Something To Share

Don't be dismayed at goodbyes.  A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.  And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends.  

~Richard Bach

HONESTY

I've sat here for an hour just staring at the screen.  I have to be honest with both myself and you, my friends. I don't enjoy blogging anymore

Now don't get me wrong, I love all the friends I've made and that you are willing to share your life with me.  I just don't like the feeling of "I must write today".  It's gotten so bad that I haven't even been reading others' blogs.  

I have been sewing

and working on cross stitch

But I have absolutely no desire to blog

I hope you will forgive me.  I'll start visiting some of your blogs soon.  If you are on Facebook I would love to have you become one of my friends.  It's so easy to keep in touch that way.  I am on there at least a couple of times a day.  My user name is Linda Gilli (I know, real original - LOL!)

Please forgive me for leaving you this way.  Perhaps, one day, I will be back just busting at the seams with things to say.  But for now, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the best New Year ever.  Thank you ever so much for being my friend!!

Hugs,

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  All of my friends (you!) are one of my biggest blessings.  I'm spending the long weekend with family and hope that you are able to share the time with those you love.

Hugs,

We Have A Winner!

Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings. 

 ~C.D. Jackson

The above quote fits me rather well this week.  I have the landing gear but not the wings - LOL!

This is what I'm sporting for a little while.  And, yes it is my right hand and yes, I'm right handed.  Recently I went into the doctor for swelling of my knee and wrist.  They took xrays.  Don't know what's wrong with the knee yet but they discovered a recent fracture to the triquetral bone in my wrist.  It's one of those small bones at at the base of your finger bones right above the wrist joint.  The docs said it had to have happened from a fall or a sudden bracing of myself.  Well, guess what?  I haven't fallen nor braced myself from falling. My hubby can't recall either happening either.  I asked if it could be a stress fracture since I had been doing a lot more cutting with the rotary cutter but they assured me that could not be the cause.  So, once again I remain a mystery.  When the injury first happened I thought it was tennis elbow as all the muscles in my lower armed really hurt.  Oh well.  Two weeks of wearing a cast isn't the end of the world but it is the end of cutting and sewing during that time.  Sorry for the blurry photo but trying to take a photo with my left hand was a challenge.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Bones

I bet you're not surprised that my facts today are on human bones.  I thought I might learn a few things since one of mine decided to fail:

* The smallest bone in the human body is the stapes or stirrup bone located in the middle ear. It is approximately .11 inches (.28 cm) long.

* Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete, the Femur bone as it’s called – the biggest and strongest bone in our body. It is easily capable of lifting or supporting 30 times its own volume and weight

* There are about 206 bones in a grown-up’s body. But more than half of them are located just in our hands and feet

* There are around 14 bones are in the face, 8 bones are in each wrist, 27 bones in each hand, 23 bones are in each foot including the ankle and 30 bones in the skull.

*  Adult human bones account for 14% of the body’s total weight.

* Bones consist of 50% water and 50% solid matter. They are hard, strong and very much alive like muscle tissue.

* We have somewhere around 300 to 350 bones that we are born with. As we grow up, the number reduces to 206. Sometime around the age between 12 and 14, some of our smaller bones, fuse into larger, big and stronger bones

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THE WINNER IS......

Thank you all for entering the Beam N Read giveaway!  It was a lot of fun reading who you give the Beam N Read to if you were the lucky winner.  With the help of random.org, the winner is.....

Joanne Leandro

"Thanks for your giveaway...I think I would gift the light to my son who loves to read. It would make a great direct light source for those late nights curled up with a book."

Congratulations, Joanne!  I have sent her an email and she will be receiving her Beam N Read directly from the sponsor.  

And a big thank you to Bob at ASF Lightware Solutions for sponsoring this giveaway!

Don't forget that there are still Beam N Read giveaways being held.  Just go HERE to see a list of the current giveaways.

