Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas to one and all.  It is a bit of a different Christmas around here as we have no family or friends visiting. No huge festive dinner in to oven and no gifts under the tree to distribute to one and all.  But none the less it is Christmas Morning, the celebration of the birth of Christ.  We did get to see our Grandson the other day.  He drove over from Chicago to visit each family member who lives on this end of the state.  He was alone, but at least we got to see him and spend some time with him.  The rest of the family, at least one person in the household has had COVID and I am not going to risk any chance on coming down with it.  Christmas doesn't need a crowd to be joyous - it just needs my joyous heart.

This week I made the 15th block in my Bible Sampler Quilt.  The Story is Beautiful Sarai from Genesis 12:8-12.  Abram, for some reason heads to Egypt, then at the last minute realizes that the Egyptians might kill him and take his beautiful wife, Sarai.  He tells her to say she is his sister to protect him.  But what about her - that lie makes her more vulnerable.  We just can't seem to learn to trust in God - This was God's plan for Abram to build a people and a country and he can't do it with Abram dead and Sarai a concubine of the Pharaoh.   At any rate - God intervenes and teaches Abram another lesson in trust and obedience.

The name of the block is Wonders of Egypt.  It was partially paper pieced with a lot of Y seams.  I think this is all preparing me for another quilt I'm working on that will have a LOT of Y seams. 

Snow!!

 Yesterday was such a lovely day.  Warm enough for me to go out a walk for 20 minutes and it truly raised my spirits.  I have a difficult time in December - I guess I'm one of those Seasonal Affected Disorder people.  I take Vitamin D and it helps but I'm also not a real fan of the Holidays.  Especially the way we celebrate it with all the crazy rushing around wearing ourselves out wasting money buying presents that no one wants and would use for every Tom, Dick, Harry, Susan and Fido that we  ever knew.  I want things to be quieter, I don't care if I get any gifts, I just want my family to be healthy and happy, and I would love it if we could all be together this year - which will not happen for obvious reasons.  I would love to be able to attend the Christmas services at my church, but there will not be any this year for obvious reasons and I would like to have someone else do all the prep and clean-up work.  But since there will be no family celebration this year there won't be any.  I'm hanging in there but there are days when it is difficult for me especially at this time of the year.

Like I said it was a lovely day yesterday, I woke up to snow this morning - not a lot of snow, but snow none the less that was not predicted until about 15 minutes before it started.  It should melt off shortly as it is supposed to get into the 40's and I can take my walk later.  

You all know how much I love to read, and I have been reading a lot over the last few months..  I found several new authors that I really like and 1 or 2 that I will never read again.  One of the keepers is a series by Charles Veley - Sherlock and Lucy - The first one was the Last Moriarty.  The one I'll never read again was by Peggy Ehrhart.  The book was Silent Knit, Deadly Knit (Knit and Nibble Series)  It was just a boring book.  Almost no mystery progression, too much about what they were eating (toast and coffee for breakfast) the process of making coffee ad nauseum, what they were going to wear and the tag sales they went to, but nothing that worked you to solving the murder that they discovered in the first chapter.  I finally gave up and read they last chapter - the murderer was someone that I didn't remember even being in the story.  Come on!

At any rate I am working on about a dozen quilts but having hurt my shoulder by a partial dislocation and then continuing to use it without knowing why it was hurting - I ended up unable to use my right arm for over a month.  so needless to say things didn't get worked on.  I still can't use a rotary cutter but I can use the scissors so while it's slower I am making progress.  Paper Piecing is really conducive to using scissors so that it what I've been working with lately.    

Bible Sampler Block 2

 As Social Distancing and I am continuing to stay at home, I have gotten a lot of quilting done - not a lot of housework or yard work, but a lot of quilting.  So I am continuing my personal block of the week from Laurie Aaron Hind's book Bible Sampler Quilt.  This week I did Block 2, Night and Day - Genesis 1:5-8.

This block was a challenge as I am - in additional to being diamond challenged - I have a Y-stitch aversion.  So this was interesting to say the least.  I used templates, some paper piecing and just plain dogged stubbornness an got it together.  

New Month - nothing new

I don't know where the time has gone.  I seems like the days drag by with no where to go and nothing much to do, but all of a sudden the month is over and we have started a new one.  But then I look back and I really did get a lot of things done, it just doesn't seem like it at the time.  I've been working on several UFO's from as much as 10 years ago.  Just started 2 new quilts, one for my husband and one for my granddaughter, and still working on my National Day Quilt.  

