reverse side. It's truly a sight to see! And I couldn't have been more excited.

And just in time for the Progressive Dinner party this weekend, we got it hung on the wall in it's permanent spot. It looks fantastic!

And just to show you a close up, here you go!

Imagine seeing the beauty every day, and sitting beneath it every night.

So this week, this window and handmade gift is one of my favorite things. And so is my friend KimmyD! Love you girl!

AMW

Uh-Oh

2011-01-19T21:52:00.001-05:00

I made the mistake of watching the premier episode of American Idol season 10 tonight. And being the reality show junkie that I am, that means that I'll likely watch the rest of this season. The show pretty much jumped the shark last year, but this year, I just can't help but watch to see how it all plays out, and if they claw their way back. And the new judges? Well, I'll have to wait and see how I feel about them as well....

What (if any) reality shows do you watch?
AMW

Favorite Things Friday

2011-01-14T07:50:00.001-05:00

One of the great blogs that I read regularly, Shay over at Quilting in My Pyjamas, has a regular feature called Favorite Things Friday. And it's just what it sounds like. She posts about one of her favorite things, and encourages others to do the same.

Her blog is definitely one of my favorite things, but today I'll share another one.

My wood burning stove.

It's winter here on this side of the world, and so far it's been colder than normal. And to be honest - I don't like it. I hate to be cold, and much prefer summertime.

But my wood stove makes it bearable, and even enjoyable. It warms the whole downstairs of the house. It has that great "fire-burning-in-the-fireplace" smell. You can even roast marshmallows in it. What's not to love???

So that's it. My first Favorite Things Friday!

If you have a FTF, stop on by Ms. P's blog, and add yours to the list, too!

AMW

From an episode of the Hoarders

2011-01-11T10:58:00.001-05:00

For the last month or so, I kept expecting Matt Paxton to show up on our doorstep. Who? Matt Paxton is the host of the A&E's show Hoarders.

Back in October, I showed you a "quick before and after" post of the office transformation, but in reality, it wasn't a very accurate "before" picture" You see, since it is an office, it's been kind of a catch-all room in the house. There were boxes and boxes of stuff from floor to ceiling. So the before was actually an "after". After all of the stuff was removed. But before the room was transformed by the removal of the carpet.

Did you follow all of that???? Me either.

Anyway.... All of the "stuff" that came out of the office, landed in the living room. Yep, we just moved it from one room to another. Isn't that what everyone does?

There's a couch under there. Really.

90% of the items in this picture came out of the office. We were mortified when folks stopped by, and blamed it on the work that we had done to the house.

Fast forward to this upcoming weekend, where we are a stop for the annual Progressive Dinner party. And we certainly couldn't have a house full of people over to THIS!

So, instead of just moving it to yet another room, or back into the office, we decided to take this past weekend and go through it all. ONE.PIECE.AT.A.TIME. Just like Matt Paxton does on Hoarders. There were trash bags available. A donate box. A sell box. And the stuff we kept. We bought storage bins that can be concealed, and away we went! The only thing missing was a dumpster or a dump truck outside!

How did it end up??? Take a look:

As long as you don't enlarge these pictures, the room looks FANTASTIC! And if by some chance you do enlarge them and see the layer of dust, then we'll just call it a protective layer. We'll get to it this week...

Has your home ever gotten to that point that you thought maybe the mailman would call and turn you in? No? It's just us?

Alrighty then....

AMW

Winter Retreat

2011-01-04T14:56:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, I shared a little slice of heaven with you. And when we were there in August, we bought another week, which happened to be last week. The last week of the year.

The beach in December? Why would we do that? Well, honestly, to relax.

Pictures are the best way for me to tell you about the week, so if you'll humor me, here you go...

Snow, friends, and the beach!

Our home away from home.

The ocean was in a frenzy.

We're in the top floor, far right.

And while I was there, I had the opportunity to visit Endless Possibilities. By all appearances, it looks like a great little boutique/crafty store. But under the surface, it's a fundraising project for local hotlines and charities. They take discarded clothes that were donated to local thrift stores, and are unsellable, and volunteers create rugs, bags, and more to sell.

And more importantly, they have CLASSES!

Here I am in the beginning stages of weaving my rug.

Taking this bin of scraps...

And weaving them bit-by-bit...

Into a rug.

And the back.

(I think it's going to end up as a wall hanging, and not as a rug....)

And the sunrises and sunsets are pretty good in the middle of winter, too. See:

Sunrise, from right outside the door.

