Sunday, Sunday

Or was that "Monday, Monday" the Mommas & the Poppas sang about? It was a great day: sunny and almost 60 degrees! I did two loads of laundry and hung it all outside to dry. Lots of ironing. You know my Sunday ritual is doing laundry and ironing while watching Sewing with Nancy, America Quilts Creatively, The Lawrence Welk Show, Quilt in a Day (with my fave Eleanor Burns), Martha's Sewing Room, Shay Pendray, Fons & Porter (if they would only just stop talking over each other!), Kay's Quilting Friends, and a final America Quilts with Sue Housman. What a treat!

I finished the ironing and then thought for a bit about how to use a basket full of 4" threadsaver pinwheels (some of which you can see in the photo of the xmas mermaid). I came up with a plan and went to the stash to search for just the right fabrics. When you have a stash the size of mine, searching usually brings results. I found two prints -- one from 1992 and the other from the late '80s-- and they worked perfectly. A little problem with the math at first, but it all worked out and I have a little corner finished already. Still gazing longingly at the pile of black, blue & grey fabric Meg sent for Kyle's quilt. When I got out of bed this morning, I was sure I knew what pattern I would use, but by the time I got down to the sewing room and looked at those fabrics again, I changed my mind.

I was dreaming about delphiniums this morning. When we lived on South Garth, we used to take a daily stroll around the John Stewart Park -- a private park that is owned by the neighborhood association. On West Parkway there was a house that had a delphinium garden. Delphiniums are not easy to grow here; our weather is completely unpredictable and the soil is good for making bricks, that's it. So, if you are going to grow any sort of decent flower garden, you have to amend the soil relentlessly. When we moved to our current location, I ordered lots of delphinium plants but they all quickly perished once July rolled around. However, I found a welcome substitute: larkspur. Easily sprouted from seed, I wound up with a meadow of larkspur every spring. They were so pervasive just from self-sowing, that I had to uproot them to control it. They were like weeds; they need no soil amendments whatsoever. Unfortunately, they are a bit poisonous, so although it is tempting to use the blossoms on cupcakes, it is verbotin.

Then I wanted to mention I found Mark Lipinski (http://www.marklipinski.com/) and he apparently lives just a bit west of Meg. I imagine he is a fire sign. I also imagine that in his relationship, he is the Rhoda. I'm not awestruck by his quilts, but his message seems appropriate: don't get all hussified about your quilts. They're just quilts, use them, have fun with them, enjoy them. I'm all for that! Of course, I should talk, what with my closet full.

I don't care what anyone says, I will NOT vote for Obama. I was sorely disappointed that Carolyn Kennedy says he would be "a president like my father." What does that mean? That he would stall on civil rights issues, balk with an unclear mind about threats to our borders and democracy, send thousands of young men to their death in useless military actions, consort with the Mafia and call girls, use innocent, mentally ill actresses as pawns in a sick sex game, or die by an assassin's bullet three years into his term? Hmmm. In any case, I won't be voting for any Republicans either. Have you read their platforms? Absolutely medieval, I tell you.

Tomorrow starts another grueling week of work for which I get paid in gruel. Kiss Kiss, P