Went out to do some Letterboxing the other day.  It was a beautiful day, sunny, not too hot and perfect for getting out.  Went to riverside cemetery to look for two Letterboxes and took my camera thinking I would do a little photo shoot while I was there.  Well I couldn't find the Letterboxes - that's ok - frequently the boxes have gone missing or I miss read the directions.  So I decided to take some pictures and found I forgot to replace the dead battery in my camera.  But it was not a total loss - I got out of the neighborhood, without having a Drs appointment, got some fresh air and sunshine and some exercise to boot.  

I have been designing my own National Day blocks and have been having a lot of fun doing it.  I don't of course do all the days - just the ones that interest me and I can think of a block to depict it.  

This group of blocks is from June
National Train Day June 10
National Egg Day June 3
National Donald Duck Day June 9
National Camera Day June 29

This group of blocks is from July
National Teddy Bear Picnic Day July 10
National Yellow Pig Day July 12
National Thread the Needle Day July 25
Independence Day July 4

I've completed two Quilts of Valor and an Old UFO from 8 or 10 years ago that I titled Hearts and Flowers.  It was stuck in a drawer partially quilted and basically forgotten.  It is now finished and probably will go in the charity quilt pile.  

Hearts and Flowers completed July 2020

This was a Thimbleberries quilt from years ago - I'm just so glad it is done and out of the sewing room.  

We did get the floor in the bedroom finished - it looks so beautiful I'll post a picture when we get the baseboard up.  We have hung the two doors but don't have the casings in yet so there is still a lot of work to do - but it looks soooooo much better.  

Got to go get the pizza dough started for dinner.  

I'm excited

I am so excited!!  I actually finished the piecing on my Circles of Life quilt top.  I bought the pattern about 10 years ago and started working on it.  It is paper pieced and rather tedious with rainbow colors and small pieces and eventually it ended up on the UFO pile as other things came up that seemed more important.  During this Quarantine I decided to pull it out and work on it.  I was determined to get the top completed.  After the first day of working on it I was fully aware of why it had gone in the UFO pile in the first place - but I was determined, and I finished it!!

Circles of Life

While I love the quilt and look forward to getting at the quilting - I will NEVER attempt another one.  It was an interesting challenge but I think now I will move on the another challenge - like the Mariner's Star UFO that is sitting in it's own tub - then again maybe something simpler. 

I have in the mean time been working on other projects like my National Days quilt blocks:

These are Memorial Day May 30
National Maritime Day May 22
Mother's Day 2nd Sunday of May
National Prayer Day 1st Friday of May

These are Nation Nap Day March 9
National Let's Laugh Day March 19
National Little Red Wagon Day March 25
National Pencil Day March 30

 This has been such a fun project, I'm looking forward to more of them.

I continue to make the cards - July has many family birthdays so I may be really busy with just cards. 

This is one I made for a family birthday this month.

It also helps with the getting a lot of sewing done that it has been rainy and cold.  The other morning I woke up to This:

It was dark, gloomy and pouring rain.  The water was flooded over the road and running down between the houses - it had overwhelmed the underground drainage tiles.  We've had a few really nice days, but now it is pouring rain again.  I know that in a couple of weeks we will be complaining that it is dry and the farmers will be whining that we need rain.  It is either feast or famine in the Mid-West.

I'm planning on going out to lunch for the first time since early March.  Of course we can't eat indoors - we have to do phone ordering and curbside pick-up but we can eat on the dining patio.  But at least we can get out and do something fun.

I continue to read - a lot:

Tie Died by Carol Dean Jones

A Wee Christmas Homicide by Kaitlyn Dunnett

Prologue to Murder by Lauren Ellis

The Corpse wore Tartan by Kaitlyn Dunnett 

Corsair by Clive Cussler

As you can see I've been enjoying Kaitlyn Dunnett's Series and I love Clive Cussler.  Carol Dean Jones in a new one - she is writing a Quilting series and I enjoyed the first one so I will try another one.  

Hope all are well and happy.  Remember to treat others and you want to be treated, think before you speak and consider the consequences before you act.

