Sister's Choice Quilts

A Patch of Sun--Simple Pleasures

My husband took this picture of Sophie, and I just had to share it.  Here I am, all a-flutter with last minute Christmas details and look at my girl--what an example to us all.  Here she sits in our dingy garage, leaning up against a packing crate, enjoying a patch of sunshine.  Just sitting.  Feeling the warmth of the rays, surveying her territory with satisfaction.  Wherever you are, stop a minute today and just experience the here and now of your surroundings.

Here is what I have been up to.  Wrapping the gazillion little cosmetics bags I have been making!  I gave one to each of the girls I work with at the clothing shop.  One of my sweet colleagues confided in me that no one had ever made anything for her in her entire life.

Just think about that for a second.  If you are reading this blog, chances are you are a crafty person (unless you are one of my male relatives--Hi Rick!).  And if you are crafty by nature, you have given people hand made gifts your entire life, and have probably been the recipient of some too.  This gal was so touched by my little gesture, that it surprised me.  So what did I do?  I went home and made her another bag, a bigger one.

Nothing like a little compliment to keep the old home made gifts coming, right??  lol  Show me some appreciation and I am your servant forever!  She will be begging me to stop come February.

 

On My Own

My husband is away this weekend on a couple of job interviews, which means that I am on my own with the dogs.  This is more of an ordeal that it sounds, due to the fact that the dogs do not get along, and have to be separated.  My entire day seems to be spent switching out these darn animals.  Ozzie out, Sophie in.  Sophie in, Ozzie out.  Both in, but one in the garage, one in the house.  Both in the house at the end of the day, but Sophie needs to wear a muzzle.

 
Ozzie misses my husband something awful, and is spending his inside time either sitting by the window in my husband's office, or waiting in our closet near my husband's jeans.  He is not very happy.

 
Sophie?  Not happy either.  Who would be with this Hannibal Lecter thing on their face?

Me?  Sure, I'm happy.  I can have ice cream for my dinner and sew all day long.

 

A Little R & R

 

Here is my Sophie Girl, enjoying her own special version of R&R.  She plays hard, and nobody can equal her when it comes to catching a few zzzz's.  It's a good thing Welsh Terriers don't shed much.  I should make this picture my new blog header.  Not. 

I am going to take off for the weekend on my own little mini vacation to Southern California.  Some friends in the fashion business have invited me to join them at their Fall Fashion Scoop at the Anaheim Convention Center.  I used to work with them, and miss that whole world so much.  So, this will be such fun to catch up on all their doings, and get a preview of what we can expect for this Fall's latest fashion trends. 

Can anyone tell me just why I didn't lose ten pounds before going on this trip?  Drat.  I hate it when that happens.  Oh well, black is both fashionable and slimming.  Pray it isn't 90 degrees in So Cal while I am there!  If it is, I will be the dark clad, plump, sweaty woman in all the pictures.  I know, I will wear bold jewelry, that will distract everyone.

Here are some more pictures of Ozzie and Sophie larking about in our back yard.  When my husband plays "fetch" with them, he has to use something they can both grab onto to avoid any fighting.

Generally, Sophie ends up with the toy anyway.  Ozzie gets tired after about three chases and goes to lie down in the shade.  Sophie can keep going all day long.

The dogs are getting along a bit better.  Keeping them separated most of the time, and having Sophie typically wear a muzzle when they are together has helped.  When they decide to fight, it happens in an instant, so we try to take preventative measures.

They do play nicely sometimes though.  They look friendly with each other int this picture, but what is really happening is that Ozzie is getting in Sophie's face.  She is turning her head for the moment as a peace gesture, but if he doesn't back off, things could turn ugly.

Remember when you were a kid?  There was always a brother or sister who kind of instigated things?  Another sibling would go for the bait and lash out and someone would end up getting hurt?  Yup, that's my Ozzie.  He can't leave well enough alone.  You would think he'd learn.  She takes him down every time.

Have a peaceful weekend, wherever you are!
  

