Not quite a vision board, but...

 Recently on her blog, Lori Kennedy spoke about clutter in our sewing space, and the piles of ideas we all seem to have.  It made me think of the layers of crap pinned on my own bulletin board.

I never removed anything, just added to it, hanging new clippings on top of the old ones, patterns I want to do sooner rather than later, etc.  The sunflower is a beaded piece I stopped working on, but would really like to finish- so I put it where it would haunt me. :-)



But one grow accustomed to looking at the detritus and clutter and soon it's all just background noise. 

So I pulled everything down and assessed it all.  Some went into the recycle bin.  A few bits and pieces went into the "parts department" for later use.  The stuff I kept doesn't tell any kind of story.  There's no vision of where I want to go next.  But it might help me focus on something.

How about you? Do you have a pile of crap clogging up your creative thoughts? 

Today is Earth Day.  It was started in 1970 with great enthusiasm for the changes we would make to stop the damage we were doing.  Everyone agreed it was a good idea at the time:

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. By the end of that year, the first Earth Day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. “It was a gamble,” Gaylord recalled, “but it worked.”
- from earthday.org

Sadly, since then there has been a complacency among many individuals.  They think since they recycle their garbage, they're doing all they have to do.  They are wrong.
There has also been a major push back from the businesses responsible for the greatest share of the damage, via lobbying.

We have to keep making our voices heard.  Keep making better choices.  Keep this planet habitable for our children and their children.

I am grateful for:
My husband who makes me laugh.
A real spring day, open windows, and working in the garden at last.
Small bits of sewing time
My quilt guild, where I get to giggle with friends, enjoy show and tell and be exposed to new stuff all the time.
Fresh baked bread

Cleaning the floor - and the planet, sort of

I have a "Swiffer" Wet Jet for cleaning the bare floors (wood and linoleum)  But, past the original pads that came with it, I do not use the "swiffer" pads.  I may have mentioned in the past that I became an environmentalist  because it saves money.  I refused to pay money for things I was just going to throw away whenever possible: paper plates, napkins, towels, etc.  So the first thing I did when I got the wet jet was to find a way to make pads I could wash and reuse.  I have been using these, made from cloth diapers until recently.  

Those were wearing out and I keep forgetting to buy more diapers.  Then I ran across a piece of flannel I had been using as a dust rag and the light went on.  So I went to the remnant bin at JOann's and got this really ugly piece of flannel- just over a quarter year.  The pads are 4 1/2 by 10 inches, so that's perfect!  Here's how:

Fold a 9 x WOF piece as shown, first lengthwise, folding the edges to the center.

Then fold the ends to the center again and then in half to get a pad approximately 4 1/2 by 10. 

Sew the loop (soft) side of the velcro one inch in from the long edges. 

Folding as shown makes a pad with several edges, which hasn't seemed to affect the performance. However, I have refolded the next ones, to make a smooth edge (the lower pad in this photo), which may decrease wear on the edges.  I'll let you know.  I'm also looking into a way to make one side rougher for scrubbing sticky spots.  

If you don't want to make them, but would like to try one, I'll be making more to sell.  I haven't set the price, but if you're interested let me know!

When  you go out to eat, do you automatically take the straw when you get your water or soda?  I am making a very concerted effort to remember to say "no straw" when I'm out , keeping in mind the environmental damage.  (Print the cards offered and leave them at your tables!If we stop using them, the restaurants will be happy to save their money on them (I hope) and stop giving them to everyone.  Even McDonald's is moving away from them (In the UK at least!) Small steps can make a big difference!

I am grateful for:
The rare nights I get good sleep.
The bits of sewing time I can squeeze in lately.
My family, near and far.
My daily glass of wine.
People who will not let stupid decisions on high to stop them from doing what's right.

