Finally

"Finally" is what I exclaimed today to the many people I encountered on my run, the neighbors out and about, the two handy-men who were at my house to replace a door, and a few women at yoga. It means we had a perfect spring like day beginning with brilliant sunshine and a sky so blue we have not seen one like today's in months. And there seems to be so much pep in everyone's step when the temperature nears 60 degrees or higher, it certainly did mine and I am thankful for that!

BSoleille!  The bright side of a spring day!

Terri

Photo of a hole in the wall/replacing door. 

Great Lengths

Believe it it not, quilters contort not only their fabric to "fit" in a block, or in a machine, or in a design, we contort our bodies while laying one out as seen by my photo today. I spotted fellow quilter, Janet McCabe, as she so gingerly stretched her entire body to place a 5" square of fabric in just the right spot. Since I was a part of this swap too, I have some yoga stretches up my sleeve so when I begin my layout of my blocks, I will be all stretched out for block placement!

BSoleille!  The bright side of going to great lengths for block placement on a large quilt. 

Terri

Old Fashioned Letter

I recently received a bonafide "old fashioned" hand-written letter from across the pond (Switzerland). I cannot begin to tell you that it really was a thrill to receive it. My friend, who moved originally to Germany more than 10 years ago, had moved to Switzerland four years ago and I was glad to hear they are safe and sound in their new country. (We lost touch for a few years). So I am ruminating a letter writing campaign back to her but the tug of sending her an instant response by email is overwhelmingly compelling. (Face booked her daughter to get the email). The only thing stopping me is how good it felt to open the letter and I would like her to have the same feeling. Maybe I will do both!

BSoleille!  The bright side of receiving a letter rekindling a friendship. 

Terri

A Meeting of the Minds

A meeting of the minds is for the birds, in this post, literally. While minding my own business and driving around the Crofton Parkway, look what I came across. I would call it a "meeting of sorts", with their one intent of eating the road kill squirrel. I did not think there was enough "meat" for all of them, but I am sure they figured it out after I was long gone. Incidentally, those birds were not too afraid of cars, as I was fairly close in to take the photo!

BSoleille!

Terri

An Ever Efficient World

Do you feel that world is is tipping in the favor of being more efficient in just about everything; commerce, transportation, social media, industry, education etc.?  I believe the advent of the smart phone, tablets and fast speed internet has catapulted a lot of people in this new realm.  Interestingly, one of my nephew's (Alex) in Cleveland, Ohio, attends St. Edward's High School, and their athletic trainer has embraced  the iPad and adopted an app to help their student/athletes with conucssions.  Please take a few moments to click on the website to see the fanfare they are receiving in this world of keeping their athletes safer.

http://www.apple.com

BSoleille!
terri

Big Mirrors

This past weekend our guild rents a 14' U-Haul truck for our pole system for the quilt set-up. Yours truly has been the truck driver for said poles, and I always look forward to the big honkin' mirrors on both sides of the vehicle to see everything in the rear. I am talking way back and clear as a bell. I would love these type of mirrors on my little red Toyota, but two mirrors that size would be bigger than my entire windshield!

BSoleille!  The bright side of BIG rear view mirrors. 

Terri

Yoga

After all that quilting and quilt show events lately, finishing up my last class of this first ever session (10 weeks in which 3 classes were cancelled due to inclement weather) of yoga tonight was just terrific. I so enjoyed this gentle yoga/pilates class because it got my very stiff body to stretch out even a tiny bit, and am signed up for the next session to stretch a little more!

BSoleille! The bright side of "gentle yoga"!

Terri

Great 2Day Quilt Show Event

I must admit my quilt guild is pretty awesome hosting our annual show with everyone pitching in to make this years' event truly "the BEST little quilt show in Maryland!  Beautiful quilts and a variety of vendors makes this show fairly unique. Quilting in and of itself is not for the faint of heart. Many skills and hours of "work" are devoted to making just one quilt. For most quilters it's really a labor of love and that is okay with us. 

I am thankful that many people came out to support the show (and voted on quilts too!). I am really excited to share tonight that I won four ribbons; a vendor's choice and second place for "Tropical Getaway", a third place for "Fish School", and a second place for "Skippy"!  Yippee!

BSoleille!  The bright side of the 2014 SCQG Show a resounding success (thanks to chair Mary Nielsen)!

Terri 

2014 Quilt Show

Set up and take down are the two "biggies" of our annual quilt show. Nothing happens if the poles are not loaded up and set up at the school. I am very thankful that this process was quite streamlined and very efficient with the crew we had today. Hanging the quilts and vendor set up was the icing on the cake. Tomorrow the show opens up at 10:00am sharp!  As I glanced around the gym, there are lots of beautiful quilts hanging for viewers to enjoy. 

BSoleille!  The bright side of this years Southern Comforters Quilt Show in Bowie, Maryland. 

Terri

Photo of the crew loading up. That's our guild president and this years Featured Quilter, Pat Scully, loading a stack of poles into the truck. 

