Just an ordinary day.

I'm "celebrating" just an ordinary day in the week, a Wednesday no less, and a leap year to boot!  Nothing wrong with a little ordinary, no flashy stuff, but thankful for a nice day.

It rained most of the day, so I'll post a photo I took the other morning of a cardinal singing at the top of his lungs as I walked out to the car (photo of the red cardinal is a little fuzzy unfortunately, had the wrong camera to shoot this one).

BSoleille!  Finding the bright spot in ordinary.....

terri

Horsing around!

Today it was a glorious sunny afternoon, and I headed over to my vet to pick up my dogs monthly heart-worm pills.  It was a great drive out in the country.  Once I arrived at Davidsonville Vetinary Clinic, the doc's horse Abby was out "greeting" patrons.  I could not help but capture her welcoming "smile".

BSoleille!

terri

The moon and the stars......

Tonight I am going to direct my sights upward, to the big sky, with the most beautiful array of the moon and planets displayed across the ink-stained sky!  No matter where you are in the world you can see this formation for the next few weeks.  I just had my "boys" go take a look with me and see the wonder in these big and very bright stars.  Unfortunately,  my camera cannot capture the beauty, so I'll have to add a photo from my archives.  So my photo is a recent sunset to round out this post: the sun, the moon and the stars!

BSoleille - finding the bright stars in the sky.....

terri

Apple mania at the mall

I had a 3:00pm Apple class today, but once there it was way too crazy to even think about taking my computer out to work on my current project. I Checked in and immediately went to one of their big 27" screen iMacs to reschedule. And this is what I'm thankful for, getting one of my favorite instructors later in the week!

Can't beat a great crab cake!

In celebrating a friend's birthday tonight at a restaurant in Baltimore called "Sascha's", I ordered a crab cake sandwich that was just delicious!  Thankful to live in Maryland and enjoy this wonderful cuisine!

My photo today is dug out from the "archives" with Lucy-Loo and her big blue eyes....(I should have taken a photo of my crabcake!)

BSoleille!

terri

Love my iPad!

A little technology today extolling the virtues of the iPad!  I am thankful to be a proud owner of one.  Just like I said about my computer, if you hang on tight enough and push the right buttons, the power is so great it could send you to the moon (well almost)!

As a matter of fact, the weekly newsletter that my brother-in-law Don Tomoff puts out, certainly helps me learn this wonderful device with his valuable tips and tricks of all things iPad!  I am including the link here in this post to use and learn.....Weekly iPad newsletter-Thornhill Financial

Photo is of my iPad, Generation 1, a game changer for sure......

BSoleille, finding the bright stars of technology!

terri

A glorious day!

Had to go out and enjoy the brilliant sunshine, ultra blue skies (with big white clouds, I must add) and mild temps today with the dogs around the Crofton Parkway!  Once home, I could not but help notice the crocuses preening in the front garden while the sunlight danced across the very brown lawn.  I ran inside to get my camera and had to capture their beauty.   A sign of spring around the corner sans snow?

BSoleille, the bright side of these beautiful "early bird" flowers....

terri

Today I met a King!

How often can you say that, meeting a king?  But today I did just that, thanks to my friend Janet who invited me to the National Press Club in Washington, DC., to meet King Peggy!  King Peggy launched her world wide book tour this evening along with her co-writer, Eleanor Herman.  This is an incredible real-life fairy tale of an American secretary  who became an African King (a king of 7,000 in Otuam, Ghana).  Very interesting.  Photo today of me and King Peggy signing my copy of her book!

BSoleille!

terri

Day of rest but not really

My day of rest consisted of machine quilting two quilts for a FACS teacher and standing for a large portion of the day. After sitting on my butt for 4 days it was a welcome relief!
Here is the second one done- Boo for Halloween.

Home sweet home!

Had a great time over the weekend, and the lights have gone down at the retreat center!  Thankful that I had such a wonderful "krewe" to help make this Mardi-Gras themed quilt retreat a great success!  My photo is of me wearing the "royal crown"; given to one who completes something and called affectionately, "queen of completion crown".  I wore it a few times for at least 3 minutes each.  I had to bequeathe the crown to another "queen" who completed another project!  The crown certainly made the rounds!!!