With a view like this out the window, what's not to love???

AMW

Happy....

2010-12-24T12:50:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Whatever Else you celebrate!

AMW

MMC 2010

2010-12-21T09:18:00.001-05:00

Back HERE I mentioned that I joined the Make-My-Christmas event again this year. This was it's 17th year, and my second participating. This year I drew someone I knew, and really had fun.

DT's favorite color is TieDye followed by Purple. I've never tie dye'd anything myself, but figured I'd give it a shot. So I cut twenty 13 inch squares of bleached muslim (on sale, of course) and spent a day twirling, tying, rubberbanding, twisting, etc... and dying. Then rinsing. And rinsing. and rinsing. Oh, did I mention rinsing? About 6 HOURS of rinsing. And when I was done? Yep, RINSED some more!

And ended up with some cool looking squares. Got some way cool purple fabric for the sashing. And pieced a very simple quilt.

Then decided to Tie Dye a solid piece for the back. So I twirled, rubberbanded, twisted, tied, and dyed. And then I rinsed. Again. And yes, again.... You get the picture.

Ok, fine - you held in here long enough to see some pictures...

The front.

Close up of a few blocks...

The back.

Close up of the back (with a little of the quilting).

Folded on the pool table.

And it was a hit! I'm so happy that she like it as much as she did... Here's a couple of pics:

She walked around the place wearing it as a cape for a bit.

The smile says it all. On both of us!

Oh, what'd I get? Something very special!!! I'm gonna save that for it's own post...

AMW

And here it is...

2010-12-20T12:41:00.002-05:00

Well, this is officially my 200th post!!! Pretty exciting for me...

I've thought and thought and thought some more about what to post for the milestone, and couldn't figure it out.

A few years ago, before starting this blog, I found a few blogs that I liked. And would check them everyday to see what was new. And then a friend started blogging (even though she rarely does now that she is a fairly new mom!) Then I found out that someone else I knew had a blog. So I figured, why not?

I said in that first post, that it was likely going to be pretty random, and I think that's been true for the most part. I've covered everything from trips, to pets, to quilting, to sinking kayaks, to rants about work, and on, and on, and on...

Why do I do it? Hard to answer...

Sometimes I blogged to get something out. Sometimes, I blogged to so I wouldn't forget the details of a fun event. Sometimes I blogged to share my experience with others... And sometimes I blogged because I felt obligated to. And then when people started commenting, I realized I blogged to get responses. It's so exciting to get a response. And then there were followers, and I blogged so that they would have something of mine to read.

Sometimes I didn't blog, because nothing exciting had happened. And I felt like I had to have something important to share. Sometimes I felt I had something to share, then couldn't find time. Or didn't have the pictures accessible.

I "follow" over 60 blogs. Some publicly, and some anonymously. When I look at the list, it's pretty random, too. Some haven't posted in over a year. Some post AT LEAST once a week, and many post either everyday, or several times a week. And for the most part, I'm a lurker. I rarely comment. But love it when people comment on mine... I guess I have only partially found my voice.

I've been blogging for 986 days. Or 2 years, 8 months, and 12 days. Or 140 weeks. Or 23,664 hours. Or 1,419,840 minutes. No matter how you look at it, it's been a good amount of time.

While I can't make any specific promises about the number of posts I'll do or how often, I can promise I'll still be here, still posting as it hits, and definitely still lurking in blogland out there.

AMW

PS - WHEW! Now that this post is out of the way, and the pressure is off, I can focus on a post about Make-My-Christmas (MMC) from Saturday night! Stay tuned for that one with some fun pictures!!

No pressure, right???

2010-12-07T12:42:00.001-05:00

So my next post will be my 200th post. And I have no idea what to post for such a monumental occasion. So, instead, I've been putting off posting at all... Silly, right?

Some of my favorite blogs do giveaways for milestone blogs. And I don't really have anything to giveaway. And being so close to Christmas, I don't really have time to make something to giveaway.

Perhaps a list of random facts about me? Or a post about some of my favorite posts? (seems kind of redundant? Or a "year in review" picture style? So at a loss...

Suggestions??? What do you want to read???

AMW

National Mutt Day!

2010-12-02T10:47:00.001-05:00

I was not aware that today was National Mutt Day, until I saw it on another blog. I've featured my girl before, but it's been a few years. And well, I LOVE her!!

