Finally, It is Spring!

" A Day without sunshine is like....Night!"

I found a bunch of "quotes" in the Senior News that I found pretty funny so a few of those will be my quotes for awhile.

The weather has finally decided to be nice..today was in the 70's...all the trees are really budding out and getting green.  We planted geraniums yesterday and hope they will not become deer fodder. Dick has his tomato crop going, and the plants have actually survived a couple of mild frosts.

Saturday we went out with friends to dinner and to a concert at the Bass.  The concert was "Route 66: A Medley of Songs Honoring the first four lane hiway from Chicago to Los Angeles".  Very fun and I love the architecture of the Bass...just one more reason why Fort Worth is such a special city.  We don't go "downtown" very often, being out here in the country, so it was really nice to se so much activity...people enjoying themselves every where!

I finally got all of the Donation Quilt 2010 finished and off to the quilter.  Here is a pic of the back on my living room floor!  I tried to use up a lot of the left over donated fabric; all left for me now is to make the label and sleeve to be able to hang it for display.  I will use the leftover blocks to make a smaller top to give away to those who donated time and fabric...but that won' have to be ready until next fall....last year we had the drawing at the Christmas party and that was kind of fun.

Today, the last Monday of the month, was the meeting of my art bee...studioQ.  Nine of the thirteen met here at my house.  Our activity this time was to bring something to share...an idea, a technique, an article from a magazine or book, etc.  We first had our Show and Tell...our recipe ingredient this time was polka dots or something mysterious.  I didn't get mine done except for the drawing of it, but several did.  I don't know how many more ingredients we have yet to do because the person who has the remaining ideas wasn't here today, so we don't yet know what we will be doing for next time.  Here are a few of the quilt tops shown today.

This is Susan's recipe quilt.

Sue showed the start of a free motion thread embellishing.

Nancy showed her latest blocks and flowers.

Heather had gone to a class on working with various elements.

Now that I am through with the Donation Quilt, I am going to get busy on doing stuff for ME!  I have nothing started for the show as yet...time's awastin'!

Hey, ma...no cavities!!

"To create one's world in any of the arts takes courage." Georgia O'Keeffe

I had a dental checkup today..except for a few crowns, I am glad to say I have all my own teeth!!  Not too bad for someone almost 70, right?  And my dentist said all looks good, that these teeth should do me for many a year...and that is my plan too...at least 26.6   more years!

After going to the dentist, Dick and I drove out to the National Military Cemetary east of Grand Prairie off of Spur303/hiway 408.  We were curious about it as we are eligible and, although we have no immediate plans for use, wanted check it out.  It is a beautiful location...I knew it was somewhere in the area but had no idea how very large it is.  We got some information...they hold approimately 3000 (no, I did not mistype) services/interrments a year!

After that little field trip, we headed back to Fort Worth to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Blue Mesa, for lunch...and of course, ate to the groaning stage!  But we worked some of it off by going to the Modern to see the Andy Warhol display that is there at this time. 

Now, I am facsinated by Warhol...mainly because he was somewhat from my youth...college, etc. and partially because I am amazed that he was so successful.  I have finally come to the conclusion that what he was really the master of is Bull----!  And more power to him....his art and many of the modernist remind me of the story of the Emperor's New Clothes.  I do like some Modern Art but I think much of it is truly overrated!  The Modern itself is a beautiful building and houses many wonders that I love, so I don't want to totally give the wrong impression, but there you are!

The Modern of Fort Worth (a work of art in itself)

Life Back to Normal...(whatever normal is)

" Wish for Sunshine, but build dikes." Chairman Mao-Little Red Book

I like this quote....especially for this time of year!  Spring is having a hard time getting here...it got down to freezing again this weekend and, although we had none, our daughter had about eight or more inches of snow and she is only an hour Northeast from us.

I have been spending way too much time on my guild's 2010 Donation Quilt.  I volunteered to do it, designed it then collected fabric from our members...made up kits for members to check out and make 1/2 square triangle blocks.  There are 840 3" blocks in the quilt; the overall size is 90" x 106".  The design I had planned to make is not exactly how it ended up...funny how things on 1/4" grid paper look different when put up on a design wall!  I didn't have anyone here to hold it up so this is what it looks like laid out on the floor and then spread on our bed.

I may have to buy a lot of the raffle tickets myself as it looks pretty good there!!  I have been wanting to make a new quilt for our bed anyway since we got a new mattress...none of our old quilts fit it just right.

Now that I have completed this project, I need to finish my winter swap quilt that is to go to Germany. I have it made, only need to quilt it and get it mailed off.  I have emailed the reciepient and she was very nice about it coming late!  I have recieved mine from England and it is just lovely!!  And I don't think I ever posted my fall  mini swap from from Germany!  I have really enjoyed making and recieving these little quilt.

Notes on a few other things we've been doing:

• 
  
  daughter Andrea has gotten moved into her first home; we all went up to help her get some unpacking done
• 
  
  took the grands and their parents to Red Lobster for the kids' first taste of lobster...very disappointed..we have eaten there before but this time, the food was not up to par...I am trying to encourage them to try lobster some other time!
• 
  
  our daughters and grands took a trip to visit their grandma in Missouri...she is 91 this year.
• 
  
  and I am reading Stephen King's latest novel..."Under the Dome"..it is pretty good but, as usual, VERY long...over 1000 pages..very weighty to hold up in bed!