Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
~Mark Twain
Do you ever have one of those days when you feel every bit of your age? And other days when you forget how old your really are? Yesterday was an old day for me - don't know why and don't really care. Most days I feel as though I'm still in my 30's (well, late 30's) and then I think about my daughter's who are both in the 30's and realize that, no, I am really getting old. Double nickles isn't too old but it definitely isn't on the young side either. The years are flying by. The body doesn't work like it used to but as long as my mind keeps telling me otherwise, I'll just ignore (or try to anyway) the process of aging.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Hollywood Bowl a couple of years ago.
We have attended a few concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. What a setting! And when the weather is hot and nasty at home you can count on enjoying a cool, if not chilly, evening while listening to a great concert. This one happened to be a delightful concert with Diana Krall (my DH's girlfriend - or so he tells me - lol!). The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances. It has a seating capacity of 17,376. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its band shell, a distinctive set of concentric arches that graced the site from 1929 through 2003, before being replaced with a somewhat larger one beginning in the 2004 season. The shell is set against the backdrop of the Hollywood Hills and the famous Hollywood Sign to the Northeast.
Can you tell I dug through some of our archived pictures to share this one with you?
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Over the last couple of days I have been able to finish up some blocks. I will share a few of them with you today.
Tuesday the new block was issued for the Layer Cake Quilt Along hosted by Moose on the Porch Quilts. This is a basket block designed by Sarah Vanderburgh of Sew Joy. I stayed with the Sweet and Sour line of fabric from Connecting Threads. This was a fairly simple block and went together quickly. I think I even managed to not use my seam ripper once on this one (a definite rarity!).
Then yesterday I remembered that I still had to make a house block for the Friendly Neighborhood challenge. Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt came up with a unique way to celebrate blogland. You make a 12" house block, mail it to her, and then she will send out 9 to 12 houses to the winners (how many winners depends on how many entered).
Here is my humble little house block. I don't do well with wonky. My mind just doesn't want to bend that way. Give me instructions and straight lines and I can make most any block but give my wonky and my head goes wacky.
See the kitty in the window? I hope he isn't going to eat that little bird. And I added a little rose curtain above his head.
And no house is complete without a dog! Seems like someone inside is instructing him to "Get the Newspaper!".
That's my little attempt at whimsy. This was a fun block to create. You, too, can enter as long as you are able to send Beth a block before the end of the year. Just go to the link above (Friendly Neighborhood) for all of the details.
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GIVEAWAYS
Jane from Jane's Fabrics and Quilts is have a wonderful giveaway. You could win a set of 4 handmade Christmas placemats, a wool felt snowman candle mat kit, and a few other little odds and ends. This giveaway ends December 8th.
Sew Cal Gal and Karen Utley (a non-blogger) are having a Carry The Spirit Forward Christmas Giveaway. There are numerous items to win. You must enter before midnight on Sunday, December 5th.
Oh what the heck. Here's another reminder about my Big Giveaway!! Don't forget to enter. Come back tomorrow for another chance to enter for the Thimbleberries!
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FINAL THOUGHTS
This time of year is meant for the young, or at least the young at heart. Christmas is a time when innocence is blessed. This year I am very lucky to be able to have both of my little grandsons in my home for Christmas. It will be so much fun to view all of the happenings through the eyes of the very young (18 months and almost 4 1/2 years old). It will be special! It will be fun! I'm counting the days until their arrival.
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.
~Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas
And that's a good thing because our tree will be small (under 5 foot tall). Have a thrilling Thursday!
19 comments:
Lucky you to have small ones to share the holidays with. Someday, maybe! Your house blocks is very whimsical, and I love it.
Wow what an experience the Hollywood Bowl must be!
I love your blocks especially the house block! Very cute!
I have a 2 1/2 year old great niece
that will put some fun in our Christmas this year! Can't wait!
I've been reading you in Google Reader and love the posts. You are one busy lady!
I lived in Burbank for a few years when I was little and have ties to SoCal, familiar with the area but never been to the Hollywood Bowl for an event. Maybe some day.
I'm right there with you on the wonky business...my mind does not do wonky well.
As for Christmas, I'm just hoping all 3 of my boys can make it home. If not, this will be the first year without my kids. :[
I really like your house block. It so cute with the pets in the window.
Love the house block, sooo cute!
Linda, there is a sign in a local shop that says "We are all the same age inside". And I believe that. We may age physically but inside, we love the same things we always did :-) Have a great day!
We so enjoy the Hollywood Bowl and we love Diana Krall's singing so how did we miss that one?????
Great house block. I have to get mine done too.
Oh my goodness girl! I just love your house block. So so so cute!
That house block is so cute! I love the dog in the door and the cat in the window. <3 My favorite concert (out of the two) at the Bowl was the John Williams concert. Still gives me chills when I think about it. I'll have to tell Nate about your Christmas tree - he was asking about it the other night: "Mom. Tell me about Grandma Linda's Christmas tree." He was a little disappointed when I told him I couldn't because you get a new tree every year. LOL He'll be happy to hear a little bit about it now. And I can't imagine what he's going to say about Grandma's tree! *gasp*
I'm with you on the wonky stuff!! LOL It's even harder to do than "random!" But I love your whimsical touches on the house. Well done! And of course, I like your basket for the LCQA...After you posted it on Flikr, I figured out how I wanted to do mine! So much better than the sample we'd been provided!! Thanks a million!
Blessings,
Mary Lou
I love small trees - ours is usually about my height (5'). And your house and basket are wonderful! I try wonky, but I end up with weird...
Love the animals in the house... what a great idea...
Hugz
Linda, you sure have been busy!! Love your blocks!
And I'm so glad you post giveaways--it's so much easier to find them on your blog :)
I love that Christmas tree saying!
I'm looking forward to sharing holiday time with my 2 small grandnieces - and a baby grandniece due any day now. Their wonder and enthusiasm is great to see. Thank you for sharing your lovely projects.
Linda, I love that you put pets and curtains in that little house block! I never-in-a-million-years would have thought to do that! Well done!!!
I'm having one of those "feel my age" couple of weeks and can empathize with you. I like your quote about "every Christmas tree looks 30ft tall in the eyes of a child" and I'm going to adopt that attitude more fervently in the next few weeks! :-)
Linda, your house blocks are adorable. I love to add little things, animals, flowers, etc to the windows on house blocks, it just feels right! As for the process of aging...like my hubby says "Aging is NOT for wimps". We both turned 60 this year and are on heart healthy meals and an exercise program. We started it over 2 years ago after my hubbys heart attack. The change in diet was a little tough for him to get used, not so much for me because I just don't get hungry, but we have turned into those people you see in the store, blocking the isles while we read lables, LOL. It is much more expensive to eat healthy than it is to eat whatever you want, but we do it. As for the exercise...well it's easier for hubby than for me. He power walks 4miles a day. I can sometimes make 1 1/2 miles on a good day but since I normally use a cane for my Scleroderma, after the first mile, I'm struggling so I just slow down and let him take off. OH, and we are also Mall walkers in the winter, another aggravating thing for younger folks, LOL. But...the vigorous activity increases my discomfort, but it helps keep me mobile and able to function. As for him, it really gets his bad shoulder going but it also keeps it from freezing up on him...hence "Aging is NOT for wimps".
It felt like an old day for me too. I worked, went to therapy for my shoulder, made supper and ate...then crashed on the couch for a nap before bed! I love the house block. I think putting the animals in the door and window make it wonky. May Saturday find us feeling our inner age!
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