The Endless Hours

Some may think it very strange of me to be logged on and even posting on a social network. I do hope you will bear with me while I try to explain.

It has been almost 13 hours since I ran into the ICU. I had been called by the intensive care specialist. He told me that my darling husband whom we thought had been stable, had crashed when they attempted dialysis. Randy was not expected to survive until morning.

I made all the phone calls I could and begged family members to make more. My father --bless him-- not only found the information I needed but also sat in death watch with me until the wee hours of the morning. Even David/Dante sat with us, silently supportive when my courage ran low.

The hours have been torture and endless. The seconds hand of the clock moves with infinite slowness, marking every second. Every beep of the monitor emphasizes how helpless I am to bolster my husband's weakening body.

There are many friends and family scattered across the world, and therefore impossible to call and talk to them all, even if I did not pay for every minute. I know you all want to know the latest. Rather than repeat the same information, I choose to use the internet. It is not discourtesy, it is efficient use of limited resources.

To those who think me crass and impolite, I have no time to placate your offended sensibilites. My focus is on my husband.

A great gift idea for the holidays--Stick it Right on the Money Stickers

http://www.stickitrightonthemoney.com/

This has to be the most innovative way to give a plain old monetary gift some pizzazz to show you really did think about  what gift would suit the recipient.

My mother in law used to say that giving money, gift certificates, and gift cards were in a way a cop out and borderline rude. They require very little thought, and while "one size does fit all" it does show a certain casual disregard for the likes and dislikes of the recipient or even little more than a nod to the occasion.

However in today's busy world, sometimes giving cash can mean a whole lot more, especially when friends and family can be many miles apart. Cash spends well without having to worry.  

Now, with Stick It Right On the Money stickers, you can do more than give a nod to the occasion! Each frame and sticker are "Post-it" sticky, so the money isn't damaged. (That's illegal.) See the video at the website. What a great gift idea.

Lena Austin
http://www.lenaaustin.com/

Do you love my work? Then don't download from pirates.
When you steal what I've earned, you're hurting me.

Thanksgiving 5 Things

Thanksgiving Five Things

Doing these five things ahead will save you time, stress, and money. Do it now, and write them down. If you don't have the FlyLady Holiday Control Journal, go get one. http://www.flylady.net Search "Control Journal" and you'll find it.

1) Guest List. Pretty basic, but seriously, make your list; check it twice and start making those all-important phone calls. Knowing how many to plan for is an integral part of successful holiday planning.

2) The Menu. What are you having besides turkey? Make your menu and appropriate grocery list and get everything purchased except the perishables (do that a few days before). If you have stuff that might get mistakenly eaten before the big day, put it in a box and stash it in the linen closet or label it instructing your loved ones to stay far, far away from this Thanksgiving food item.



3) The Turkey. If you're going to order a fresh one, time's running out. Make that phone call now. Make sure you get a confirmation number (put the confirmation number on your calendar or checklist). If you're buying frozen go ahead and purchase it now, double bag it and stick in the fridge to start thawing.



4) Serving Pieces. Do you have everything you need? Platters, serving utensils, extra plates, napkins, etc.? Pull them out and set them aside; that's one less thing you'll need to do. If you don't have what you need, buy them or make phone calls to borrow and pick them up as soon as possible.



5) Linen Check. Pull out your tablecloth and napkins. Are they clean, are they pressed? If not, wash and iron them now then hang them up on hangers and put them in your hall closet (or wherever you can hang them). Doing them the night before or the day of will exhaust you! There's way too much to do on those two days.



Remember that holidays are for everyone, INCLUDING the cook! Don't forget to ask for help, allow others to bring some of their favorite dishes and on cooking day, make time to stop, put your feet up and be very thankful for the faces that will be sitting around your Thanksgiving table. Enjoy yourself this year!

Fw: Pokey's Sharing a Cool Secret for making Holiday Ornaments

From: Quilting Daily <quiltingdaily@interweave.com>
To: voiceomt2002@yahoo.com

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Quilting Arts Gifts is a special issue of Quilting Arts Magazine devoted to the art of gift-giving!