Late in the Day

The picture is darkish, but doesn't the table took pretty with the late afternoon sun shining through those yellow glasses?  It was a puttery sort of weekend, and tasks of many sorts were accomplished.  I got my kitchen put back together after the cabinet refinishing.

Who was it who recommended that I place the contents of each drawer into a separate box while the work was being done?  Now that would have been a really good idea.  I had everything jumbled into two gigantic boxes and it was a mess to sort out, I tell you.  I got it all put back and must say the drawers look very organized.  How is it that crumbs get into all drawers, even those that aren't any where near food preparation?

Ireland Update: 

Son is home, sad to have had to say good bye to his Love.  He won't see her again until she comes to California in August.  Then, he is doing an internship at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and finishing up his thesis.  He won't be able to move to Ireland permanently until January.  The red and white FriendshipLove quilt was a huge hit.  Mary's Mum on Lettermullen Island (Connamara, County Galway) threatened to keep it, as they had just painted their "lounge" walls dark red and the quilt looked like it was meant to be there.  Mary Ann won out though, and took the quilt home with her to her apartment in Dublin.

Oh, and remember this?

Yes, Friends, that is the missing box of books Ahren tried to take with him for his visit to Ireland.  All his favorites, that he had wanted to leave with Mary Ann for safe keeping.  That box of books traveled all around the world.  From San Francisco to Chicago to Dublin and Dubai for all I know.  We never thought we would see it again.  But there is was, on our doorstep on Saturday, courtesy of American Airlines. Ahren is happy to have the books back, but not thrilled that he spent $50 to send them on vacation.

One thing that went very well was that Ozzie and Sophie got along great this past weekend.  They have never played this nicely together.  Lots of tussling on the carpet, lots of pretend fighting--but all done in a gentle manner.  Maybe they are maturing?  Here is Sophie pretending to drag Ozzie down for the kill.  He is showing his big teeth, but she isn't scared.  She wasn't always the aggressor.  They took turns being the fierce one.

 

Here they are, exhausted after all that fun.  They just lay where they dropped.

Have a good week everyone!  Only eight more days of work for me!

Still Cleaning

I ask you, how many pairs of jeans does one woman need? 

I've been spring cleaning my closets this week, and have decided that I have been hanging on to too many pairs of jeans.  Face it, the size 8s probably are not going to fit me again in this lifetime.  They only fit for about five minutes anyway.  So, I boxed up all the excess jeans and pared myself down to the four pair I really wear.  Why are there six pair on the rack?  Well, the two on the left are size 10 and I am optimistic that those will indeed fit me again in this lifetime.  They are my Inspiration jeans. 

Anyway, it's nice to actually have space between the hangers and to be able to see what is in the closet.

I also cleared off a shelf so I can display my purses.  My "Closet Jewelry".  Being able to see them makes me happy.  Especially the yellow one.

Sophie has been plaguing the life out of my while I have been busy with my labors.  She grabs a shoe and runs off with it, picks up a fallen hanger and chews it up, and basically does all the tricks she knows to get my attention. 

So, I have a little trick of my own that I heard about somewhere that works like a charm to keep her out of my hair for 15 minutes at a time at least.  Here is all you need:

Peanut butter, a dog biscuit, and a Kong toy.

Spread the peanut butter on half a dog biscuit.  Really glob it on.

And stick it inside the Kong toy.

To Sophie, this is like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are to me.

But when it's done, she is back to her mischief.

 

Boo Hoo, Got Nothin' To Do

Rain.  And more rain.  We are getting tired of it, Sophie and I.  She doesn't get her walks on schedule, and is going out of her mind with boredom.  Today I took her for a little ride in the car, just to get her out of the house, and she actually seemed to enjoy it.  She didn't get car sick anyway.  So, here she is, back at home, just looking out the window at the rain coming down.

