Cure for the Blogging Blahs

I've been a delinquent blogger and I need to apologize. Kate of Our Red House kindly bestowed an award on me 3 weeks ago and I am finally getting around to acknowledging it publicly (I did thank her back then, at least!) It's the "Marie Antoinette Keeping it Real Award".


Hmmmm. I wasn't sure what that meant at first, because all I remember of Marie Antoinette is something about saying "let them eat cake" when she was told the poor people in her country had no bread. Did that mean I was heartless?? (Well, only when it comes to picking movies Mighty Mom has never watched.)

Then I read a little farther and this is how she described it:
"I'm not quite sure of the history of this award, but it seems to be for someone who blogs, honestly, 'warts and all'." Okay, THAT I understand! So Kate, this wart's for you! It's my big, fat, procrastination wart, accompanied by a big case of the blahs. I'm sorry I was so long in blogging about it, but I am going to quickly pass this on to other wart-blessed bloggers. (That didn't come out quite like I meant it.)

Pinky of Cheese in My Shoe puts her battles with depression right out there for all of us to see. That takes guts. So does coloring her hair candy apple red. Or purple.

The aforementioned Mighty Mom of My Wonderful Life is a lot like my sister-in-law: in her head, out her mouth. She's nutty, dedicated, a long-suffering mom, and posts heroes on her blog every Wednesday. AND she packs a mean Thesaurus.

Then there's Mandy, who is raising 3 adorable little girls with the love and support of her family, and is getting ready to start a daycare center.

Here's someone you might not have seen me mention: Ellia, of GreenBeanBaby Art. She's one of the first bloggers I ever read, and I don't even remember how I found her, but I love her paper art--it's so unique. She blogs about trying to balance her artwork with raising two adorable kidsters, being an involved mom, and playing video games with her hubby. And this woman LOVES her coffee. Seriously.

Next is an award from another Stephanie, over at Quilting Newbie, who, bless her heart, thinks my blog is fabulous.

(Sshhhhhhh, please don't tell her otherwise. She's going to find out soon enough!)

The rules of this award are to mention 5 things to which I am addicted, and then pass it on to five fabulous bloggers.
I have such an addictive personality, it was hard to choose only 5, so I'll name the first ones that come to mind:
1. Carbohydrates (I'm not selective--any old carb will do.)
2. Blogs. My reader list never seems to stop growing!
3. Bejewelled Twist. I can totally lose 3 hours playing this game and not realize it until I'm nearly cross-eyed with fatigue.
4. Stephen King books, with some exceptions. I don't like the Dark Tower series and I don't like the ones he's written with Peter Straub. But I buy all the others I can get my hands on, even though I am disappointed in some of them.
5. Movies. (Who'da thought it?)
However, I cannot limit fabulous blogs to only 5. Didn't I just say I was addicted to blogs? So count yourself fabulous and feel free to list 5 addictions!

Now, for probably the most fun meme I've ever participated in, passed on to me by Julie of Pragmatic Compendium.

Here are the instructions:

1. Put your iPod (or MP3 player) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag some Moms you admire who could use a laugh and a song.


HOW DID YOU BECOME A MOM?
"Look Away" by Chicago

WHAT DID YOU THINK THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BABY?
"Chi Il Bel Sogno di Doretta" by Sarah Brightman (I have NO idea what this means--can anyone interpret?)

WHAT DID YOU DO THE FIRST MORNING AFTER A SLEEPLESS NIGHT?
"Only an Ocean Away" by Sarah Brightman

WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN SOMEONE COLORS ON THE WALL?
"Home" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A TODDLER’S BODILY FLUID ISSUES?
"Tell Her About it" by Billy Joel

IF SOMEONE SAYS “Can I have a snack?” YOU SAY?
"Stoned Soul Picnic" by the Fifth Dimension

IF SOMEONE LEAVES THEIR STUFF ON THE FLOOR, YOU SAY?
"(They Long to Be) Close to You" by The Carpenters