Casey is a 15 1/2 year old Lab mix. Her momma was a lab, and her daddy was a travelin' man. She was born in a barn in eastern NC, and most of her litter mates died of liver disease fairly early on.

Doing what she does best (and most of the time!)

Here she is begging for attention (and showing her cataracts...)

Here are just a few other random pics as well:

And there's the little things that you know you'll miss when they're gone. One of the funniest things I'll miss is her opening the bathroom door. I'm convinced she thinks there is an escape hatch in there, and if we shut the door, we'll be gone. If you don't shut the door (and latch it), she'll nudge it open, and just pop her head in. She won't come in, she'll just check to make sure you're still there. She's been doing this for about 4 years, and it still makes me smile. Of course, we do know to shut it all the way if we really need privacy. Even then, you can here her nose nudging it, and can almost see the wonder on her face as to why it won't open.

I am soo, sooo, sooooo fortunate that I've had her as long as I have. And that at 15+, she's still holding her own. I'm thankful for every day I get with her....

Happy National Mutt Day!

AMW

YEAH!!!!

2010-11-24T07:18:00.001-05:00

Over two years ago, on another blog (that is pretty much defunct, I haven't posted on it in over a year) I did several posts about a new roof we had put on. HERE are the before pictures, HERE are the in progress pictures (and basically finished, because I apparently didn't do an after post.... Sheesh!)

Well, mostly finished. It was 99% done. I've been waiting over two years for the finishing touch.

And here it is. THE most important part of the roof:

This mermaid weathervane has been sitting in the shed, just waiting for someone to put her up. And now that she's there, she's BEAUTIFUL! We live just blocks from the water, and no other weathervane would have represented us as well as this one.

I LOVE it! She makes me smile every time I pull in to the driveway...

Happy Turkey Day!

AMW

Quotes from this week

2010-11-19T09:02:00.001-05:00

This week while watching the TLC reality show "Police women of Dallas", I heard two of the funniest lines I've heard in a while.

#1 - Drunk guy walking his bike and talking to it. Being questioned by officers -
Drunk Guy "You're about to get your knees cut off."
Officer "What?"
Drunk Guy "Well, not really, but you're about to get your knees cut off."
Officer "Just my knees?"
Drunk Guy "Yep, just your knees"

#2 - Another Drunk guy - stopped for driving while intoxicated. Being asked to take a breathalyzer.
He pretends not to understand how to blow into the machine. Several times. After about the 10th to 12th time of not getting it right (trying to mess up on purpose, I assume) he states, "My blow is broken."
Yep, his blow is broken.

Ah - the things we say when we've been drinking....

Hmmm... Maybe I should get plastered and then BLOG!

TeeHee
AMW

Highlight of a Roadtrip

2010-11-09T19:27:00.001-05:00

Went on a little road trip last weekend to western North Carolina for an annual event. While there were MANY, MANY fun moments, and lots of highlights that include seeing folks that I sometimes only get to see once a year, I really want to share one specific highlight.

While driving home on Sunday, we took the scenic route for part of the trip. An one point, we were driving through the little town of Salisbury, NC. We saw several signs for "Historic Mural" and after the 3rd or 4th sign, we were convinced to stop.

STUNNING! And after the first few pictures, we decided to make it interactive.......

Just in case - I'm in the yellow jacket...

Have you ever encountered a great piece of art and jumped in???

AMW

Where did this year go????

2010-11-02T14:10:00.002-04:00

Wow! I can't believe it's November and that Christmas is a mere 53 days away... It really does feel like summer was just here.

Oh wait.... That's probably because we had temperatures in the 80's (almost 90) last week.

But now that the temperatures are falling (much to my dismay), it's finally setting in that fall is here, and the holidays are peeking right around the corner.

I'm reading blogs with folks working on holiday projects, and thinking, OH SHIT!

I signed up for Make My Christmas (MMC) again this year. In case you're new or forgot, MMC is similar to a "Secret Santa" gift exchange, but you MAKE a gift for the person whose name you draw. And in return, you get a handmade gift from whoever draws your name. Last year was my first time participating and you can read about my project and the results in the second half of THIS post.

Luckily, this year I drew someone's name that I know. A little bit. But I've gotten some good info, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a clue about this blog, so I just might post some preview pics along the way. I'll say this: I'm going to once again step outside my comfort zone and do things with fabric I've never done before.

Easy now - don't go going anywhere crazy with your thoughts on that last sentence...... ;) It's a quilt, after all.

Ordered some supplies and books on amazon today to help the project along.