September 9, 2010

My Recipe for No-sew Snowflakes It's no secret I'm a surface design junkie. Over the years, I have amassed an overflowing stash of fabrics that have been dyed, printed, screened, stamped, and stenciled. Not only do I despair of ever using these fabrics up in art quilts, I have to admit that some of them aren't quite art quilt-worthy. I also have to admit that, being a surface design junkie, I also collect a ton of objects that could be used in surface design. A category of those objects is cookie cutters—implements that I can assure you will never be used in the presence of butter and sugar. Soy wax, maybe. So you can imagine my delight when I figured out a way to use these extra fabrics and some snowflake cookie cutters that were gathering dust together to get a jump start on my holiday decorations. I created no-sew snowflake ornaments that are a snap to make, and I'm sharing the secret for making them with you. In fact, if you have an Accuquilt GO! Fabric Cutter, you can whip up a batch of these cool beauties even faster. I explain the process with the fabric cutter in the 2010-2011 issue of Quilting Arts Gifts, but I can't wait to share the instructions for the cookie cutter version, so here it is. No-sew Fabric Ornaments By Pokey Bolton Materials Scraps of fabric Fusible web Stiff interfacing Iron and ironing surface Fabric scissors Awl Eyelets and eyelet setting tools Decorative ribbon (at least 7" for hanging) Cookie cutters with holiday themes Fabric marker Making the snowflakes 1. Sift through your stash of fabrics and look for areas that have interesting patterns that you'd like to feature on your ornaments. 2. Following the manufacturer's instructions, adhere fusible web to the back side of the fabric with your iron. 3. Iron the fused fabric to a piece of stiff interfacing. 4. Take another piece of fabric, apply fusible web, and iron it to the other side of the interfacing so that it is double sided. 5. Place a holiday-themed cookie cutter on top of the stiffened fabric and trace the design using a fabric marker, then cut it out. Attaching the ribbon 1. Mark a dot on your fabric ornament where you would like the ribbon to loop through for hanging. 2. With your awl, poke a small circle. 3. Using your eyelet setting tools, hammer the eyelet in place. 4. Loop the ribbon through the eyelet, and tie the ends in a bow. Voila! Your ornament is ready to be hung on the tree, and your surface design efforts were put to excellent use. There are lots of make-it-quick projects like this in the new issue of Quilting Arts Gifts, as well as more complex gift-giving and home décor ideas for the holidays and beyond. Be sure to get your copy before—like your favorite cookie—they're all gone!

Pokey Bolton Editorial Director More Quilting Daily •  Blogs •  Galleries •  Quilting Arts TV •  Free Stuff •  Join Quilting Arts •  Share Your Comments

Buy Yourself Some Time Make easy, modern projects in no time with Quilting Arts Gifts Make quick work of your holiday gift list and home décor with fun, festive projects you can make in an afternoon. The 2010-11 issue of Quilting Arts Gifts offers you seven Make-it-Quick! ideas that are a snap to make, leaving you more time to enjoy the season and bask in all the compliments you'll get for your creativity. Got time for more involved projects? Quilting Arts Gifts includes more than 20 additional art quilting and mixed-media ideas that will elicit oohs and aahs from everyone who sees them. Our Gifts issue is always a best-seller, so don't miss out. Order your issue today, and complete a project the very day it arrives!

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Charity Work for Crafters/Seamstresses

**Permission to Forward Granted and Encouraged**

I'm participating in the Million Pillowcase Challenge and I'm inviting my friends to join me. You can learn more here:
http://www.oldegreencupboard.com/1millionpillowcases.html

You can even pick up free patterns (There's a basic one for those who can do straight seams only *coughMerriPhoenixcough*) by clicking on the picture of the little girl or the link below:

http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/millionpillowcases/freepatterns/index.html

Please join us in giving to those who have faced disaster, abuse and heartbreak by giving them something handmade and cleaning out our fabric piles at the same time.

Send me pictures with your pillowcases so I can count them. The person who sends me a picture with the most will win one of my signed print books, Unicorn Valley.

Lena Austin
http://www.LenaAustin.com
Writing blog: http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com
Recipe and Pagan blog: http://third-infinity.blogspot.com
Low Carb Diet blog: http://fatfrogdiary.blogspot.com

A Fairy Quilt for My Granddaughter Hope

Occasionally, I have the fun of making my grandchildren something. This year's projects are quilts for each of them, though Danny's will be technically given to him next year due to a time crunch. (I just can't find enough of the theme!)

This is the first I've managed to get done, though it's only the quilt top at present. I'll sandwich it and bind after I get the rest of the materials this weekend while working at JoAnn's.

 

You can't see the bottom row, thanks to the wind, but it's the same four-patch as the top, okay? I got the beautiful fairy panel and most of the materials at LadyBug Quilt Shop here in Jacksonville, on Cassat Ave. Rikki is a doll, and so willing to help anyone who needs it.

Okay, I'm done bragging now.