On the quilt progress front, I am determined to finish up a project for a quilt designer that has a deadline coming up.  No work on any personal projects until this one is wrapped up.  This is the project for which I am using honey buns of the Happy Campers fabric by American Jane for Moda.  Very cute fabric.  The first step in construction is to make 133 strip sets.  Yes, that's right.  133.  This is what 133 strip sets looks like.

Whew. 

Here is what they look like all pressed and sorted out by color.  Whew again.

The next step is to cut them up into 1,235,000  2 1/2" squares.  Even Sophie says "You're kidding, right?"

 

Nope.  Well, maybe just a little.  (No, really I am kidding--not THAT many!)

Dog Missing

Last night Sophie went missing.  I won't say she was lost, because she knew precisely where she was.  It had been pouring rain and hail all day long and she really needed to get out for a minute now that the rain had let up.  My son was packing his truck for the trip back to college and had left the side gate open.  Not realizing this, I let Sophie out the back door into the yard.    It was dark.  She slipped past Ahren out the open gate and away she went. 

I realized she was gone within five minutes, but it was too late.  She was out there somewhere in the night and could be in real danger if we didn't find her.  Her typical pattern, if she manages to escape the house is to meander down the usual route I take when we go for a walk.  Then, when we get to the end of the street, she heads for the hills up a walking path.  The last time she did this it was daylight, and I could see her way up the hill dashing around delightedly, diving into bushes to scare out all the birds nesting there.  She finally came to me, thank goodness.

Finding her in the daytime is one thing, finding her in pitch blackness was another.  Besides, we weren't even sure if she had headed up into the hills.  Ahren got in his truck and drove around the neighborhood, a container of treats at his side.  I walked up and down the sidewalk calling "Sophie!  Sophie!!  We searched like this for an hour, the skies overhead threatening to let loose another downpour such as we had had all day long.

By 9:00, I decided to go back home and sit by the phone in case someone found her and called me.  She was wearing her tags, so that was good.  I sat in silence imagining her hit by a car, kidnapped by gang members and being bait for pit bulls, or worse.  And then there is the coyote issue.  I hear those animals howling at night up in the hills.  If she had ventured way out there into coyote territory it could be all over.  My boss just lost her cat to coyotes last week.

At 9:30 I phoned Ahren and told him to come back home.  He had been out searching for her for going on two hours.  If she was going to come home when she got wet and hungry she would.  If a neighbor was out walking their dog before bedtime, there was a good chance she might join up with them and be rescued.

About ten minutes later I heard Ahren come in the door.  "Mom!  Mom!  Guess who I found!!"  She was soaking wet, muddy from head to toe, but home.

She had gone up into the hills all right, and Ahren had hiked nearly a half mile before she barked in response to him calling her name.  He ended up giving her nearly the entire container of treats he was so relieved to have found her.  And guess what?  When I took her collar off to put her in the tub to wash off the mud, her identification tag was missing.

If she had been picked up there is no way anyone would know where she lived or who to call.  Two lessons learned here last night.  The first one is obvious--make sure the dog can't escape the yard.  The second?  Check your dog's collar often to be sure the ID tags are still on!

The Day After

Good morning.  This is my sleepy self saying, "Hope you all had a safe and happy Thanksgiving".   Mine was lovely, and I seem to be operating in low gear today.  Probably the effects of too much turkey (and mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie).  Seriously, it is a known fact that turkey contains an amino acid called tryptophan, a component that in large amounts makes people sleepy.  I think you would have to eat a truckload of turkey to achieve that effect, but in combination with all carbs one eats at Thanksgiving dinner, I for one, always feel like curling up on the couch and sleeping until next Thanksgiving.

The picture above is of the pretty Japanese maples my mother planted in the garden at her house in Palo Alto.  They are always at their full glory on Thanksgiving.  They always remind me of my mother, as if she is still with us through their beauty.

We had a big crowd of family at the table, and since everyone in attendance brought a dish or two or three, there was enough food for the entire neighborhood.  It wouldn't even all fit on the table.  My sister Kate brought her special gold and white holiday dishes, so the table was truly festive.  The guests ranged in age from 16 to 84.

