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

Two More

Life's problems wouldn't be called "hurdles" if there wasn't a way to get over them.  
~Author Unknown

It has finally cooled down a bit here.  It has been cool enough the last couple of days to leave the windows open all day long!  Now keep in mind that I'm still wearing shorts but I have been wearing my zip hoodie the last few mornings.  It's so nice to be chilled for a change!  The powers that be are predicting high 80's for the end of next week so I better enjoy these days.  Fall is here but only for a little while.  We don't have any big plans this weekend - only a few errands and an ALS support group meeting.  What are your plans for the weekend?

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FUN FACT OF THE DAY

Firefly / Lightning Bug

I have never seen a firefly.  They do live in the same part of the world that I do.  I would love the see their display some time.  Here are some fun facts about those little buggers:

* Fireflies are not flies. Fireflies are not in the same group as houseflies. Rather, they are a type of beetle. They are in the insecta class, and in the order Coleoptera, which includes beetles. They are related to ladybugs.

* Fireflies live for approximately two months, sometimes more, sometimes less. Their lifespan depends usually on how well they can hide from prey and the weather.

 * Fireflies are small insects that are never bigger than one inch. They are usually about 1/4 of an inch to 3/4 of an inch long.

* Male fireflies use their blinking light to help them find a mate. They will fly around blinking their light in a certain pattern for signaling mating. If a female notices him, she will flash her light back until they reach each other.

* Some types of fireflies will lay hundreds of eggs. Others will only lay about 40. The eggs take approximately one month to hatch and become larvae. Firefly eggs may give off a steady light.

* You are most likely to find fireflies in damp areas. They live in fields, woods and of course, backyards. They are found over all of the US, however are not in some areas where it is very dry (and, thus the reason they do not live where I live)

* Fireflies are the world's most efficient light producers.

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MORE DANCING

I'm still Dancing (working with the blocks) but hope to have them completed next week.  Here are a couple more.....

This is Rumba.  The center blues are actually more purple than they appear.  "Rumba" is used as shorthand for Afro-Cuban rumba, a group of dances related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. The most common Afro-Cuban rumba is the guaguancó. The other Afro-Cuban rumbas are Yambu and Columbia.

This block is called Two Step.  The Two Step dance seems to refer to more than one kind of dance.  It is commonly just a dance move, and then there's the country two-step known as the Texas Two Step.  There is also a 'Nightclub Two Step' that is commonly known as the California Two Step.  There also appears to be a acrobatic maneuver used in break-dancing that is called the 2-Step.  At least this block was easy to maneuver with the foundation paper piecing pattern from Carol Doak.

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QUILTING GALLERY ENTRY

Once again I have decided to enter Michele's Quilting Gallery Weekly Quilt Contest.  This time the theme is "Paper/Foundation Piecing" and I am entering...

Bubbles.  There are 28 wonderful quilts entered and you can go HERE to view them all.  I would certainly appreciate your vote if you should care to cast it my way.  You can vote until Monday at 8:00 am.  Thanks!

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FINAL THOUGHT

Last weekend was our annual Walk To Defeat ALS.  Here is a two minute report on of our local news channels did (neither me nor my team made the cut) .....

Continuing

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.  

~Thomas Edison

Last Saturday was a day of shots - no, not the alcoholic kind.  First thing in the morning we took both pups in for their yearly booster for bordetella so they can be boarded at the "local pet spa" when we travel out of town.  Then we headed to the east part of town where both DH and I received our yearly flu shots.  Every year I react, but luckily mildly.  Sunday I was achy and had a scratchy throat and my upper arm and shoulder hurt like it had been punched (and no, I didn't tense up when the shot was given).  Did DH have any reaction?  Only for about 3 hours mid afternoon on Sunday!  Monday morning I woke up with a two inch welt on my arm about an inch below the injection site.  Each year it seems to be something new.  But I guess it's better than getting the full blown flu.  Have you had your flu shot yet?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Moon

Over the weekend I would have liked to turn the moon off.  It in full splendor, it was putting out tons of light and making my bedroom much to bright.  Here are a few facts about that white, smiling thing in the night sky:

* The surface area of the moon is 14,658,000 square miles or 9.4 billion acres

* Only 59% of the moon's surface is visible from earth

* The moon rotates at 10 miles per hour compared to the earth's rotation of 1000 miles per hour. 