IF SOMEONE ISN’T SICK TODAY, YOU SAY?
"Havana" by Kenny G

HOW DO YOUR KIDS ENJOY YOUR COOKING?
"Looking Out My Back Door" Credence Clearwater Revival

HOW DID YOUR KIDS DO IN SCHOOL TODAY?
"Summer Nights" Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHILE SITTING IN CARPOOL LINE?
"Everybody's Talking" Spanky and Our Gang

HOMESCHOOLERS, WHAT IS THE FIRST SUBJECT TAUGHT OF THE DAY?
"Sparrow" Simon and Garfunkel

WHAT DO YOUR KIDS WANT TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP?
"If You Love Me, Let Me Know" Olivia Newton-John

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR KIDS TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP?
"Northern Skies" by Dido

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY AS A MOM?
"Legend in Your Own Time" Carly Simon

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE AS A MOM?
"Somewhere Down the Road" by Barry Manilow

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO AS A MOM?
"In Paradisum" Sarah Brightman

HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE REALLY A MOM?
"Lonestar" by Norah Jones

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MOST OFTEN AS A MOM?
"7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" Simon and Garfunkel

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY AS A MOM?
"Lonely Looking Sky" Neil Diamond

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET AS A MOM?
"All I Ask of You" Sarah Brightman and Cliff Richard

WHAT IS THE BEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE AS A MOM?
"Lemon Tree" Chad and Jeremy

WHAT DO YOUR KIDS DO THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
"Something Better to Do" Olivia Newton-John

WHAT DO YOUR KIDS DO THAT MAKES YOU CRY?
"Silver Star" Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

WHAT DO YOUR KIDS DO THAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
"My Special Angel" by the Vogues

HOW DO YOUR KIDS DESCRIBE YOU AS THEIR MOM?
"Top of the World" The Carpenters

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
"Sam" Olivia Newton-John

WHAT WILL YOUR MOM OF THE YEAR CERTIFICATE SAY?
"Home is Where the Heart Is" Peter, Paul and Mary

My favorites? My Personality as a Mom (legend, huh?), and toddler bodily fluids! lol

Okay, if you're a mom with an MP3 player, have at it! And please let me know so I can come read your answers!

(Looking over a few of my posts, there's a distinct possibility addiction #6 could be exclamation points.)

Two memes and a blogthing

Mighty Mom over at My Wonderful Life tagged me for a meme/award.

First, I have to list 6 things that make me happy:

1. When J-Man says "I love you." He's the kind of guy who shows his love by making supper, or filling my car with gas, so when he spontaneously tells me he loves me, I'm that mushy 19-year-old all over again.

2. Phone calls from my daughter.

3. Watching Tandi's long ears flop when she takes a flying leap of joy off the porch, the sofa, me, etc.

4. Rainy days.

5. Time spent in the sewing room.

6. Massages. (more on that later)


And then I'm supposed to pass it on to 6 other Kreativ Bloggers---but here I'm going to wimp out. I mean, look at my sidebar. How am I ever going to choose only six of the blogs I try to read daily?
Besides, it's a busy season. So, if you're feeling 6 degrees of happiness today, make a list! And then come let me know so I can go see what puts a smile on your face.

Then Gillian who writes as That British Woman tagged anyone who was reading her blog to post a photo of his or her blogging spot.

So here is the shot from last night:


Mighty Mom also had a blogthing on her post so I had to truck on over and find myself.

You Are Thanksgiving

You are a bit of a homebody who enjoys being in the company of people you love. It doesn't take a lot to make you happy. You're enjoying life as it is. You have many blessings in your life, and you are grateful for each one. You believe that life is about what you *do* have. You feel like you have enough of the good stuff. What makes you celebrate: Family, friends, and the changing of the seasons. At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The host of the party On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Spend so much energy preparing that it's a full time job

What Holiday Are You?

Yesterday afternoon I woke up with a really bad crick in my neck. I don't know if I slept wrong, which is very likely, since sometimes my position is decided by the C-PAP and tubing, or if it was left over from practically lifting one of my little old women out of bed to go to the bathroom; also very likely, since she had a couple of fractured ribs and getting up to a sitting position was difficult. I did the heat and Ibuprofen thing, but by lunchtime today it was only slightly better.