We brought both the dogs with us to the party.  Sophie did not get car sick, for the first time in her life.  Now that is really something to be thankful for.  The dogs did not get into a fight and embarrass us to death.  Another item for the gratitude list.

I know I didn't feed Ozzie and Sophie any turkey, but somebody must have.  They are pretty much sacked out and good for nothing today.

 

Ozzie making himself small.

 

Sophie making herself large.

My Room Mate is a Big Pest

I am trying to get some sewing done here.  I have my little Birdseye Star Block units all cut out and ready to sew together.  I have time, I am organized and prepared, and there is nothing stopping me.

Except for this little devil, who is bored and wants my attention.  Who is going through every little trick in her book to get my goat.

 

I wear these Uggs when I walk her in the morning, and had left them in the coat closet by the front  door.  She dragged one out, ragged it around for awhile, then came into the sewing room to be sure I saw that she was up to no good.  Of course I gave chase and wrestled the boot away from her.  "Sophie!  Be good!  Leave me alone!"

 

No, Eleanor Burns was not at my house, pitching scraps over her shoulder willy nilly.  I put my scraps in the waste basket properly, which is positioned right underneath my cutting table.  Everytime I tossed something into the wastebasket, Sophie got up from whatever she was doing and took it out.  In 20 minutes the floor was covered in thread and trimmings and scraps.  I should have just tossed things on the floor in the first place.

Then, she got into this, which was entirely too much for me.

 

"Sophie!  NO!  Drop it!"  Or do I say "leave it"?  Who knows.  She didn't mind me when I said either command.

 

She was so going to run off with that entire bundle of fabric.  And you know what it is don't you?

I ordered an entire bundle of Vicksburg, which arrived yesterday in the mail!  Is that not the most wonderful fabric group???  It is going to be cut up into log cabin strips and star blocks for my Raise the Roof quilt, which *I am not starting until I finish Flowers for Clara AND Birdseye*.

I finally gave up.  My pesky room mate won this round.  I had to stop sewing and go play with her.  Does she remind you of anyone?  Someone who looks a lot like her who is staying in Palo Alto during the week?

Dog's At Play

Now that my husband is working in the Big City, he takes Ozzie with him and stays all week at my father's house in Palo Alto.  It is a complicated arrangement, but both my daughter Sara and her little dog Remy stay at my dad's during the week as well.  Luckily Ozzie and Remy are terrific friends.  They have been since Sara brought Puppy Remy over to meet Ozzie for the first time.

Look at that picture of Ozzie inspecting Tiny Rem.  Tiny Rem has a worried look on his little face, but it will be ok.  Ozzie is smiling with glee, because he can tell that little ball of fluff is going to grow up to be a Playmate and Friend.  And he did.  Ozzie and Remy play all week long, and when they aren't playing, they are napping together.  Oh now and then they get into mischief too, like a couple weeks ago when Dad opened the door for the Clark Pest Control guy, and both dogs scooted past him and out into the cul de sac where they raced around like maniacs for a half hour before coming back home.  These dogs have a real relationship with each other that is lovely to observe.  They LIKE each other.  They are buddies. 

Back at the homestead in Salinas, Sophie and I are on our own.  Now, this may actually be an arrangement that Sophie prefers, since she had shown time and again that she thinks Ozzie is a big dumb goofball and should be put in his place.  But still.

 

I think she might miss the old fuzz ball.  She just sits and stares out the window in my sewing room.  I know I am anthropomorphizing here, but do you think she is wishing she had Ozzie home to play with her?  Or maybe she is just bored, not having anyone to torment and boss around?  Besides me, that is?

But, no.  I think she really does miss him.  She tried to play her favorite game where she hides under the dust ruffle of the sewing room bed.  When Ozzie is home, his role is to bark and try to get her to come out from under the bed.  They play this game for hours until Ozzie gets too excited and Sophie has to come out and smack him.

 

I tried to play with her, but it just wasn't the same.