Stay At Home Order Lifted

Our Stay at Home Order was lifted Yesterday but there were still 1462 new cases in the state and 61 deaths - It really doesn't sound like it is over.  Yes it is better than the 4400 or so cases in one day a couple of weeks ago, but that is still a lot of people.  Yesterday people were mobbing the streets and stores in the cities, I was waiting to hear about fights breaking out.  Yes we do have more available ICU beds and the hospitals aren't slammed in the cities, but that could change quickly - it has in other cities that came out of quarantine too soon.  The problem is we won't know for a couple of weeks if it was too soon or not.  I understand that people need to go to work.  But they don't need to fill the little Boutique down on Main Street and /or wait outside with 500 other people for the chance to go into the store.  I will go to the grocery store (hubby has been doing it), I will help him pick out the new flooring for the bedroom next week when things settle down and I may even be able to go to my quilt club - there are usually less than 6 or 7 people there.  But I'm not going to the Mall or Target or any other large place with lots of people for a few more weeks.

I am grateful that I live in "fly-over" country - out here nearly in the middle of nowhere. Our county has 2 towns that qualify as small towns - several villages and some residential areas - ours has 120 homes or less that 500 people total.  I see my neighbors occasionally when they are out walking - talk to them over the back fence at a slight distance or, like yesterday, Laura came out to go for a walk and I had picked up the mail so we talked at the end of the driveway at a slight distance for 20 minutes.  It was pleasant.  She still works but is getting ready to retire - maybe we can become friends rather than just neighbors.  But our county has been sitting at 65 or so cases for that last 10 days to 2 weeks.  That is what I call an improvement and we probably should have been off quarantine 2 weeks ago.  But because Chicago and they Metropolitan area are still having serious problems, the entire state was kept on lockdown.  I could continue a rant about Chicago - but I will be nice and say - I do understand the problems they have - but we don't have them out here in the hinterlands

We will not be able to return to Church services until at least the first of July when maybe the limit for the number of people will be raised to 50 - with 2 services that would work.  They talk about having outdoor services - have they ever actually lived in Illinois?  It is a beautiful day today - sunny - about 70 - a perfect spring day.  About the 3rd one we've had this year.  It rains at the drop of a hat - or the wind blows at 50 knots or it is cloudy and chilly or it has turn on the heat at it is 98 with 90% humidity.  Outside church is not predictable.

I have been keeping myself busy with my quilting.  I'm teaching myself Free-Motion quilting.  The most difficult part is coordinating your speed and your hand motion to get an even stitch and then to keep the movement steady so your quilting lines aren't crooked.  I've been dragging out some old quilt tops that got stashed away and practicing on them.  I'm getting the knack.  Maybe one of these days I will be proficient.

So I'd better get back to that practicing!!

Living under Stay at Home Order Part 6

It has now been 9 weeks since I have been out to do more than go to the Doctor's, the Pharmacy and do a curbside pick up at the fabric store.  I would love to get back to my life, but I don't really see that happening any time soon.  I'm learning to be content in where I am and what I have.  I want to go to Church and quilt guild and out to lunch with my granddaughters and my daughter and daughter-in-law, but that is not going to happen.  Even with the restaurants opening in Iowa I don't want to go out like that.  With my immune system and my other underlying issues, I just can't risk it just yet.  I know I live in an area that isn't too hard hit, but it is still out there for now.  So I will stay home, work on my projects and do some new recipes and help my husband when I can.

We had plans to go on a trip to two National Parks for our 50th Anniversary on the 9th, but that of course did not happen.  Now we are making plans for when things are safer.  He wants to go to Bryce and Zion - which I do want to see, but I want to go to Olympic and visit my Niece in Oregon.  We will probably go to Bryce and Zion as we went to my choices last year - Glacier and the Badlands.  I'm just looking forward to the trip - it might not happen until our next Anniversary, but it will happen!!

My birthday was just last Saturday - we didn't do anything.  my daughter and granddaughter came out on Sunday to bring me gifts and we sat out on the front deck and talked.  It was wonderful just to see them.  I haven't seen either for them in over 3 months and they only live about 15 miles away. 

My little great-granddaughter had her first birthday on Friday and it was a Quarantine party that no one was invited too.  It was so funny and adorable.  We got pictures and a video to watch.  Not as good as being able to be there, but much better than nothing.