This is interfering with my sewing. And mopping the kitchen floor, but I wasn't too unhappy about that. But I have to go back to work tomorrow night, and this could make my life miserable there.

Each week, a massage therapist couple sets up outside the cafeteria and does chair massages for $1.00/min. Of course, this is always during the day, so we night shift workers don't get to indulge, but when I went to my ACLS class last September, there they were! I managed to get in a 10 minute massage during break and accepted one of their business cards, tucked it in my purse and forgot it. Until today.

I dug it out, called, and Salina said she could take me at 6pm tonight.

Aahhhhhh. Except for the mini-massage, I haven't had one since last December, at Joanne's party. This may need to become semi-annual instead of annual! The pain isn't all gone, but Sooo much better, and my range of motion is better, too. I knew to drink lots of water afterwards, but she also said to pour a cup of apple cider vinegar in a tub full of hot water and soak for about 20 minutes. It's supposed to open my pores to let the toxins out. Hmmm. Bet I'm going to smell just wonderful afterwards. But shall I just smell toxic or really be toxic? Guess I'll go take that bath now.

Tagged Again!

Mighty Mom at My Wonderful Life tagged me for another meme, but hey, I haven't done one in a while and 6 is better than 100, so I will play along.

The Quick Rules for the Quick Quirky Meme are as follows:

Link to the person who tagged me.
Mention the rules.
Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself.
Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.



Hmmmm, boring. Only 6. Okaayyyy...

1. I am a walking buffet for mosquitos.

2. I am allergic to Latex, with a crossover allergy to raw bananas and avocados, and also allergic to ragweed, which has a crossover allergy to melons. This is a catastrophe, as I love cantaloupes, bananas, and guacamole.

3. My shoe size used to be 6 1/2B, but now it's 7W.

4. I was born at ten minutes after midnight, which places me on the cusp of Cancer and Leo. I rarely read my horoscope, but when I do I just pick whichever horoscope is the best for that day.

5. I hate to talk on the phone.

6. I still have my gallbladder and my appendix, but not my tonsils.


Weird little meme, isn't it?

Okay, let's see. Whom shall I pick?
Nobody.

Well, I do a lot of lurking, and I just met some new bloggers by signing up on Just Us Quilters, but I don't want to put them on the spot. And I don't want to keep naming the same folks all the time.


SOoooo, if you like this little meme, then feel free to play along and then come back and post a comment here so we can all go read 6 unspectacular things about you!

Tagged!

Lori at Dakota City Quilter tagged me, (how'd you find me, Lori?) and since I haven't been tagged very often, I decided to play along.

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about him/herself. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Gosh, can we take my early dementia into consideration? I'm not sure! I know I was doing some private duty work with a patient who had MS, and working PRN status (that means whenever needed, and I usually did 2-3 eight-hour shifts a week) at a hospital in Albuquerque. DD had become angry with us and moved out the previous Dec., but was still communicating with us and in August of '98, she moved back home. Beyond that, I don't remember too much. Oh, I was coming up on my 47th birthday, and in the middle stages of menopause. TMI?

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
Well, it's already 9:45pm, but I can tell you what WAS on my list for today and which ones got done.
a) Mop bathroom floor. Nope, didn't get this one done and since DH is already asleep, this task has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning.

b) Wash slipcover. Yep, it's in the dryer now and I just heard the buzzer go off, so will be putting it back on the sofa shortly.

c) Return books to library and pay fine. Done--$10.10 in dues. They love me there.

d) Drop off donations. Did that while I was out, and took them to the Humane Society's collection center. I try to alternate between them, the vocational place, and the Council on Aging, except the lady at the CoA always acts like it's a big imposition to accept items, and I got tired of listening to those martyr-like sighs, so I rarely donate there anymore. I mean, I donate good stuff, not junk, so she's got no reason to cop an attitude.

e) Oil change. Not only did I get the oil changed on my truck, I filled it up, cleaned it out, and ran it through the self-wash.