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STILL STITCHING

Luckily, I'm still able to work on my counted cross stitch project with the stupid cast.  

Since the piece is on a frame, I can use the stick and stab method with very little trouble.  This is a new piece I started working on about two weeks ago.  The photo shows only half of the top row and some corner work.

Name:  Herbularius (available only as an online class so far)

Designer:  Chatelaine Designs - Martina Rosenberg

Fabric:  32 Count Antique White Linen

Threads Used:  DMC cotton floss, Needlepoint Inc, Silk, Caron Waterlillies Silk, Caron Wildflowers, Gloriana stranded Silk, Gloriana Florimell Silk, Dinky Dyes Silk, The Gentle Art "Simply Wool" and Rainbow Gallery Petite Treausre Braids.

Approximate Finished Size: 23 inches square

Start Date:  October 30, 2012

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SIDE NOTE

The wrist cast really makes it a challenge to type so I will be taking a brief vacation from blogging.  I will hopefully return on Friday, November 30.

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 FINAL THOUGHT

It's a "B" Day!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Gosh!  I just can't seem to get to my sewing machine lately.  This week I've sewed once so far this week.  Between doctor's appointments, learning a new cell phone (I'm not very tech savvy), and computer work, the week has just flown by.  I want/need/must get to sew today!  I am feeling behind and frustrated.  Hopefully a day of sewing will put everything right with the world.  Has your week gone as you hoped?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Turkey

This being the month of November, I thought it would be fun to learn about this amazing bird.  Here are a few facts about turkeys:

* Turkeys are more than just big chickens–more than 45 million years of evolution separates the two species.

* The wild turkey was hunted nearly to extinction by the early 1900s, when the population reached a low of around 30,000 birds. But restoration programs across North America have brought the numbers up to seven million today.

* Male turkeys are called “gobblers,” after the “gobble” call they make to announce themselves to females (which are called “hens”) and compete with other males. Other turkey sounds include “purrs,” “yelps” and “kee-kees.”

* A turkey’s gender can be determined from its droppings–males produce spiral-shaped poop and females’ poop is shaped like the letter J.

*  Turkeys can run at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and fly as fast as 55 miles per hour.

* Turkeys’ heads change colors when they become excited.

* A group of related male turkeys will band together to court females, though only one member of the group gets to mate.

* Baby turkeys, called poults, eat berries, seeds and insects, while adults have a more varied diet that can include acorns and even small reptiles.

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CLOSER TO A FINISH

I have been working on Dancing With The Stars and here are a few more of those blocks...

This block is called Argentine Tango.  Argentine Tango is a musical genre of simple quadruple metre and binary musical form, and the social dance that accompanies it. Its lyrics and music are marked by nostalgia, expressed through melodic instruments including the bandoneón. Originated at the ending of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, it quickly grew in popularity and spread internationally.

This block is called Fox Trot.  The foxtrot or fox trot is a smooth progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music, and the feeling is one of elegance and sophistication. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is 4/4 instead of ¾ time. Developed in the 1920's, the foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930's, and remains practiced today.

I have a few more blocks to share but only have one more block to make.  I can't wait to complete the final block and start putting the quilt top together.

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BOOKMARK

I haven't been as active with WOCS lately but I did manage to finish a bookmark while on our travels to and from Las Vegas.

I bought the fabric already made up into a bookmark and then found a chart that would fit it.  This was a fun little bookmark to make.  I've started working on a different bookmark that I do while running errands but haven't gotten very far on it.  Hopefully it will be completed by the end of the year.

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GIVEAWAY REMINDER

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the Beam N Read.  You can enter HERE!  You have until Tuesday, November 13 to enter.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Beam N Read Giveaway!

Toss your dashed hopes not into a trash bin but into a drawer where you are likely to rummage some bright morning.  