Spring Picnic

There are 10 minutes left of today, this first day spring. Here in Maryland the sun was brilliantly shining from the moment I woke up. It warmed up a bit, but really still a little chili. However, I did finish the Mattie Miracle Foundation quilt I promised the founders, Vicki and Peter Brown. Their event (walk) is in May, but I wanted to get it done! This red and white quilt will be raffled off in one of their themed baskets which, I believe, will be paired with Wolf Trap tickets and other "picknicky" items. The pattern is called a Disappearing 4-patch and was fun to make!

BSolielle!

Terri 

50 Years

It seems like 2014 is a big year for 50. It was 50 years ago The Beatles debuted on Ed Sullivan; the last of the baby boomers turn 50 this year; my Crofton community also turns 50 this year and my "lovey" that I carried when I was a child is also 50 years old!  My favorite Aunt Mary bought "Fifi" for me in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, originally wanting to buy me a doll on this particular shopping trip.  I would hear none of that and wanted the stuffed dog instead that was displayed in the window of one of the major department stores of the day. I do not recall her being disappointed in that I did not get the doll she set out to buy me, but rather impressed that I named my dog after her poodle, of course named "Fifi"!

BSoleille!  The bright side of cherishing a childhood memory!

Terri

Breaking Bad

I must admit that the reason I am not reading as much as I am used to is the fact I am watching, rather "binge" watching, great shows on the ever popular Netflix!  This Netflix format without commercials cannot be beat!  "Breaking Bad" is my third series I have tuned into over the last year and a half (the others being, "Friday Night Lights and "Glee") and this terrific series is by far my favorite.  It is a 5 year series that had a great cast, impeccable writing and directing, very dry humor (think Quentin Quarentino flicks), and the fact it was incredibly entertaining yet made you think.  The main character is a brilliant high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, who was diagnosed with lung cancer and went so awry and very bad throughout the show, becoming a drug kingpin who manufactured the purest  crystal meth in the world (making millions), but destroying many people (including those he loved most), both physically and mentally, throughout the show.  I guess writer/director, Vince Gilligan,  considered this series a "western", as it was set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with lots of guns and shoot outs that bridged the old westerns of yesteryear to the way "business" is done today.  As Walter White was so bad, the "heart" of the series was his partner in the lab and the "business of producing "the" blue meth", Jesse Pinkman.  It really was an emotionally invested show for me, but I loved it!  What a wild ride....

BSoleille!  The bright side of a fantastic series completed.

Terri

Snowy St. Patrick's Day

We woke up to 8" of snow once again. Not impressed, but I think I did a good job of ignoring it today. I am thankful I was able to work on a quilt today and never left the house. While working late into the day, I could not help notice a couple of "robust robins" right outside the patio doors around 7:00pm. There were two of them hanging around/playing for longer than I thought they would. My photo today includes only one of them. The other robin waddled out of the frame. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all. We are all Irish today, right?

Terri 

Keep Calm and Lie Down, Dog(s)

For some reason we cannot figure out too clearly, our big dog Lucy has been acting quite "squirrelly" all day. It started this morning as she would not leave us alone, either sitting right by us, on us (yes you read that correctly and she's 75 lbs) or "begging" to be let out every five minutes. I think I will chock this up to the incoming snow storm and that she "knows" the snow is on its way for good or bad (she is a husky mix). As I ignore the white stuff, she relishes in it!

BSoleille!

Terri

Photo of the dogs last weekend admiring the sun and pleasant weather with the open door. 

Lancaster PA Quilt Show

Today I picked up quilter extraordinaire, Mary Nielsen, and headed due North to PA for a great quilt show in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The quilts were exquisite but the smorgasbord of vendors all under one roof and on three floors is truly outstanding and worth the ride up. I was able to stock up on "staples" like a half gallon of Retayne, 12" grippers for my long arm and good reds! Yippee!  It is like being a kid in the candy store for quilters. 

BSoleille!  The bright side of the season of quilt shows!

Terri

Photo of Mary shopping in a booth and a "selfie" of us.

Quilt Show Info

I hope we get a great crowd!  Lots of great quilts and vendors!

Spring Break

Depending on where you (or someone you know) goes to school, "Spring Break" lasts anywhere from the first week of March through mid April. For my daughter, she has it this week and it's great to have her home for a few days (she took a trip during the first part of her break). Of course that first full day back usually involves a lunch, but in our case today, dinner at our favorite Mexican Restaurant - Mi Casitas. Excellente!

BSoleille! The bright side of homemade chips and salsa!

Terri 

St. Baldrick's at Home

My son Ryan has been writing a paper and working on a speech for more than a week. The topic is late effects from Childhood Cancer, specifically, Leukemia, of which he is a survivor. He has diligently worked on the paper, but he is all about the speech, bringing it home with a PowerPoint of his journey. What makes it even better is his asking me to shave off what little hair he does have to make the impact for tomorrow's speech. He wanted to "authenticate" that look in which he sported for many years in his "youth" while he battled that fight to good health. Many organizations around the country are supporting the St. Baldricks buzz-a-thon, but Ryan did not want to wait a minute longer. I am thankful and proud of all his efforts and I hope his professor will feel the same. 