There were about 5 other things on my list for today, but as usual, I overestimated just how much I'd be able to get done.

3. Snacks I enjoy: Cheese and Triscuits, ice cream, cookies, peanut butter, ice cream, apples with peanut butter, M&Ms, yogurt with fruit, Reese's Cups, peanut butter, and did I mention ice cream? With peanut butter on it?

4. Things I would do if I was a billionaire. (This one's my favorite, and probably the whole reason for playing along!)
First thing I'd do is turn in my notice at work, and throw a huge, catered retirement party with goodbye gifts for all my friends. I'd pay off DD's school loans, all our debt, invest a bunch so we can afford to get older, fix up the house and the yard. (I like my neighbors, so I'm not sure I'd really move unless the publicity got out of hand). I'd start a scholarship fund for children of disabled police officers and firefighters, and contribute thousands to my churches and favorite charities. I'd give huge monetary gifts to family members. I'd sponsor a dozen more Compassion Children and go on the tours to see them. Then I'd set up an anonymous type fund with someone to help me manage it, kind of like that old television show in the 50's--The Millionaire--in which I would search out hard-working, honest people who ran into some bad luck or health troubles and find the one thing they needed, and provide it, along with $100,000.00 and counseling to help them stay afloat. And I would play, with my husband. Honey, I would have me a FINE TIME!

5. Folks I want to know more about. Libby at A Simple Girl, Perry at OKPeri's Place, Lettie at Polkadot Pineapple, Hailey at Alexander's Heart (even though she's only 12 and might not remember 10 years back, I'd still like to hear some of her answers), Steph at Conversations with Grace. There are others whom I know a little better, or who have recently been tagged, but I'd still love to see their answers to some of these (Sarah, Pinky, Jacqui). Playing is optional, no stress intended here!

Meme

Pinky from Cheese in My Shoe tagged me about 11 days ago, and I finally got 'er done!

The Rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to the original post if possible so we can track it as travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

Okay, my memoir is: So many projects, so little time.

Not very profound, maybe, but it really is the story of my life.

Just a short list of unfinished or yet-to-be started projects:

1) Finish the 2005 and 2006 taxes.
2) Paint the front porch railings. Seal the front porch and steps. (I think this year is also the year I'm supposed to re-seal the back steps and deck. Oh, and the back porch needs painting, too.)
3) Measure the area I want for my raised bed garden, find a lumber yard and have boards cut to fit in the corner pieces I already bought. Research soil mixtures, buy many many bags of the stuff and dump it in. Buy plants and insert into the dirt.
4) Buy the mix for the plastic molds for stepping stones in the yard and down to the raised bed garden. I've had the molds for at least 3 years. Of course, I haven't figured out yet what all goody things I'm going to put in them, so I have to peruse yard sales for more marbles, glass I'm willing to break, etc.
5) Paint the master bedroom. We haven't painted anything but the master bath since we moved in in 2003, and that was only because we had the bathroom remodeled.
6) Make a list of the stuff I can't do and contact Loose Screws or Handyman Connection to come do it all.
7) Finish DD's sofa quilt. Fortunately, I only started this one last September, so it hasn't been long on my list.
8) Decide on trees and shrubs to fill in where I've lost trees the last few years, buy,and then plant them.
9) Reseed bare spots in yard.
10) Make summer table topper.
11) Cut and sew backings for, then sandwich, quilt and bind 6 tops.
12) Read photography book DD bought me for Christmas, as well as about 12 other books bought in the past year.

Let's don't even talk about the hook J-Man wants me to put on his end table, or the picture I wanted to hang that has been sitting on the back of the bookshelf since 2004, or the box of Cherry Ames books that I can't fit back in the sewing room and is just sitting in a corner of the guest room.

Sewing and quilting projects in various and sundry stages of non-completion have their own category, and their own zip-loc bags.

And then work wants me to come in extra for meetings, etc???? Are they NUTS?? I can't even figure out when to go on vacation!

