Big

I haven't posted big in awhile.

Enormous acorns plinking off my car and being thrown by the boys.

A disgusting slug out the backdoor.  Neither cat would go near it.  I imagine they taste as bad as they look.

A big day building Legos at the National Building Museum.

Behind Me

South Dakota is behind me.  I read "Twisted Tree" by Kent Meyers.  SD has been the toughest state so far to find a read.  I found a number of fiction books, but not current enough to be in the library.  I am into Arkansas with "Calicoe Joe" by John Grisham.  I have fifteen states left and around eighteen more weeks to accomplish this goal.  It will be close.  I have enjoyed reading a book from every state. 

I finished my tumbling blocks quilt, but haven't taken a picture.  I plan on sending it off for quilting.  I am trying to slog through things I haven't finished.  I sewed on two bindings so they are ready to be tacked down during cool evenings in the fall.  I am still only using fabrics that I have on hand to make anything new.  My postage stamp quilt has 64 finished blocks, I have no real plans for this yet.  I am using strips to make a shawl.  I like it, but Ellen said it looks like something I made.  I am not sure what that means.  I promise to post some pictures!

Words and Weirds

Ian has a friend over and they decided to play Scrabble.  This alone is amazing.  They are in the middle of the big game and the "under-the-bed cat" strolls in and lies down in the middle of the game.  He wreaked a little havoc and then sauntered back off to look for dust bunnies.

We ate dinner with the neighbors the other day.  One of them said a word that I had never heard, some type of Native American word.  I asked her how you spelled it.  Her husband laughed at me and said, "you really like words, don't you."  I really, really, really like words.  I forget how weird and nerdy it is.  I feel that math nerds are taken more seriously than word nerds.

I got over my library book scoobiness for the most part and have checked out tons of books.  I have forgotten to write them down.  Now, I can tell you the plot, but not the author and title.  I didn't write down Idaho and now can't remember it - very frustrating.  I just finished "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathatn Safran Foer.  It took me longer to read than usual and I put it down a couple of times to rest from the story, but it was extremely and incredibly beautiful.  The book held many love stories.

I have been making steady progress on a tumbling blocks quilt.  It is going together amazingly well.  I have trouble with precision, but this quilt is really working.  The quilt is challenge for me, because the pattern looks different from every angle.  I will post a picture soon. 

Ambidextrous

If Ned was doing this I would think he was messing with me.  Since it is Ian, I think he is generally confunded.

Ian - Mom is that girl on the tv who lost a lot of weight ambidextrous?
Me - She is anorexic, I doubt she is eating with both hands.  Someone give that girl a sandwich.
Ian - Mom when you move around to get exercise is that ambidextrous?
Me - Aerobic exercise and you can use both hands. Go play outside!
Ian - Mom that stuff you use to wash the floors that smells bad is that ambidexterous?
Me - Ammonia and I can mop with both hands.  Thanks for asking to do the mopping.
 Ian - Mom is that old lady ambidextrous?
Me - I don't know, but she has arthritis. Shh, she can hear you.
Ian - Mom when I keep my room really clean is that ambidextrous?
Me - Immaculate, for the seven millionth time ambidextrous means using both hands.  In baseball being able to bat both directions.  Please go clean your room.
Ian -  Oh yeah.


2 days later
Ian - Mom when I really don't want to do something is that ambidextrous?
Me - Apathetic!

Since I am telling Ian stories, here is another one.  He is for the most part even-tempered, but every now and then has a grumpfest.  I always tell him, "the real Ian has been abducted by Aliens and replaced by a grumpkin."  One day last week he told that he doesn't like that and to never say it again.  No problem on my part.  This week he has been totally out-of-sorts.  He told me, "Mom, I think I have been abducted by Aliens and replaced with a grumpkin."  He is trying to make me a crazy mom.

Mug Rugs

Up until recently I have enjoyed reading other quilting blogs, but lately it has been dull.  I haven't been happy with all the blogs having similar quilts.  I know it is like fashion and certain colors are in, but it all is blurring together. I feel that many quilters are buying the fabric lines and not putting together their own mix of fabrics.  The lines are beautiful, but a bit sterile. Truly, what has put me over the edge with quilt sites is mug rugs.  Quilting fights an uphill battle to get respect with "real artists" and the general population.  People always perceive quilting to be crafty and grandmotherly.  These people making mug rugs contribute to the impression.  A mug rug is a fiddly, useless, dorky and somewhat humiliating use of scraps.  Go ahead people and make small quilts, place mats, trading cards or just pass on/throw away the scraps, but don't make mug rugs. 

I do have a small wonder why I don't feel this same aversion for coasters?

I have not quilted in a month.  I have been too busy with kid stuff and reading, but the real reason is a dog barf.  Hoover threw up in my sewing room.  It was huge and disgusting in that little room.  I have cleaned it up, but my room has felt contaminated. I will have to quilt myself a HAZMAT suit. I haven't recovered from his four room episode.  Thankfully Hoover has recovered.