~Robert Brault

Okay!  I've had enough of Mother Nature playing with the thermometer!!  Last week we had highs in the 60's.  Yesterday, today, and tomorrow we are to be in the 80's.  Thursday?  Our high it supposed to on 58 degrees!!  Talk about your weather roller coaster!  I don't know how to dress from one day to the next.  Too soon to put the shorts away....too warm for long sleeves during the day......leave the windows open or closed......decisions, decisions, decision.  Well, at least you can't say it's boring!  

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Hurricane

With everything that went on last week with the hurricane know as Sandy, I thought it might be interesting to learn a bit about those massive storms.  Having lived on the west coast all of my life, I have never experienced anything with so much force.  Here are some things I learned:

* The word hurricane comes from the Taino Native American word, hurucane, meaning evil spirit of the wind.

* A tropical storm is classified as a hurricane once winds goes up to 74 miles per hour or higher.

* All hurricanes begin life in a warm moist atmosphere over tropical ocean waters.

* The most violent winds and heaviest rains take place in the eye wall, the ring of clouds and thunderstorms closely surrounding the eye.

* Slow moving hurricanes produce more rainfall and can cause more damage from flooding than faster-moving, more powerful hurricanes.

* Hurricanes produce enough energy in one day to run the lights of Las Vegas for many years

* Hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere spin in a clockwise direction. Hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere turn counterclockwise

* The planet Jupiter has a hurricane which has been going on for over 300 years. It can be seen as a red spot on the planet. This hurricane on Jupiter is bigger than the Earth itself

* A hurricane can reach 40,000 to 50,000 feet up into the sky

* Hurricanes never form at the equator because they need the Coriolis Force, which is very weak at the equator, to spin

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BEAM N READ GIVEAWAY

The day has finally arrived to hold the Beam N Read giveaway sponsored by ASF Lightware Solutions!  If you missed my review of this fantastic little light you can go HERE to read it.  I'm finding this light more useful than I ever thought I would.  It was great to use while traveling - especially in the hotel room where the light wasn't the greatest for these ol' eyes.  

How can you enter? 

Leave me a comment telling me who you would gift the Beam N Read to and how it would be of help to them.  You don't have to name names, just say Aunt, Uncle, friend, etc (you get the idea).

This giveaway will remain open until Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at 11:59 pm.  I will announce the winner in my post on Friday, November 16.

Only those who live in the USA or Canada may enter this giveaway (sorry!)

Only one entry per person.  

You must leave a way for me to contact you - if I can't reach you, you can't win!

I will use random.org to select the winner.

ASF Lightware Solutions will ship the Beam N Read directly to the winner within a week of my posting the winner.

There will be other Beam N Read giveaways during the month of November:

SewCalGal - Nov 2 to 9

A Light Full Of Laughter - Nov 3 to 17

Caregiver Partnership - Nov 7 to 21

Pacific Rim Quilt Company - Nov 8 to 23

Bejeweled Quilts By Barb - Nov 11 to 16

Cotton and Chocolate - Nov 12 to 16

I Have A Notion - Nov 12 to 18

During Quiet Time - Nov 12 to 19

Quilting Gallery - Nov 17 to 24

Good Luck!!!!

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2nd SEW ALONG BLOCK

I am a bit behind with my BlockBase SAL.  This is block number 2

This is block #2741.  The instructions said to use the templates.  I HATE templates.  I wanted to do it in foundation paper piecing.  It took some figuring but I managed to make the foundation pieces necessary to make this block.  I'm not really pleased with my color selection but I do like the block design.  Now on to the third SAL block before I get too far behind.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Rugs and Guild Challenge

Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn. 

~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Gosh!  What a week!  We were gone for 5 days and I just can't seem to get back into the sewing groove.  We were in Las Vegas attending the PBR (Pro Bull Riding) finals and were they ever exciting.  We stay at South Point away from the strip and downtown where many of the riders and member of the PBR stay.  It such a nice hotel and definitely calmer than the strip casinos.  We didn't win big - of course, it's hard to win big on penny slots :D  And then the other day I spent time online looking for a new cell phone.  Who knew it would take 2 1/2 hours to finally make a decision.  I'm hoping today that I get back to sewing.  How was your week?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Cows

What do you think of when you think of cows?  Milk?  Leather?  Here are a few interesting facts about cows:

* A heifer is a young female cow that hasn't had a calf yet. A cow gives milk for the first time, only after she gives birth to a calf.