Off on another out-of-town adventure this coming up weekend, and then I'll be home to get started....

That's about it for now...

AMW

Question of the day...

2010-10-29T12:17:00.001-04:00

I work in the public eye. Sometimes, being the smartass that I am, this is extremely difficult. Difficult in that I can't always say what I'm thinking. ESPECIALLY when asked a stupid question.

This sign, and about 20 others exactly like it are posted in the circular drive right outside the lobby that I sit in.

So here was the question that was presented to me today:

"How long can I park in the 15 minute parking area?"

REALLY?????????????

(Sadly, this is NOT the first time this has been asked, and is not even the dumbest thing that has ever been asked of me....)

Thoughts anyone?

AMW

Quick before and after...

2010-10-19T21:12:00.001-04:00

Today, I decided to pull up the carpet in the office. I didn't immediately think of doing before and after pictures. Shortly after starting, it hit me, and I ran off to grab the camera. The batteries were dying, and honestly, I just wanted to get back to ripping things apart/up to bother with something like batteries.....

Yes, that is greenish/brown shag carpet. That has probably been down on this floor for 30-40 years. So, what do you think was underneath??

Here ya go!

The carpet apparently did a FABULOUS job of protecting these hardwood floors. Really makes a HUGE difference in this room.

We will put some kind of rug down, to protect the floors a bit, since it's an office, with a rolling chair, and all, but for the moment, I'm enjoying walking in and seeing these beautiful wood slats all aligned perfectly....

I'm sore as hell, and would love to get in the hot tub to relieve the pain, but I'm too tired to lift the lid! But it's worth it... I think......

AMW

Candy Corn Addiction

2010-10-18T15:08:00.001-04:00

I love me some candy corn. I try to buy only one bag per holiday season, and stretch it to make it last.

I don't like the mix bag with the little pumpkins in it. Just the plain old candy corn. And not the store brand, either. It has to be Brachs.

And you know what's even better? Put a few pieces in your hand, and hold it for a couple of minutes until they are just a little warm, and they are even yummier. Yes, I said yummier. And, yes, I know it nearly impossible to just hold them in your hand without eating them, but trust me... it'll be worth it.

Do you have a favorite holiday treat?

Now quit eyeing my stash up there, and go get your own bag........

AMW

Feast or Famine

2010-10-14T11:55:00.001-04:00

It seems here lately, it's been either feast or famine in the rain department. We went for months when we were in such a drought, and then it rained heavily for days and days. Same with today. It hasn't rained for two weeks, and today, torrential downpours with thunder and lightning.

The biggest problem with this, is that we are in a VERY tidal area, and either with the wind, or heavy rains, we'll get street flooding. It actually doesn't take a LOT of rain, just a LOT of rain in a short amount of time.

I've been watching out the front of my building (with my now VERY limited view) and was surprised how HARD it was raining. You almost couldn't see, it was coming down in sheets.

Not complaining. We need the rain.

And I'm glad it's on a Thursday and not the weekend!

Off to a local quilt show tomorrow........

AMW

Sneak Preview Revealed!!

2010-10-11T20:07:00.001-04:00

OK so here is FINALLY the reveal of the sneak preview from ~~a couple weeks ago~~ nearly two months ago.

Here is the sneak preview picture.

One of three focus fabrics.

Another of three focus fabrics.

Last of three focus fabrics.

Just a view of the corner.

Notice the decorative stitch on the binding????

The back.

And Finally, the finished quilt!

Not sure what is to become of this one. We may keep it, or it may become a give-away of some kind.

BONUS QUESTION: Can you identify the quilt pattern used in this one???

AMW

OSQE

2010-10-07T21:26:00.002-04:00

In my last post, I promised to expand on the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo that I attended last Wednesday to Saturday.

We drove up Wednesday night in the rain, late, because we had both signed up for an 8:30 am class on Thursday. Since it's a 4 hour drive, we really didn't want to get up and do that on Thursday morning.

My first (of 6 classes for the weekend) was a machine quilting free motion class. Hmmm... now that I think about it, I think I will review this one LAST!

There were many classes available and tons of vendors! I love going to quilt shows with all the vendors... So many neat ideas and gadgets and fabric and, well, you get the idea.

My second class was called "No Stress Color Theory" by Marty Moon. I really liked her, but made the mistake of taking this class at 6:30 in the evening after a loooooong day. So I was actually a little stressed. The class itself was helpful, since I'd never really paid attention to the color wheel, much less used it in a practical setting. This class had me walking away with a better understanding of colors. Now I can break the rules!