BSoleille!

terri

Shrove Sunday

Thankful for a productive day quilting at West River. My photo is me and one of my bunk mates, Marcy. We were being silly with our Mardi Gras masks after waking up this morning! Great weekend with my quilting buddies!

Big fun making bags at retreat!

Besides the quilt I'm almost done with that is shown here in this post, I made an essential wallet, a "sweet treat" bag, (courtesy of the best make-n-take teacher Mary Nielson), a royal pincushion (courtesy of Amy Morusiewicz), and a pressing table (courtesy of Mary and Cappy). The time here is flying by.

At last, Retreat 2012!!!!

Final day to ready myself for quilt retreat 2012

Excited about my packing done, because not only do I need to pack for myself and all my supplies and personal items, I have a lot of fun Mardi Gras themed stuff packed as well. This post is written on my iPhone because I did not want to miss a day in posting, so this is a practice round so I can still post from a remote location and not my computer as usual.

My photo is my guilds Block of the Month "heart" block and I think just to darn cute!
Well, I can't figure out how to do a photo from my phone...

I'll figure it out I hope.
BSoleille,
Terri

Countdown to Quilt Retreat 2012!

I am getting very excited about my guild's upcoming retreat this weekend.  I have been very busy getting ready for our Mardi-Gras themed sewfest, and am thankful I have such a wonderful crew to help make it a great one!  (although due to mild temps in Maryland, I don't think we will be snowed in this year.)  Today I finished my "brown bag" gift, where we employ a "Yankee Swap" type exchange for Friday night!  That's my photo today.  Love those lady bugs!

 

BSoleille, finding the "luck of the lady bug"!

terri

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is a day of 'love'.  It's a blessing to be loved every day and it is one of life's greatest gifts.  LOVE!  "Where there is love, there is life!" Ghandi
So a toast to "love" in all forms.....

BSoleille, finding the bright side of love!

terri

Learning something new....

Today I floated out of my Apple Class after spending 2+ hours ensconsed in a world of blogging, book writing and photography.  The instructors are sooo good, and I am thankful I have been going for the past few years learning all I can in the few hours a week I spend there.  Of course, every computer has more on it than we will ever get to, but knowing the enormous possibilities is what keeps me planted and plugging along with my computer projects!

My photo is the infinite possiblities found in quilting (like computing), and as the magazines suggest, "no two quilts ever have to be alike".

BSoleille!

terri

Games and Movies

Playing a few mean games of Bananagrams and a few movies certainly rounds out a weekend, especially having my daughter home from college for too short of a weekend visit! And I love that feeling of thinking about seeing (what I think is) a good movie, that hard to describe feeling that lingers the rest of the day.  Photo of playing Bananagrams!  Word games live forever!!!

BSoleille!

terri

Breakfast for 4

A wonderful weekend since my daughter Olivia came home for a visit.  Of course, it goes by way too fast, and she will be off and back to college tomorrow, but ah, today is so great to be together!  My photo is the family at our favorite breakfast spot, Chick and Ruth's on Main Street in downtown Annapolis!

BSoleille!

terri

Date Night at MI Casita's

Tonight, I am thankful I was able to go on a real "date night" with my husband.  The past few weeks, our date night included our 17 year old son, but he had his own plans tonight, so that is another thing to thankful for! Mi Casita's Mexican Restaurant is a little place in Crofton, MD, that it so "Cheer's" like,  everyone knows your name (they may say it in Spanish, but hey, they still know it).

BSoleille!

terri

Tribute to Alexis Spradling

I just found out today that a little girl I have taken care of numerous times as a health assistant and special needs aide at Central Special School died less than a week ago.  She never spoke a word, was confined to a wheel-chair, was tube fed several times a day and could not do one thing for herself but I feel blessed to have taken care of her.  She helped shape and refine my skills in endless compassion and delicate handling of such a frail young girl.  She was well loved by many and I'll always remember putting her in the cutest swim suits for her swim therapy in the school's pool.  Even with no communication initiated by her, everyone knew she loved the water and her contorted body could finally "relax" while in the water with her instuctor!