* Cattle is the name for the entire "cow" family

* A cow can climb up the stairs, but cannot climb down. This is because her knees cannot bend properly.

* There are about 920 different breeds of cows in the world. Cows were domesticated about 5,000 years ago.

* Humans and cows have the same gestation period which is about nine months

* Cows have almost total 360 degree panoramic vision and are able to see colors, except red. 

* Cows can hear lower and higher frequencies better than humans

* A cow stands up and sits down about 14 times a day.

* It takes about 350 squirts for each gallon of milk from a cow.

* When galloping through boggy, soggy places or deep mud, cattle can run faster than horses. They have cloven hooves and their toes spread so their wide feet do not sink as deep as those of the solid-hoofed horse.

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MUG RUG SWAP

I am a member of a yahoo group of 10 ladies that swap mug rugs every other month.  Wednesday I received the best squishy in the mail from my swap partner, Sunny.

First off, I just love the adorable rug Sunny made for me with the cute embroidered snowman faces.  A little while ago I had seen the beautiful cross stitch piece, FAITH, she had made for someone else and told her how much I liked it.  And she made one for me!  I really like what it has to say and Sunny did a fantastic job with the variegated threads.  Sunny also included two yummy biscotti, a fat eighth of Christmas fabric and a darling little handmade card with a hexie snowman.  Thank you so very much for everything, Sunny!  And thank you for being such a wonderful swap partner.  I will have the rug out for the next few months.

This is the mug rug I made for Sunny.  Full of snowmen front and back.  The snowman on the left is paper pieced and so easy to do.  It was supposed to have embroidered eyes, mouth, and buttons but I went with real buttons all the way.

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QUILT CHALLENGE

Last month my guild (Cotton Patch Quilters of Kern County) held their annual quilt challenge.  This year the theme was monochromatic.  There were 10 entries this year and they were voted on by the membership.  Here are the ten quilts that were entered:

This adorable little quilt was created by Nancy Palmer.  And, yes, it is all in the color range of blue (according to the Ultimate 3 - In - 1 Color Tool)

This beauty was created by our guild president, Marilyn Smith.  She is a fairly new long arm quilter and her work is amazing.

Isn't the embroidery work on this quilt precious?  It was created by Celia Ho.

Sorry this is blurry but I love this Convergence pattern.  This was created by Nancy Erskine.

This amazing quilt was created by Jim Rupp.  It looks so 3 dimensional!

Another beautiful convergence by Nancy Erskine.

This one reminds me Valentine's Day.  It was created by Mary Jo Henry.

"Where It Rains".  This green convergence won 3rd place and was created by Nancy Erskine.  I love the colors in this one and the quilting was beautiful.

"It's Spring" won 2nd place and was created by Char Emery-Neabeack.  I really like her use of embellishments on this wall hanging quilt.

And, finally, my entry for the Challenge.  I called this "Purple FANtastic".  And I won 1st place!  I am so happy that my fellow quilters selected my little quilt - the smallest entry of the bunch.  Our membership is around 150 so to have my quilt selected by them was very thrilling.  In case you didn't see my description of this quilt on Wednesday, it measures 13 1/2" square and is entirely paper pieced.  

Oh, and while I'm talking about my little quilt, I've also entered in the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  Nominations are currently going on (thru November 4) and I would certainly appreciate your vote.  There are over 500 quilts entered!  Mine is about 3/4 of the way down #553 - just look for the purple.  There are some amazing entries this year.  Thank you for your consideration!

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FINAL THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Don't you wish the stores felt this way?