SAD not GLAD

Our (by invitation only) farewell lunch for Penny was so FUN, but so sad. I will miss her A LOT!! Do you remember when we said farewell to Megan about six months ago? They worked in the same office. There is a lot of conventional "wisdom" about what it takes to succeed in the world of work, but as with everything else in life, it's a crapshoot. Doesn't matter if you have all the right stuff. What if your boss SUCKS? What if your organization is completely DYSFUNCTIONAL? For those of you out there who think "this will never happen to ME," you are completely delusional. Hard work begets hard work and loyalty does not earn the like in kind. AMEN.

This is Kyle's quilt, which will be mailed Monday. We had a little accident with a bag of microwave popcorn the other day (well, I say "we" but I really mean "I") and the house filled with smoke. We opened all the windows and aired the place out, but you know how natural fibers are: they absorb odors. So the quilt is taking a breath of fresh air today before being packed up and sent away.

Poor Bhu had to go to the Vet yesterday. He HATES her! As soon as she enters the room, he hisses and growls and behaves just HORRIBLY! I am SO MORTIFIED when this happens! Well, she had to stick him in the butt with a needle and he was writhing so much that the needle pulled out and she had to stick him again. Anyway, the poor little guy was feeling so sorry for himself, but eventually he forgave me and we are BFFL again! One good thing: he has gained weight! There's more of him to love! The GATO rules the world! xxoo P

Memorable Day!

Using the Canon EOS Rebel today and had to resize, so this will be an adventure. The Canon is like an APPLIANCE! Anyway, I am in the stash today trying to choose fabric(s) for the backing of the thread-saver pinwheel top I finished a couple of months ago. Time flies!

I met this paisley at a yard sale up the street and I think it's perfect for the backing, but there's not enough. Isn't that always the case? So I need to add more and my MO is up the middle.

Yesterday I sewed the binding on Kyle's quilt and took photos of that process, but it turned out the disc was not in the camera! Those moments are lost forever, but you can see I am now in the process of handsewing the binding . . . only three more sides to go!

I had to postpone my planned Memorial Day extravaganza featuring pages and photos from my father's war journal because our scanner has "retired." I hope to bring that to you tomorrow. It will be worth the wait, I promise. This has been one of the SUCKIEST three-day weekends! All these storms wreak havoc on our bodies in many ways and the yard is simply a huge layer of muck. We had to move the compost bin because it was crawling with ants! Somehow, the compost tea missed the pan and it's all over the porch now. Grilling is planned and I'm gonna sew. Hope you all are dry and happy.

I wish that people didn't have to sacrifice their lives in wars and I hate Memorial Day because it is too sad. If you are a past or present soldier I can only be grateful that you served and offer my sincerest apology for the traumas that you suffered in my name. xxxooo P

Garden Party

There was a break in the rain this morning and now I can keep my promise to Gerri. This is what I call the "Ballet Rose;" I forgot its real name. It was knocked about by all the rain yesterday and, being a bit top-heavy to begin with, it's struggling to stand up straight. This is the first landscape rose I ever planted and I am very pleased with it, although it is not a rebloomer and it gets a little scaggy come late July.
Next are the arugula and turnip seedlings. These came up really fast, but we are still waiting for the rainbow chard to peek through the soil! Remember when we first planted the kale and spinach? It's doing very well!
I purchased these siberian iris plants from Christine Gardner at one of her spring plant sales. She leaves them in the ground until you've made the purchase, then she goes to the spot where they grow and digs them up, puts them in a bag and you take them away to plant them in your own garden! Back in the '80s, Christine planted bowling balls in her garden, kind of like the gazing globes we see everywhere now.
Here is the blue window box ready to hang. Love these geraniums, although Mark complains when they're not red. I'm also a big fan of the sweet potato plant! We have two more windowboxes and I don't know what I will put in those (Mark sez: "RED GERANIUMS!").
Finally, one of the Knockout roses out back. Behind are the hollyhocks and to the side you can see a vintage Linda Fernie Jolly Pot. I bought this back in the 70's and eventually the bottom fell off, but I love it so much I kept it and it now lives as Garden Art.

xxoo P

It's a Lena Horne Day

It's 9 in the morning but it's dark as night. Unfortunate, since I bragged to Gerri yesterday about my garden and by the time this rain ends I'm sure the rose petals will be on the ground, not on the bush! Here we are folding quilts, which Bhu misinterpreted: "Oh, mai mom is making tentz for me! Yay! I go in!"

In other news, got Kyle's quilt back and will be putting on the binding this weekend, since it's supposed to rain the next five days. Linda did a great job, as usual, and VERY fast! See the sidebar for her url. We also got the memory foam mattress for LR camping and I will be making a cover for it from stash fabrics. That was also a fast transaction via Amazon.com (All Sleep).

