Happy New Year! It's time to get busy!

 

The first week of the year was mostly rain, and by rain I mean buckets of rain!  Sneaky rain squalls that just wait for you to venture outside with the garbage, to go down to get the mail, or take a library book back! …  You can almost hear Mother Earth cackling with glee to catch you!  Rain squalls beating on your windows, making you dream that the tide is crashing against the building!!  And when you wake up – it still sounds like it!

But today is sunny! I whisper, so Mother Earth doesn’t hear me!!!

Have I told you the ‘Mystery of the Lighthouse’ after moving to the other side of town??  It’s a hum-dinger!!  We lived in Rainbow Rock Condos for 11 years.  It was North of town and our view looked toward town.  We couldn’t see Brookings because of the bluffs between us.  But we could see the St George Lighthouse in California on the horizon.  We loved our view – ocean, everchanging.

SO, we moved to the other side of town.  We are looking toward town and when we look out toward the ocean … we can see the lighthouse!!  Amazing – still a southern view!  101 does twist around in Brookings, but it doesn’t feel like 180 degrees!  And if you don’t believe me – well, I guess you’ll just have to come out and see it for yourself!!  But, I recommend NOT during the rainy season!

View from Harbor

Lighthouse on the horizon

The book I read this week is Bewilderment by Richard Powers.  It is highly rated and deserves it!  I liked the characters, I hardly put it down, even when I didn't want to reach the end!

I'm still having fun with the Gallery Wall.  I just finished "HOME" but it had bright white background!  I know, not like me at all.  Even DH thought it was weird!  So I over-dyed it with liquid tan dye.  In the kitchen sink,  hot water and 2 caps of dye.  I just wanted to take the edge off - I think it's perfect!

Here's the over-view.  You can see my computer station (and oolong tea!)  The quilt behind the table is "All around the town".  I love that quilt and put a sleeve on each side so it could hang 4 different ways.  I was very surprised that it was too big for the gallery wall, yet a little too small for the "big quilt" display area.  Oh well!

Here are the 3 quilts 'featured' this month!  I had to scramble for the third quilt - ended up using "September" quilt on the left.  It has buildings and people on it.  Good enough!  Great save!

I gave away quite a few quilts to friends and family in the past few years - some of which I should have kept!  But it's an excuse to quilt away with smaller projects - should be faster, right?  The wall can take a crib size quilt.

I cleared and cleared out my sewing room stuff before moving.  I reorganized it since I moved and I still have TOO MUCH STUFF!  To actually sew in there I have to ‘rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic!’  I even participated in   “De-stash and De-clutter” by GoodFibers.  Still too much stuff!  I tried to sell some online through their site.  Apparently it doesn’t like Chrome.  Sigh!

So there’s only one thing to do – roll up those sleeves and get merciless!  (Yikes!)  I’ll let you know what I did to help the situation each week!  And of course, the reverse.  But seriously, I’ve been NOT going to quilt stores and NOT buying online.  But you wouldn’t know it!

In fact, I’m headed in there right now!  If I’m not back next week – sent the Coast Guard for a wellness check!

Stay safe!

'Winter' weather continues here!

Last week we had 2 blue sky days, 1 grey sky days and 4 days of monsoons!! We got 5 inches of rain in 2 days!! Unusual weather for June - or so we think!! Probably only because we're here! And it IS a small condo with a golfer stuck inside! On the 3rd day of monsoon, DH turned and asked, "and why did you drag me here???" LOL!

Today I gave up and went to the grocery store to buy supplies for soups! If that doesn't bring the good weather - nothing will!

Having my sewing machine set up all the time has been so much fun! Since I haven't had a dedicated sewing space for 2+ years ... I'd forgotten the joy of 'popping in' and sewing for a few minutes. Someone on Stashbusters suggested that at the end of your sewing time, however short, you quickly set up for the next session. Amazing tip! You're actually anxious to get back in there because you know that within a minute or two, you'll be whizzing along!

I'm ready to bind the (2nd) watermelon wall quilt, this one is for the Newport Guild Show Silent Auction in August. I'm hoping to hand it in Thursday when I'm there for the June meeting. But I have to find the green binding I 'put somewhere safe' Lord, help me!

Next up - or should I say - still up - the alphabet quilt from the ABC back to school exchange I hosted last year. I can't find the fabric I'd like to use to enlarge the back. Then of course, there's the problem of a dry space outside to spray baste ... BUT if I can find both the fabric and the green binding today - I'll be doing a happy dance for sure!

I went to water aerobics this week - in an outdoor pool for the first time. The weather has been so rotten, and water aerobics is at 8 am - there's only been one day it wasn't pouring at 8 am. I'm glad to report that the water was warm; and the teacher was a young man with an exercise science degree and he worked all muscle masses. Not bad at all. Hoping for clear mornings the next two days - so I can do it again before heading back up to Newport for a few days.

Off to the sewing room, to see what I can find! Sorry for the lack of pictures lately - hopefully next week. Haven't got my desktop computer set up and storage space is beginning to be an issue on this laptop ... I know, excuses, excuses!! But at least I feel guilty about it!!