Friday morning, I took another color class called "Get Creative with a Color Activist" by M'Liss Ray Hawley. I was glad to have taken Marty Moon's class the night before, cause now I understood when they were talking about tertiary colors, shades, tints, analagous, and so many other terms that were thrown out. But again, I learned a lot about color and how to break the rules! I didn't know I was breaking so many to begin with!

Friday afternoon, I took a class called "Laptop Case or Project Portfolio" by Cathy Gandy. This class was outside my comfort zone, but hey, isn't that what classes are supposed to be for? Learning new things? I'll also say that when I got there and saw the fabric selection, these weren't colors or fabrics I would have chosen. But somehow, it all worked, and turned out kinda neat. Mine isn't technically complete, as I ran out of time, but it's close enough. And I don't think I'm going to finish it the way it was intended. I usually do have to put my own spin on things. To steal a line from American Idol, "I have to make it my own"!

Here's a couple pics:

At the end of my Friday class, I had to run out to the daily drawing to see if I won one of the Super Grand Prize drawings. I'm sorry to say that I did NOT. Although I did win one of the consolation prizes which was a tote bag full of stuff. Fat quarter bundles, patterns, kits, etc....

Three pics of some of the haul:

Saturday morning, I took another class with Marty Moon. It was "Easy Microwave Fabric Dyeing". It wasn't really a "hands-on" class, since it was only an hour, but man was it cool! Of course, I had to leave and go straight to buy fabric dyes. I CAN'T WAIT to try this out!! This may, in fact, have been my favorite class, which is ironic since I signed up for it last, kind of as a whim. I haven't really ever had any interest in dyeing my own fabric. Go figure. I'm thinking that will be a post of it's own when I give it a shot....

The dyes I bought:

Also Saturday morning, I took my last class, which again was more of a lecture, in a very loose sense of the word. It was called "Notions Commotion" by Kim Montagnese. Kim went around to all the booths before the show started and looked for the all of the cool notions or gadgets or things that would otherwise be looked over. So, of course that called for yet another trip to some of the previously visited vendors!

Now back to that first class....... The dreaded "Machine Quilting: Basics and Beyond" by Debbie Kratovil. Now first off, I have to say that Debbie is a very talented quilter and a great teacher. I also have to say that I learned a great deal and a valuable lesson in her class. The main thing that I learned is that I'm not cut out for free motion quilting. At least not in the traditional sense. And after demo-ing products at different vendor booths, I am GREAT at free motion quilting on a long-arm machine, or something similar. I have to move the machine and not the quilt while free motion quilting.

Here are my to practice pieces. Ignore that one really good section in the upper left of the first pic. That was done by the sewing machine SALESMAN after he re-threaded the machine. Again.

I test drove every single long-arm machine at the show, and managed to do great on every single one. From the cheapest to the most expensive.

So now you see why I have to save my pennies, and decide which one to work toward.

I also picked up some little tips and tricks throughout the show. One teacher suggested using kid's washable crayola markers for marking pens. Since they're washable, they rinse right out of fabric, and they are a LOT cheaper than traditional marking pens. Someone else suggested using a decorative stitch when attaching your binding. I think that's one I'm going to use almost immediately. And on that same subject, I thought, since I "stitch in the ditch" so much for my quilting, why couldn't I do some kind of simple decorative stitch for the quilting too? I think I'm gonna have to try that one real soon as well.

I think that about covers it. Lots of ideas, tips and a few projects came out of this show. I can hardly wait until the next one!!

AMW

Whirlwind of Activity

2010-10-06T09:25:00.001-04:00

Well, the last couple of weeks have been hectic, but are settling down just a bit. The fish tank is now listed on Craigslist and will hopefully be gone by the weekend.

The painter that we had scheduled a few weeks ago has come and gone and now one room has been COMPLETELY repainted from ceilings to walls to even the inside of the closet! It looks FANTASTIC! It's a slow process getting it put all back together, but we're even decorating in the process. It will be kinda cool to have one room decorated. All it REALLY needs now is a QUILT!!!! Gotta get to work on that......

Last weekend, Wednesday through Saturday, I went to the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Chantilly, VA. It's about a 4 hour ride. A lady where I work told me about it, so we decided to go together. She was thrilled that she didn't have to drive up there and back. Just realized that I have a ton to say about this trip, so I'll do another post.... (And I promise, you won't have to wait tooooo long for it....)