As for the garden, if it clears up a bit this afternoon, I'll take photos of the hydrangea and roses. TA DA: we have arugula and turnips, too!

At this moment, Mark is delivering this Hunter's Star quilt to the Professor, whose wife recently had their fifth child. I like the back, too. It's one of my favorite patterns for boy baby quilts, although the only other one I've made was for my grandnephew Gavin.

Stay dry! xxoo P

Bhu attacks Gulch Radio Guy!

If you put it on the floor, he will own it. Yes, and he will bring his little friend, Furry Mouse, with him!


In preparation for his brother Chuck's visit, Mark huffs and puffs to pump up the air mattress. Here we're thinking, "Well, it might work," but we lost the cap, so we had to stuff the hole with paper towels and put a couple of layers of duct tape on to seal it. That worked for a few hours and then it just steadily deflated! Of course, Bhu's big fat butt on the thing didn't help, you know! The next morning, we ordered a 3" memory foam mattress topper that we will use for Living Room Camping.


The brothers. Ain't they cute? Chuck is one of the Gulch Radio guys! xxoo P

American Idol Finalists as Kitchen Appliances: In alphabetical order

I'm David A Egg Poacher. I will poach your eggs perfectly, but you will have to add all the flavor afterwards, otherwise it's a bland, bland experience. Apparently, David A thinks we can't tell he is being insincerely humble. He's got a nice voice for a CHOIR BOY. What could he possibly bring to the art of music that would be believable? Unless he wears tights, I guess.

I'm David C Cornbread Pan. I will bake your cornbread batter until it's golden, but this is NOT gourmet cookin', hon! I'm not sure, but I think it's the HAIR or maybe how uncomfortable he seems onstage or maybe how he never MOVES, like maybe if he did he'd break something. He's a very old man.

These guys and this show are SO LAME!! Have you seen them jiggle and jitter on the stage? How many left feet does each of them have? I doubt either one of them could get through a subway turnstile in one piece. The only good thing about AI is that it will soon be over! I have never seen anything so UGLY as Fantasia screaming-for-singing incomprehensibly. Baaaad show, baaaaaad show. Please PLEASE stop doing this to us!

I go watch Goma now. xxoo P

Who's yo momma?

I can't imagine why anyone would think that HUGE pom-pom at the top of my head would make me look cute, but that's the kinda thing I had to put up with until I could afford to buy my own outfits! My mom was pretty much a cute little gal with flaming red hair and big boobs. I didn't get the hair, but I sure got the boobs. She's gone now. Here's the last photo I have of her, all dolled-up at my gorgeous niece Sherri's wedding (as you can see, Sherri got the boobs, too). It looks like she might be winking at the photographer, but actually she had eye surgery that went awry so the wink was permanent. She was always well-coifed and bejeweled with shoes to match, a trait I did not inherit (or at least abandoned when I grew up), but which seems to have passed on to my daughter without my interference.
















While scrounging through boxes of photos, I found this of baby Bhu and Mark playing shortly after he joined our family almost eleven years ago. This is his Tasmanian Devil phase. CUTE!!!

And, finally, we sadly mourn the recent death of our 18 year old kitty friend Mary Beth, one of the original Glamour Pussies who lived with our friends Kay, Mike, and Dora. All kitties go straight to heaven, as we know.

Happy Mother's Day from Mommie Dearest! XXOOO P

Stormy Day!

This is the Amy Butler quilt pattern I have been alluding to lately. Amy has a lot of free patterns on her website: notebook covers, yoga bags, quilts, pillows and other stuff. Lots of photos in the "Inspirations" section, just in case you can't figure out what to do with her fabrics.


Sunday we took Bhu for an official debut walk in the park. As soon as we got to the nature trail entrance, the mayor came up with his new puppy and was very curious. We didn't get 50 feet when we came upon two moms and their kids in the playground area and they were also curious. At that point, Bhu started complaining loudly "Me want HOME NOW!" He is getting used to it, though, and we often find him sleeping in it.

Bhu on Wheels!

It's HERE and it is so much fun! First, the "cab" is detachable and can be used to transport Bhu to Josie's and the Vet (much easier for whimpy Mom)! Bhu seems comfy in there. I didn't hear any complaints but, as with anything new in his world, he reserves judgment. It has been very windy today so we did not take him very far. Tomorrow: the PARK!! We join the Pet Brigade! Goma, want to come for a ride?!

However, Mr. Bhu prefers the box in which it came. Pet Traveling System http://www.improvements.com