I have been making greeting cards for friends and family.  Paper-pieced fronts and just greetings on the inside - some are note cards, some are birthday cards, some are thank you cards and one was a sympathy card.  Some I designed myself and some are from patterns - it all keeps me busy.

 

There is also the Mug Rugs I made - some of my own design - for my daughter as she and her family loved the ones I make for Christmas a year and a half ago.  I love making them and they are fun and easy to do.

I'm still working on my National day quilt - These are mostly my own designs for the days - National Earth Day, National Tax day, National Audubon Day and Nation Arbor Day.  I have 6 more that need to be quilted which will bring me to the end of May.  Then I need to think about June's National Days.


The last project I have completed is my Quarantine Door hanging.  Most of the people in my neighborhood have been putting colored paper hearts on their windows as a sign of hope and to thank and support those on the front lines. I didn't have any colored paper - I gave it all to the church so I had to think outside the box - or inside my fabric stash. This is my Hope Quarantine Door Hanging.

I also completed a challenge project from my favorite Quilt shop - The Quilt box - in Kewanee.  Hence the drive by to the quilt shop - of course I had to place an order to pick up while I was there.  I forgot to take a picture so I will do that and post it later.

I dragged out a quilt top I started 10 years ago called Circles of Life.  It is a Paper-pieced rainbow quilt.  I quickly figured out why I had pack it away to years ago - but I am determined to finish it now.  I'm on the home stretch with it and "should" have the top finished by at least the middle of June - I'm not saying which year - just by the middle of June!!

 it has done nothing but rain here in May.  We have had nearly 4 inches of rain in the last 5 days.  The Rock River is in flood, the farm fields have huge puddles of water where they aren't flooded and our sumps are running a lot.  There really is no end in sight - it wasn't supposed to rain today - but guess what - it did.  We had some sunshine on Sunday while the girls and I sat on the deck (thankfully it didn't rain while they were here) and it felt so good to see it break through the clouds.  I know in another month we will be dying of the heat and wishing for some rain - but that is a month or more away!!

Today I'm catching up on my sleep, and some computer time and I will get back to my quilting studio tomorrow.  Not cooking tonight - eggs and toast for dinner sounds good enough.  

Latest Reading list:
Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evonavich
Kilt Dead by Kaitlyn Dunnett
Posidon's Arrow by Clive Cussler
Scone Cold Dead by Kaitlyn Dunnett
Back Fire by Catherine Coulter
A Thread of Truth by Marie Boswick

Living under Stay at Home Order Part 5

There are days when everything seems relatively normal and there are days when I feel like the entire world has fallen apart and nothing will ever be normal again.  I usually recover from that fairly quickly.  But I haven's been out to do my regular things - quilt clubs, aerobics, Quilt shop hops, lunch with my granddaughter and friends, quilt shows, church, Bible Study all the things that gave my live routine.  Now I have trouble remembering what day it is and even what time it is.  That is the hardest part is the lack of the usual routine.

I am managing  the last few days have been really nice and we did get all the yard work caught up, and also got both decks scrubbed down.  Yesterday we went for a walk down to the creek.  I was surprised that I could easily walk that far.  Since my knee surgery I have had trouble walking distances - but I guess cleaning the yard and scrubbing decks helps!!  I did find some wonderful flowers while I was out. 

The Violets brought back so many memories from when I was a girl.  We lived in an very rural setting and there were woods behind our house.  Every spring the floor of the wooded hillside looked like this.  I would spend hours picking violets and brought home large bouquets to my Mom.  Those were really good memories.

Another sure sign that the world is continuing to move forward are these gorgeous Daffodils from my neighbor's yard - actually they were closer to the ditch by the road - but it doesn't make them any less beautiful and  sign of hope.

I never saw Virginia Bluebells until I moved here - and I used to live a lot closer to Virginia than I do now!!  I think it's just a name.  I love the fact that the buds are pink - a beautiful shade of deep rose pink, but when they bloom they are this lovely blue.  I haven't seen any bluebells for a few years, but the entire hillside was covered yesterday when we walked by the creek. 

I'm still working on my quilting projects, Hue is coming along - I have the center medallion about half quilted and I am finished with the National Day blocks for April - not photographed yet but I will get around to it soon. 

