Busy Life

Yippee!! I spent a grand afternoon with Lynne and she received her birthday surpise. Here is the picture.... I really like this pattern and am making one for myself, but it is going to be in browns instead of greens. I am putting different borders and blocks than in this one.

It's only 4 days until we climb aboard the plane for our trip to NY and it's only a week until Julie and Jim get married. I just hope it stops raining out there so we don't all get water logged.

I have been slowly getting things together that I needed for the trip. I bought my outfit a couple weeks ago and I got my nails done yesterday. I forgot how much I really like having fancy nails!!!

Now, I just need to find a job so I can afford to keep them. My job taking care of Judy ended on June 18th when she was moved to a group home. After Carl's visit to the hospital we decided that we needed to be able to do a few more things and go see family more than we were able to do with Judy here. I am going to go back into Hospice nursing, which I love. I know one outfit that has offered me a job without an interview, but am not sure if I want to go there. It is a new outfit and I'm not sure if I really want to be involved with the 'ground breaking' work that is needed to get a Hospice up and running. The other side of the coin is that I know most of the nurses that work there and that is why I have been offered a job. I'll make that decision when we get back from NY.

I have cleaned carpets and moved things around in the house this past week and then this week all I have done is go running around. Last Saturday Carl & I went to estate/garage sales, Sunday was church, Monday was shoe shopping, Post office run and lunch with Carl, Tuesday was nails and visit Judy, Wednesday was lunch with Lynne, Thursday is going to Janice's to help her figure out her embroidery machines and Friday is a 'need to stay home day'. I wonder how I managed to get my house mostly rearranged, kitchen table cleaned off, kitchen counter cleaned off so we can sit at the bar or table to eat and all of the other sorting and cleaning I have accomplished. We have also managed a walk most every night. Last night we even went out after dark and got an ice cream cone...together!!! It is almost like when we sold the house in Groton and we didn't have any kids at home anymore. I am looking for more fun times together, even the simple things.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon
www.coyotequilts.com

Good evening everyone!! I have been trying to get on over here to post happenings, but like always things get in the way..... I also have figured out how to get my pictures where I want them to be! See, even an old lady like me can learn new tricks!!

The biggest news is that Carl goes back to work on light duty starting tomorrow. He isn't able to lift anything over 25 pounds so he will be staying in the office and going to meetings to fill out his time. I finally figured out how to download a photo of him while he was in CCU which started on my phone. This is a couple days after his surgery and was really looking pretty good. He still had lots to tubes hanging around.... This was either April 24th or 25th.

Here he is the first day of our visit from Spencer & his family on the 9th of May. He doesn't look like he had major heart surgery 2 1/2 weeks before this picture, does he?

He still gets tired, but that has been getting better. He is walking all over the place again to get his stamina up. I told him the other day that I was going to have to have major surgery just to be able to keep up with him. Neither one of us realized how slow we were getting. I just thought it was age getting the best of us. He just thought it was his weight and that is why he started on a diet. As of today he has lost about 95 pounds and wants to loose a few more. I am going to have to make up some new patterns and get busy at the sewing machine just so he can have something to cover his bare butt!!!

I have finally gotten my quilting bug back. Just before Carl's surgery I didn't have any ideas or projects going and it has taken some time for me to return to the sewing/quilting room. I finished a project for a friend's birthday and started one for myself. After I am able to give Lynne her present I'll post pics. I don't want to spoil her surprise!!! I even managed to get my sewing room picked up and blocks done for my swaps.

This is the block I made for 3 Sisters Christmas Sampler Swap:


This is for Rebecca and we have swapped several times before so I have to keep coming up with different blocks. While I was looking for fabric for this one I realized I needed to restock my Christmas fabric. What a challenge that will be..... :)




Here are the blocks for the 3 Sisters Tennessee Block swap:

These were sent to Betty H. and Janet H. Eventually I am going to have a king sized quilt made with these blocks. I needed to have several different 5 inch squares of fabric to do this quilt. My dear friends at Quilt In A Day (AKA: QIAD) came through for me. We did a swap of 'nickles' (5 inch square pieces of fabric) and I now have lots and lots of different fabrics to make this a truly scrappy quilt.


This block is a 'Send Along , Sew Along Swap' on QIAD. This one we swap one block with a partner every 2 weeks. My first block went to my pal, Beth, from the Secret Santa we did at Christmas time last year. She loves Asian prints and her favorite colors are red and yellow. I couldn't find the red or yellow fabric I had in mind, but this material really jumped out at me.


The second block I made for this swap is for Jean. She is a newer member of the 'El's Angels' and I have not swapped with her before. This is going to be a treat! I just love getting quilt blocks from around the world.

I suppose I need to get to bed. I get so involved when I am on this computer that time just seems to fly right on by. I am just glad I was able to figure out how to move my pictures and do a little search here and find some interesting features. Keep tuned as I may play some more with my format!!

Happy Quilting,
Sharon