A Finishing Weekend

So this happened last weekend. The black and white cat, George, is the big sister who did NOT want a baby sister in her house.  (After spending three years waiting by the door of the kitten nursery so she could play with any who escaped.)  So, despite marigold's best efforts, she has never been allowed to share George's bed, or snuggle in the same chair with her.  But every so often she gets close.                           By the way, George paws at the covers on our bed so she can get under them to make herself a nest.  So we started putting a lap quilt on top of the bed after it was make to make it easier for her.  

I spent a good bit of time in the sewing room last weekend!  I got that little Nancy Halvorsen piece finished and it has brightened up my little corner of the office.  

  I finished another of the dreaded kits of the month.  I think this one was the one I liked the least of all of them.  It was designed as a tooth fairy quilt.  Really? But the quilt shop owners had supplied an alternate pattern piece they designed to make it a garden fairy.  Cue, but I still don't think I want it in my house.  If you like it, it will probably be for sale in the boutique at our quilt show in October.  

I discovered a picture I had halfway colored and left in a folder, so I finished it.  I had forgotten how enjoyable it is to spend time coloring.  I'll have to do more of it.  

I also got the second quilt Kiara picked fabrics for quilted.  Maybe tomorrow after my play date with Jonathan, I can get it finished too!

"Some" people think all they have to do is sign an order and the movement to end fossil fuels will go away. But they would be wrong.  When a company as big as Apple is now powered by 100% solar, I think others will pay attention.  

I am grateful for:

Letting go of old hurts.

Leftovers!

If you freeze brownies when they're fresh, then microwave them for 20 - 30 seconds it's just like fresh out of the oven again!

Crossing things off the UFO list.  

In spite of the cold and the messy flower beds,  my crocuses are very pretty.

A quick trip!

So I'm a couple of weeks behind yet again (shocking, right?) 

In this post, I'll share a trip I took over Easter weekend.  I went to Houston for a family event. If you've known me for any length of time, you know there was a time I said if I can't drive there, I'm not going.  Then Guy moved to Portland.  So I had to overcome my anxieties so I could go see him.  And now, here I am making a really quick trip to Houston!  (Down Friday, wedding Saturday, home Sunday. )
I always get a window seat, and I love the views!  Guessing where you are can be fun.

It was cloudy over Buffalo- and most of the first leg of the trip.

I've never seen a jet trail from this angle before.

Some art work inside the Atlanta airport

 The Atlanta airport is HUGE, as if you couldn't guess that.  To get from one concourse to the next quickly, you ride a very long escalator down to a subway train!

 I don't know if that is a small river twisting along there, but white on the curves intrigued me.

So that's the Mississippi river!

Look how green it is around Houston!

A great idea- no making the tall people fold themselves in half!

So, I'm not sure I've ever mentioned that on my bucket list is to visit all 32 NFL stadiums.  So we drove into the city so I could see NRG Park, where the Texans play. 

 But for some reason, the guard at the entrance says they do not allow photographs to be taken of the outside of the stadium.  He was funny- he didn't know why, just that he couldn't let me stand in the driveway and have my picture taken with the stadium behind me. 

So we went across the street and sat in the parking lot of a hotel or something and I took a picture.  The dome on the right is the Astrodome, which no one quite knows what to do with.  

We also drove by where the Astros play. 

In Houston, the gardens are filled with Amaryllis, like we have daffodils or tulips!

In front of my hotel, a Bottlebrush tree was in bloom. 

It was a very small and simple wedding









At the Japanese garden in Hermann Park.





And the next day I was on my way back home!

That's the Gulf of Mexico!

And maybe the mouth of the Mississippi

 I realized coming into Atlanta that I could see Mercedes Benz Stadium, where the Falcons play.  Not quite what I had in mind, but I've at least seen it. 

I had a long layover in Atlanta on the way home, so I took the scenic route to my gate.  This section of the tunnel is meant to feel like a rain forest.  It has forest sounds, and lights that look like rain falling on the floor. 

There is also a hall of the history of Atlanta, which is very cool.  Who knew there was a Marthasville?

 The planes come and go at a very fast pace in Atlanta.  No, they weren't using the same runway!

Someday I'll go back to Houston when I can stay a while.  Maybe in October for IQF