And the Sneak Preview post from a few weeks back is 97% complete. It is down to the binding, which has been put on the front, and I'm toying with the idea of finishing the binding with a decorative stitch. I saw it done at the Expo, and it looked REALLY cool. Just need to see if I can step out of the box enough to do it......

No trips or anything major planned until the first weekend in November. But around here, you never know....

What have you been up to?
AMW

A fish tale... part 2.

2010-09-24T18:07:00.001-04:00

So what was the fate of the PSYCHO shark? Did he jump out and become a dog treat? Did he jump out and die of (un)natural causes? Did I fry him up (with chips, Ms. P.)? Did I release him in the wild? Did I flush him?

All of the above were viable options that I either considered, or could have feasibly happened.

BUT, we did the humane thing, and took him to the local pet shop. Re-homed him if you will.

Now, I will spare you details of how we got him into a five gallon bucket, but will just say that it was not pretty, or dry. And he was NOT happy to be in the bucket. Fortunately, I had a lid on it, cause we could hear him jumping around in there.

Back at the pet shop, a couple of the employees peeked at him, and he jumped around when they did. And they were amazed at his size. They found a suitable tank, and true to form, when they removed the lid on the bucket, he promptly jumped out onto the floor. Sheesh! Will he ever learn? Does that make him suicidal???

So here he is in his new temporary home. This is probably about a 35 gallon tank (ours was a 55 gallon), and he is HUGE in there. One employee said he guess he was about 12 years old. He was astounded when I said he was less than 4 years old. Apparently, saving his life periodically equated to "taking really good care of this fish". And the manager of the shop said he was the largest one she'd ever seen.

And gave us $20 store credit. Not bad for a $4.00 investment, 4 years ago. And the stress is GONE!

It was very therapeutic today to scrub out the tank.

So all's well that ends well. He has a new clean home (and someone else to worry about him jumping out) and we have a section of house back that is stress-free!

AMW

A fish tale...

2010-09-23T21:39:00.001-04:00

About 4 years ago, we had the opportunity to get a used fish tank from a friend. The price was right, and well, we thought it would be fun and relaxing. And it was.... for a bit.

As you can see, all was well with the world, and things were pretty, and fun, calming. There was quite the variety, from sharks to barbs to platys to suckers. You can see the Bala shark in the middle of the pic above. He's silver with black tips. About an inch or so long.

As happens, some fish made it, and some didn't. Some lasted a loooooooooong time, and some only made it days. The bala shark was one that lasted a long time. He's here again in the top left of this pic above.

While most of the fish died off for one reason or another, the sharks held tough. There was the bala shark, a red-tailed shark, and a rainbow shark. The red-tailed shark and rainbow shark were both black with red tips on them, but the red-tailed dominated over the rainbow, and kept him confined to one spot.

The bala shark was not aggressive at all, but he kept growing and growing and growing. Within 3 years, he went from about an inch, to about 8 inches. He was HUGE in the tank.

Not a problem, except that during one cleaning, he JUMPED OUT OF THE TANK! We saved him, and put him back in, but he was never right after that. He became PSYCHO!

He tried to jump out REGULARLY if you LOOKED at him. And at times, he succeeded. And yet, we always got him back in the tank.

Our calming, relaxing tank was now a STRESSFUL side show. No more cleaning, for fear of the the PSYCHO fish jumping out at you. You can't look at him, cause he might SNAP and JUMP!

Yes, a FISH is causing this much stress! And this has been going on for well over a YEAR!

So what do we do???????? What would you do??????

Tune in tomorrow to find out, but I'd love to read your comments as to either what you would do, or what you think we did.......

AMW

Worlds collide

2010-09-14T20:49:00.001-04:00

I'm involved in several hobbies, some indoors and some outdoors. I've freely talked about quilting here, but usually only mention in passing my love of geocaching. And I know I've not mentioned pathtags, which is where these two worlds collide.

This is my Log Cabin Block Pathtag!

I trade these within the geocaching community, so that my two loves become one.

Just wanted to share...............

That's all for now.
AMW

Still here...

2010-09-11T11:10:00.001-04:00

One major event done (last weekend while camping) and one more to go Sunday and Monday. Then things should get back to somewhat normal.

Until the following week when the painter comes.

So, after that's done, then normal.

At least until I go the Sewing Expo at the end of the month.

THEN normal....

Oh, who am I kidding???? There is no normal schedule around here! LOL!

But we'll see what pops here in the next week!

AMW