Hot! Hot! Hot!

"To see far is one thing; going there is another." Brancusi

I was reading an article in today's paper why we have been having such extreme weather patterns...we went from pretty cool and wet to really hot and dry with no gradual change in between.  And according to the experts, the culprits are those bad little winds...El Nino and La Nina.  Now the paper explained what they do to mess us up but my brain lost interest when it became technical!  It's like when in classes in college...I loved learning about the stories behind events, be historical or scientific, but when it came to the dates or the theorems etc. I shut down!  It was a good thing a lot of my tests were essay and I was pretty good at the ol' BS (and that doesn't stand for Bachelor of Science)!

My husband had a little surgery a week and a half ago...he is now back in the land of the living...went through a few rough days, but much better now.  He is not able to do as much yet as he would like but we are very lucky to have good help in the family as far as mowing and yard stuff.  Our granddaughter (the yard girl) and her dad came out Monday evening to mow and weed eat for us.  We really appreciate that especially the dad as he worked all day, then came out to do our yard for us.  I am sure there were many other things he would rather have been doing.....like his own yard, for one!

Our granddaughter...that baby who was just born a few years ago...is going to be sweet sixteen on Sunday..you think your own children grow up too fast, but that was nothing compared to the speedy aging  of grandchildren!!  She is taking driver's ed right now...and although I have great confidence in her abilities, the very thought of her out there on the road with all the crazies...I shudder to think!!!

My guild, Trinity Valley Quilters Guild, is having our annual quilt show in September.  Every year we have a specific challenge just for members.  I always try to do something for it....it is a fun thing..not too serious, usually.  This year the challenge is to make a quilt any size from 50 or more different fabrics.  That was no problem!!  So below is my top for the challenge...I have not quilted it yet.  It is a unique size...21" x 42" and no, I did not use scraps from the donation quilt which is making the rounds to other meetings, etc to sell tickets.   All these fabrics are from my own little stash!!  But I have a bit of a dilemmia...after finishing the top, I reread the criteria and discovered that one criteria is to take a traditional quilt block and create a quilt using the 50+ fabrics, interpreted in the maker's own fashion!  So it doesn't have to BE a traditional quilt, but must be based on a traditional block!!  In putting the cart before the horse...I have the top, but not a clue as to what traditional block I can say I used!!  HELP!!  Can anyone give me any ideas as to what block this might possibly be related to????

   I am changing my "view from my window" picture as the bluebonnets are all gone for this year, but we have been having spectacular crape myrtles.  And the Russian sage is really full this year too. 

Getting deep into summer!!

"We have met the enemy and he is us!"  Pogo

Anybody remember Pogo...the little swamp 'possum philosopher?  I used to love that cartoon...we don't get it in our paper; I don't even know if he is still being created.  But how true...what mankind does to mankind!  I am watching the news as I write...the oil disaster in the Gulf...the wars...flooding and deaths in Arkansas (not a manmade disaster, I know) but continual news tragedies!!

On a happier note...a couple weeks ago, I went to my daughter's to help her do some "organizing" in her new house and she cooked dinner for me!!  Very tasty!!  She is learning to do healthy cooking and eating, making better choices, etc.  We had a great time...went to her gym on Sunday morning...I did a mini workout while she met with her trainer.  My hubby and I go to the local YMCA a couple times a week and walk every day, but it was refreshing to try a new place! ( Although we love the "Y", her gym is much fancier!!!)

And I have finally finished my Paula Nadelstern wall hanging...at least the piecing of it.  I had planned to put the large squares on point, but it all became way too frustrating trying to figure it out with the fabric I was using...I didn't want to get any more fabric so this what I ended up doing..I will have enough to make a couple of small quilts to donate to our guild silent auction.  The small picture is the back side of one of the large squares....these are from Paula's class on "Simple Symmetry".

We had our grandson for a couple of nights this past week...he is so much fun to have around..almost 13. He and I had a marathon viewing of the three "Lord of the Rings" movies; we also have an ongoing chess match we play every time he is here.  We took him to see "Sharks" at the Omni in Fort Worth...it was OK but could have been a little more "exciting"!

And lastly...we are having a real bumper crop of tomatoes!!  Although I hate the heat and humidity, tomatoe plants really love them so I guess that is a fair trade with Mother Nature to appease our discomfort!!

Are there really coincidences???

"Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly." Gilbert K. Chesterton

I just finished reading John Irving's "Last Night in Twisted River"...a very good read!  Irving ("The World According to Garp", "Cider House Rules", etc) is one of my favorite authors.  He has the most interesting characters in his books.  He does get a little involved in his plots, but works his way back out in a satisfactory manner.  Speaking of his characters brings me to my first "coincidence"!  One of his main characters in this book becomes a writer....who takes the pen name "Danny Angel"  for reasons I will not go into to not spoil the plot for other readers. 

After having read "Twisted River"...I have begun "Angelology" by Danielle Trusonni...an author I have not read before...I think is going to develop into a mystery/fantasy...first clue..one of the first characters thinks about something that occured to him as a young man in 1804...but the current year has been established as 1999!!!  Hmmm????

And so begins my "coincidences" which I am going to list!!!!

• 
  
  Irving book....Angel
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  Current  book being read...Angels
• 
  
  Looking through my pictures...one of my favorites is the picture from the German cementary in Fredricksburg, TX of an angel on a tombstone.
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  Just yesterday I was reading an article in my Smithsonian magazine..."Savoring Puebla"...about a city near Mexico City that has a beautiful cathedral.."Puebla de los Angeles"  because legend has it that the angels helped install the 8.5 ton bell in the bell tower, repudiately the tallest tower in all of Mexico!
• 
  
  "Saving Grace", a quirky cop show on cable with a foul-mouthed female deputy played by Holly Hunter who happens to have a guardian angel named Earl just started up for the last summer season...and I happen to like the show!!
• 
  
  And another odd-ball show I like..."Dr. Who" on the Sy-fy channel just started a new season..I just watched the first one today (I tape the shows and watch while I am sewing)...the first show was an explanation to past shows and a preview of shows to come....two episodes involve the screaming stone.....Angels!!!!!

Okay, I am not superstitious...nor believe too much in the paranormal...nor am I overly religious...but I do think it is strange/interesting that "coincidences" of this nature do occur!!  So I am going to be super alert to these life moments to see if there is any connection...There could be worse things than angels coming into my space!!!!!