My photo is from The Capital a few days after she died.  Rest in peace my little friend!

Things That go Bump in the Night.....

I just love learning about 'old' quilts and textiles, and thankfully tonight, my guild's program offered the trunk show of Polly Mello with her "dark side of quilts" and things creepy.  She was funny and had a dry sense of humor that kept me laughing the whole hour she spoke.  She read some poetry, commented on how "dark" the nursery rhymes are through time, and gave tidbits of presidential lore, mishaps and deaths.  All the while showcasing the many quilts she has collected over the years to go with a story, a book or an event (like a presidential assassination) that was really quite interesting.

My photo is of Polly (far right of photo), and two quilt holder-uppers (Mary and Elfrieda).  This is a "crazy quilt" made in the late 1880's that was made of the finest fabrics, mostly velvets, of that time.

BSoleille!

terri

Tracy's Kids

Tonight was a fun night, seeing one of the academy award nominated movie The Decendent's at a "red carpet event" at the Lucky Strike and Regal Cimema's in downtown DC.  This event benefits Tracy's Kids Art Therapy Programs throughout the DC Metropolitan area!  The Art Therapy programs helps kids with cancer cope with what they are going through, but just as important, helps the siblings and other family members as well!

My photo is me with two friends that went with me to the event:  Rita and Linda!  A nice night (with popcorn to boot!)

BSoleille!

terri

Getting ready for retreat!

I am thankful I had a little time to do some prep work on a quilting project I plan to work on more in-depth at my upcoming quilt retreat in less than two weeks!  I love thinking and planning on what I want to do, even though we have a lot of fun things planned, there's nothing like "playing" in the sewing room and auditioning fabrics that need to tag along to retreat!

My photo is some squares I cut for "Batik Cascade"; hope it will be a nice quilt...eventually!

BSoleille!

terri

Superbowl grub!

An exciting finish to an exciting Superbowl 46!  But really, it isn't all about watching and shouting at the TV for your favorite team, it's about eating the grub during the game and commercials, right?

My photo today is a great spread of football grub.....back to salads the rest of the week!

BSoleille!

terri

A quilt from the past (2008)

I have the honor to be this year's "featured quilter" for the Southern Comforters Quilt Guild in March.  I have been very busy documenting and cataloging most (trying for all) my work and have plans in the works to make a photo journal of this work as a "legacy" to my children and beyond.  It's has been a great pleasure so far, and great exercise in gathering all this information as I chip away at it every day.  Today, I stopped by a local friend's house for a quilt I had no photo of, but wanted one, to include in my book and hopefully, the upcoming show because I made if for a special little girls' benefit in Crofton, MD back in 2008.  Her name was Cameron Diamond, and I made this quilt (and photo of today) for her fundraiser.  Unfortunately, Cameron passed away shortly after the fundraiser, but her spirit lives on in CAMPOWER in many places!  The family graciously gave me the quilt to also put in the show, and I am thankful for that, because this quilt has a very special meaning to this family (and me)!

BSoleille!

terri

Patience in a trifecta!

No, not horse racing, but being patient in finally getting the much anticipated iPhone - today! Hopefully I will be able to seamlessly work all three, now there is a challenge for sure.....priceless!

Photo is a slice of technology heaven.

Aunt Mary

I know it's Groundhog's Day, but more importantly, it would have been my Aunt Mary's 98th Birthday today! She's been gone since 2000, and since I never had a grandparent, my Aunt Mary took the place of one and I am thankful for that kind of love!  She was an excellent cook and baker and would make our favorite Polish dishes when we would go over to her house, ummmm good!  My photo today is of another set of "lovers" Raggedy Ann&Andy, beloved by many.....

  

BSoleille!

teri

Month of Love....

I'm thankful for good love in my life; husband love, kids love, friends love and puppy love!  A good time to reflect on the power of love in my life!  My photo today is a symbol of strong and deep love, a red rose (taken a few summers ago!)

BSoleille!

terri