BSoleille!  The bright side of "0" blade buzz cut!

Terri

That Extra Hour

Today I decided I really love that "spring forward" in Daylight Savings Time (even if it meant losing a precious hour of sleep).  That extra hour of daylight tagged on to what was a gloomy winter (especially this one) gave me renewed energy that we all need!  Now the temperatures just need to go along with it and we are all set to enjoy spring and summer.  I am thankful that I got around the Crofton Parkway, not just once today, but twice, and I think it's due to that "renewed energy" I was feeling.  I may be a little sore tomorrow, but that is okay with me.

BSoleille!
Terri

Photo of a nice sunset.

 

Overdue Book

I have got to admit that I am way behind on my book reading for 2014. In fact, I just finished my first one as in my photograph, but do have my nose in two others that I have not finished yet. "A Dog's Purpose" was written from a dog's perspective which was interesting and unexpected and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully, I'll finish the other two books I am muscling through as well!

BSoleille!  The bright side of a finished book (but owe on overdue fines- worth it and I could not renew due to a hold on it).

Terri

Outdoor Soccer Season

Actually, last weekend I worked my first outdoor soccer game so the season has "officially begun". So today I am ever so thankful for mild temperatures (62-64 degrees) and bright sunshine for a great afternoon of Region 1 girls soccer. 

I also thought I was "self-cleaning" my oven while out, but when I got home, realized I did not push "start". Ugh!  I then decided to go ahead, push start,  and open lots of windows since it was warm enough to do it. However, I don't think the oven did anything since now I have a locked oven door and weird codes that I tried to figure out and correct. This will lead me to call a repairman first thing Monday!  

BSoleille!  The bright side of fresh air with opening up the windows!

Terri 

Upcoming Quilt Show

In two weeks (March 22-23, 2014) the Southern Comforters Quilt Guild of Bowie, Maryland will have our annual show at C. Elizabeth Rieg school located at 15542 Peach Walker Dr, Bowie, MD 20716. There will be beautiful quilts, a dozen or so vendors, and raffle baskets of good stuff!  If you are local, please check it out. If you bring a can good item we will take a dollar off admission (supporting the local food pantries). We collected last year and it was a big hit for everyone. Come one, come all!

BSoleille!  The bright side of the Best little Quilt Show in Maryland!

Terri

Photo of one of my quilts that will be in this years show. 

"In Or Out"

Remember your mother telling/yelling to you that it's either in or out when playing outside?  That you can't be constantly going in and out of the door?  For me lately, as I sit and sew by my patio doors, my two pups are constantly going in and out of the door no matter how many times I tell them "no" (going out)!  But they sit and either stare at me or bang the bells to be let out. So yesterday, they finally got the message and they each picked one side of the door: Lucy out and Lucky in. I am thankful this worked for a few hours so I could sew in peace!

BSoleille!

Terri

Frozen Mail

There are several kinds of mail; email, snail mail and air mail, but today I am adding "frozen mail". As much as I am ignoring the snow, I felt bad the sidewalk near the mailbox has not been cleared. So I (very) reluctantly picked up a shovel to clear the way for the mail people just in time for the mail to be delivered, then became frozen once inside the box. It won't budge as a layer of ice basically hodged podged it down. Maybe it will be ready to open by June!  (I hope it's not too important??)

BSoleille!

Terri

The Winter That Won't End

What do you do when the city is shut down again due to "inclement weather"? For a quilter like me, it meant long arm quilting for eight hours today on two quilts. I hope to finish them both fully (bound and labeled) tomorrow since various things will be closed again tomorrow. Secondary roads are ice rinks so I will sit tight at my machines and sew. 

My photo today is Lucy hanging out in the backyard. She had to think long and hard about coming in after much coaxing. 

BSoleille!  The bright side that "spring" is in two weeks!

Terri

Fear Not Impending Storm

Because it is getting late to comment on the Oscar winners (the Big Awards have not been announced yet), I decided to be safe and comment that dedicated golfers will try to get in a round of 9 or 18 whenever they can. While at my kitchen window late this afternoon, I could not help noticing a couple of golfers, who were in turn, being watched (and barked at) by the neighbor's dog, Daphne. So I tried to capture this moment of me watching the dog watching the golfers!

BSoleille!  

Terri

Oscar Eve

Apparently, the Oscar's are now the "women's version of the Super Bowl". Who knew?  This year I am behind on seeing all the nominated movies. I did try but simply ran out of time, so I will plan on seeing the rest after tomorrow night. Recently, though, I mixed it up and watched "War Horse" and "We Bought a Zoo". Once I finished seeing this double feature, I wanted to get a horse and at least go to a zoo. Of course, a horse is out of the question, but I plan on getting to the National Zoo soon to check out the new baby panda, "Bao Bao"!

BSoleille!

Terri