Made more note cards, most of these ones have been sent out also,  want to get a couple more make and then I will have to order some more card bases as I only have about 3 more.  I'll work up an order - there are other things I'll be needing but nothing really urgent.  We are actually hanging in there fairly well.  Hubby does the shopping for groceries - I don't go anywhere - I'm at a much higher risk than he is although his risk factor is up there, but he's being careful and we are trying to eat well and take care of ourselves.  The Governor just put us on Lock Down for an additional 30 days - until the end of May. 

Talked to my daughter yesterday and we decided to hold a huge family Birthday/Anniversary/graduation/Mother's Day/Easter/and possibly 4th of July party when this is all over.  Since this started and before it ends (if it ends on May 30) we have 5 birthdays, 2 anniversaries and 1 graduation in the family.  One of those birthdays is a most important 1st birthday!! 

 

Living Under Stay At Home Order Part 4

It has been a crazy, informative time - There are many good things about the Quarantine and there are many less than good things.  There are things I thought I would miss and don't and things I didn't realize I would miss and do, and things I knew I would miss and I really miss them.  I miss seeing my grand kids and my great grand kids so very much, but then I knew that.  I miss the big family get togethers - you know the ones - they are exhausting and exasperating and so much fun!!  I miss lunch with my girls - daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters - lunch with my friends, & Coffee with my BFF. I miss Church and Bible Study and that Fellowship - but am grateful to my pastor for posting everything on the internet so we can all keep up and keep in touch.  And I miss my quilt gatherings and friends, and I miss the road trips with my quilt buddy.

I've found I have more time to help Hubby with the Spring Yard work - not something I'm thrilled about - I hate yard work - he usually calls me in when he wants something to die - if I tough a growing plant - it dies.  I have two black thumbs - I can only grow Dandelions!  I have more time for cleaning - UGH - not my favorite thing either!!

I've actually been doing laps in my driveway now that the rain has eased off and the temps are back up to something resembling Jacket weather.  I mean would you believe it - we had a couple of 70 degree days and then in one week we had TWO - not one but TWO - snow storms.  Not little flurry things but 4 - 6 inches of wet sticky stuff.

Snow on the Maple bud trying to come out.

The poor Robin in the back tree trying to avoid the snow.

I have also had plenty of time to work on my sewing.  I've been working on a Block of the month called Sophie's Garden - it is part cotton fabric with applique in wool.  I haven't done a lot of work with wool so this is a new challenge.  I also have my second Quilt of Valor  Ready to be quilted, that is going to happen as soon as I get the center of my Hue quilt Quilted.

I've also been working on my National Day Quilt  These ones are all my own design as Angie decided to take a break.  That's okay as I have been having a lot of fun with it.

April Fool's Day
Find a Rainbow Day
National Unicorn Day
Easter Sunday

I have the rest of April's days planned and/or completed but not finished and photographed.

Today I plan to try my had at making a face mask, finishing the center of the Hue Quilt and working on a Challenge put out by my favorite Quilt Shop  The Quilt Box.  Might have to help Hubby clean the front deck if it warms up a bit.

Been doing a lot of reading too mostly by comfortable, familiar authors:

Alien Allure by Hope Callaghan
Broken Bone China by Laura Childs
The Killer of Pilgrims by Susanna Gregory
Emerald by Phyllis Whitney
A Minute to Midnight by David Baldecci
Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly Mcrae

I'm looking forward to many things - a big family birthday party, a road trip to see my great-granddaughter in Chicago - a road trip with my Quilt Buddy/BFF, a Road trip with my Hubby, and a Church with all my church family.

Stay safe and Healthy.

Living Under Stay at Home Order Part 3

Our Order was supposed to be lifted on Tuesday, but things are not going well over in Chicago so the Governor has locked us down until the end of April at the earliest.  We had planned a trip for out 50th anniversary and my sister and her husband planned a party for their 25th with their daughters flying in, one from Oregon and one from Australia - but I don't believe that is going to happen.  Life is on hold for the foreseeable future.  The thing seems to be that what is separating us is also drawing us together.  My family is all seeming to be talking to each other even though there were little spats before all this started.  By talking I really mean texting - but it is still communication.  We are all cooking - my daughter was making a pot roast the other day and I've actually been cleaning out all those "Planned overs" I had in the freezer for a rainy day - well I think the rainy day has come. 

My other thing is clearing out all those old projects that have been sitting around my sewing room for YEARS! 