Well, I visit all the blogs on my sidebar, but mostly lurk, so I'm going to leave the tagging part open. If you're up to the challenge, go for it! But please let me know so I can come read your memoir!

Christmas meme

Hootin' Anni has designed a Christmas meme. Click on over to her place to get your copy, and then fill in the blanks or answer the questions.

1. Christmas is Comforting.

2. In memories, what was the best part of your Christmases past? Always--the being together.

3. Was Santa ever good to you? [describe how and what] We weren't raised to believe in Santa. (See this entry) But my parents, though poor, always managed to provide some sort of gifts. I have another great story about Christmas, but will save this for an entry later.

4. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or both? Both. We each open one gift on Christmas Eve--and they are always new pajamas, so we can sleep and have pics taken in new jammies. Of course, we usually forget to bring out the camera til later. 8^P

5. Is there something you make each and every year? [craft or recipe] We lived for 20 years in New Mexico, so we have a New Mexican menu each year: Chicken Enchiladas, Spinach Enchilada casserole, Green Chili Stew, Spanish Rice, and Tamales.

6. What are your favorite five[5] Christmas songs/hymns? I love Christmas songs, and there are only a couple that I would prefer never to hear again. (like "Last Christmas" from Wham. The only thing Christmassy about that is the title. I hate it.) No. 1 all time favorite is Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song." Behind that, in no particular order are: "Breath of Heaven" sung by Amy Grant; "Sweet Little Jesus Boy", sung by my childhood choir director; "Silent Night", sung by anyone, especially children; and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" sung by Karen Carpenter. Now, it's very important that these be the artists, because some singers just DON'T have "Christmas voices" (ie, James Taylor.) (That sounds kinda snobbish, doesn't it?)

7. Is there a new tradition for Christmas since your childhood days? They are ALL new, as we started our own traditions when we got married. We have a different tree than my parents had, we do stockings, including one for the dog, and usually put out luminarias on Christmas Eve.


Some "traditions" have been tried and discarded, but new ones have taken their places. Our first or second Christmas, J-Man decided we should have 12 days of Christmas, in which we open one gift every night til Christmas. I racked my brains trying to find 12 gifts for him--only to find, when I opened mine, he'd wrapped 12 different ornaments to give me. I thought that was cheating, myself. Not sure why that idea never made it to tradition status.

8. Describe one of your Christmas trips [whether it's across town or across country]. About 10 years ago, we got word that my nephew, who had been diagnosed with bone cancer, was not doing well. At the time, we lived 1400 miles away, and 19-year-old DD had gotten very angry with us and moved out. Somehow, we all drove back to Alabama, surviving the 26-hour trip back without murdering each other, spent some good times with family members before coming back home and resuming the separate living situation. Not one of our best Christmas memories, but a part of our past, after all. (I have to add that we all learned a lot those 9 months she was gone, and our relationships with each other attained a more adult status because of it.)

9. Do you have a special Christmas outfit to wear for the day? You mean, AFTER the pajamas?

10. Have YOU or any of your family members sat on Santa's lap? DD has (again, see above entry.)

11. What is/or will be on your Christmas tree this year? Who knows what will make the cut? We have collected Christmas ornaments from the very beginning of our marriage (see # 7 above) and DD gets one from each of us every year, also. She now has enough for a full tree, but has never put one up, what with being in college, then living in apartments, or with other girls in a rental, but coming back for the holidays, or being in finals. However, she told us she's considering buying one this year! Even with her taking all her ornaments with her, I cannot get all our ornaments on the tree every year, so I am forced to choose. I wish I had room for more than one tree--I think it would be nice to have several themed trees.


But we always have multicolored lights; strings of irridescent beads I acquired several years ago; handmade ornaments from friends and some by me, or DD as a child; ornaments from my parents' first Christmas tree, and tinsel, or "icicles" as we always called them. There are quite a few Santas on the tree, which is a family joke: seems I was always buying Santa ornaments for DD and the J-Man, til we figured out I was the one who loved Santas--particularly the Father Christmas ones. Now buying ornaments for me is a no-brainer.