 This Chevron Quilt started live about 7 or so years ago when my Quilt Sister and I went to Missouri Star Quilt Company in Hamilton, MO.  I ended up not getting enough Charm Packs  so on another trip to Hancock's of Paducah I found more light that would work.  It ended up still not being enough and I scrounged to find things that would work.  Finally drew it all together and finished it - a bit smaller than I planned but done!!  It is going to the Charity pile. 

This is the 11th of my Monthly Silhouettes - I've been working on the 12 of them for at least 6 years.  They aren't all that hard to do as they are appliqued - and I do Machine work for that - it is just doing it I guess.  Anyway it was completed in the last couple of weeks.

This is a relatively new one.  It was started January 2019 as an internet BOM from Quilt Doodle Designs and the last of the blocks was posted in January 2020.  I completed the quilt on March 30, 2020 and I plan on keeping it but Don't know for sure yet.

National Crayon Day
National Puppy Day
National Quilting Day
National Real Tolkien Day

This as caught me up on my National Quilt Blocks to the end of March.  I'm working on April 1 but it is not done yet.  Hopefully Kellie will be back soon with some ideas to continue on.  It's not always easy to find a day you can transform into a quilt block.  Like what do you do with National Burrito Day!!

I am staying home and finding things to do.  We have spent two afternoons so far cleaning the yard up after the crazy winter we had.  We have at least one more day on the front yard before it begins to look normal.  I had trimmed back a couple of bushes in the late fall and didn't get them cleaned up before the snow and rains hit.  The leaves didn't get cleaned up as most of them didn't fall before the snow and rains hit, and the wind took a lot of small branches and sticks out of the front trees and all that has to be cleaned up.  What a mess!!  Oh well it gets up out in the fresh air and sunshine, both of which are good for us. 

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Living under Stay At Home Order 2

It has been over a week for us now and we are still at home.  Not complaining  - been getting a lot of sewing done.  Trying to finish a Comfort Quilt but I seem to be missing some of the Half Square Triangles that I need - guess I need to "clean" the sewing room and see if I can find them.

We went for a walk today - it was sunny for the first time in literally weeks and the temperature was in the low 60's so it was perfect.  There was not a car on our road the entire time we were out - so very unusual, almost like when we first moved here and we were the last house on the road.  Believe me we are not the last house on the road anymore.

Been listening to Marie Bostwick in the mornings for the last few days reading a couple of chapters a day from one of her books.  It is so much fun, it is a book I hadn't read yet although I have read one of the others in the series so that makes it even more fun.

Had more appointments cancelled.  My Massage Therapy office has been closed by the state and hubby's cardiologist called today and postponed his appointment.  He is fine but the Doctor has to keep an eye on his heart.  We don't want to go through that again anytime soon.

Still working on my National Days Quilt. These are the ones I finished Quilting and labeling today.

National Sock Day
National Hard Candy Day
National Marching Music Day
National Dress Day

Looking for some good basic recipes for dinners.  I really don't want to have to go to the grocery store, I still have some meat and staples so I'm not planning on going for a few more days.

Living under Stay at Home Order - 1

I Have been home for almost a week now - since last Tuesday March 17.  I did go to the grocery store very quickly and returned home.  Have no real reason to go out again for another week.  Been getting a lot of sewing done - in another week I should have at least 3 completed projects to post.  They are all much further along than they were a week ago.  Been doing some reading, listening to quilting videos, cleaning house and helping hubby scan his parents slide collection.  Since I want to go to the store as little as possible, I've been cleaning out all those "planned overs" out of the freezer.  Some of them have turned out to be really good and I have no recollection of when I made them originally.  It's amazing what you can do when you really need to.

I would love to go out to walk at least but it has been cold, raining or both.  Then last night it SNOWED!  The buds are out on the Maple trees and it Snowed.

I mean come on!!  After this crazy winter and some 60 degree temps did we really need more snow.  The poor Robins are wondering around in a daze - like what hit them.  The squirrels in my front tree are having a blast.  There were three of them playing out there this morning but I was too lazy to change lens on the camera and walk out on the slippery porch to try to get a picture so I just watched from the window and enjoyed the show. 

Yesterday I finished my National Quilt day block and today I'm making a National Puppy Day block for my national days quilt.  I may end up with two or three quilts but that is ok - it's diminishing my scraps and stash and they are so much fun to do. 

Have a great day today.