12. Do you/or have you decorated your yard for Christmas? I have more indoor Christmas decorations than outdoor ones, but am slowly building up a few to balance. Last year we put up a "yard card", that reads Joy to the World, and I put up the white icicle lights for the first time (some were borrowed from a friend, since I didn't have enough for the whole front of the house.) I'm not sure whether I'll put those up again, since my knees make it difficult getting up and down off that ladder. Plus, it's COLD out there now!

Okay, that's it--with some editing by me when I was more awake. Your turn!

If you would like to fill out this meme, go to Hootin' Anni's--she's got it all arranged for you to just copy and paste the questions!

Crafting meme

Libby, at A Simple Girl, was tagged for a craft meme, and open-tagged anyone else. As this one caught my fancy, I'm going to play along.

1. When did you start to make and create crafts?
I remember making dresses from scraps of cloth for my Toni doll when I was about 8 years old, and I once furnished a little "house" for my Cracker Jacks plastic sailor boy using bits and pieces of items. Other than that, I'm not sure I really made anything else until I was in my 20's. Oh, I took Home Ec about 4 years total between 7th and 12th grades, but didn't do too well. I remember still making simple skirts in senior year while the other girls were making coats. My mom bought me a sewing machine for high school graduation and I made a few dresses in nursing school and when I first got married, but they weren't that great, and J-Man kind of discouraged that hobby.

2. Why did you start creating? Darned if I know. I loved reading, stank at sports, and was always a solitary child. I guess this was a natural segue into Things To Do When You're Alone.

3. Why do you create? Maybe it fulfills a long ago need to have something all my own, something that belongs to me. After all, I was the oldest of 4 kids, daughter to a steel worker, and money was tight. Rooms were shared, clothes were homemade or hand-me-downs, and privacy was at a premium. Then again, maybe it's
an attempt by an ordinary person to explore her unique-ness. But always, it's satisfying. Sometimes I feel like the little kid's voice at the end of the credits for The X-Files: " I made that."

4. What do you create? I still make things with bits of fabric: Quilts! Table runners, table toppers, wall-hangings, lap quilts, and bed quilts. I'm still a novice, but I can look at my early projects and see how I've improved. Then, of course, I look at other quilters' works and see how much I NEED to improve.

5. Has this changed since you began crafting? Ohh, yeah. First I started sewing simple skirts, shorts, and later, scrubs. Then a fellow nurse taught me to crochet and I did that for a while. Tried macrame, but that bored me. Needlepoint--also boring. Latch-hooking, ditto. Crewel--nice and did several pieces, then came cross-stitch. Cross-stitching was a lot of fun, but was a strain on my eyesight.


Michael's was offering calligraphy classes, so I signed up for that.

J-Man even gave me one of those small tilt tables and I did some certificates for my daughter's elementary school, but moved on to other crafts. I recently gave my pens and inks and supplies to a fellow nurse who started playing around with calligraphy. He was thrilled, because they were better pens and tips than he, as a single father, had bought for himself.

I took a few beading classes, and I still love to work with beads. I have done one project that incorporated beads and plan to do more. Then I got into rubber stamping, though not scrapbooking, and made my own Christmas cards and other projects for a few years. I miss that, and plan to make more time for that next year, once I'm no longer a group co-leader in my guild. I still have bins of paper, and an old medicine cart with little drawers all filled with stamps, scissor, inks, glitter and all kinds of goodies.


I took my first quilting class at a community education program back in the 70's, before, or maybe just as, quilting began to catch on. I'd decided my first quilt would be a Double Wedding Ring for my sister's wedding, all done by hand. (Yes, I hear the laughter echoing through blogging halls!) We'll save that story for another post.
Didn't do anything more with quilting until 1995 or 96, when J-Man's Christmas gift to me was the money for a quilting class at my local shop. It was a much better class, and I made a sampler lap quilt for my daughter, hand pieced and hand quilted. I was hooked, for life.

Okay, that's the end of that meme. Anyone else out there want to play?