* When a month has two full moons, the second full moon is called a blue moon. Another definition of a blue moon is the third full moon in any season (quarter of year) containing 4 total full moons.

* The moon has no global magnetic field. 

* The moon is about 1/4 the size of the Earth.

* The Moon is about 250,000 miles (384,400 kilometres) from Earth.

* The surface of the Moon has about the same area as the continent of Africa.

* There is no wind or weather on the moon.

* Footprints left on the Moon by Apollo astronauts will remain visible for at least 10 million years because there is no erosion on the Moon.

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STILL DANCING

I'm still working on my Dancing With The Stars (pattern by Carol Doak) quilt blocks.  

This block is called Samba.  The Samba is a lively, rhythmical dance of Brazilian origin.  

This block is called Salsa.  Another hot dance with origins from the Cuban Son (circa 1920s) and Afro-Cuban dance (specifically Afro-Cuban rumba).  

I'm still loving foundation paper piecing and have been gathering books using this method.  Have you given paper piecing a try yet?

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ANOTHER NEW PROJECT

Recently I purchased the computer program BlockBase.  It is a CD -ROM version of  Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.  I hadn't done much with it until yesterday.  The Electric Quilt Company has started a Sew Along using the software and I've decided to join in.  What better way to learn how to use the program and make something at the same time.

This is the first block they selected to use.  It is block #1336  and I've decided to make it up in the 8 inch size.  EQ gives excellent instructions on how to find the block and all the steps needed to get you started.  I selected to make it with foundation paper piecing (no surprise there - lol).  I am using fabric from a line I collected several years ago that has been waiting around in a plastic bag for me to use.  EQ will be doing a new block every two weeks.  At the end of the two week period they are providing a link up where we can see the blocks everyone has created.  I think this will be fun!

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FINAL THOUGHT

A Little Bit Of This....

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.  

~Flavia Weedn, Flavia and the Dream Maker

This week just flew by.  I had hoped to get a lot more completed than I did.  Summer has returned and will be visiting over the weekend, too.  The forecast is promising - they say we are to be in the high 80's next weekend.  I sure hope they are right!  This weekend seems to be a fairly normal one with a few errands to run.  Oh, and before I forget, don't forget to come back Tuesday because I'm having a Fat Quarter Shop sponsored giveaway you won't want to miss!  Woohoo!!!  Is your weekend a busy one?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Dachshunds

Can you guess what is my favorite breed of dog?  And, no, those are not my pups.  I couldn't get a good photo of the two of them together.  We do have long haired miniatures and have had one that looked exactly like the short hair in the middle.  One day I would like to have a wired haired.  Here are some fun facts on dachshunds:

* The Dachshund belongs to the hound group. They have a very good sense of smell and are excellent at hunting.

* The Dachshund came from Germany.

* The Dachshund was bred to hunt badgers. The word dachshund means "Badger Dog".

* It is pronounced "DACKS-hoont" not "Dash-hound" or, as one friend of mine  says, "Dat-sun." (No, the car was not named after them!)

* Dachshunds were first found in Europe in the 15th Century. They have an acute sense of smell, can fit into tunnels, can dig quickly, and have lots of courage. The smaller-sized dogs were used to hunt foxes and rabbits. They have a temperament that closely matches terriers.

* They look like hot dogs, and are often called wieners, but in fact, they precede the hot dog!

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SQUISHIES

Recently I received two wonderful squishies in the mail.

Like most of you, I entered several of the giveaways during the blog hop that was hosted by Michele over at the Quilting Gallery.  I was the lucky winner of three of those giveaways!  This fun package of two quilting magazines and  beautiful fabrics is from Carly over at Faith, Family, and Frugality.  Thank you so much, Carly, I'm enjoying looking through the magazines and love the fabric.

And then I received this darling Doll Quilt from Merry.  Merry was my July swap partner for the Doll Quilter's Monthly hosted by Barbara.  Life got a bit in the way for Merry but the wait was well worth it.  Don't you just love all those yoyo's?  And did you notice the little patriotic bee on the right hand side.  I'm not waiting until next July to put this little quilt out on display.  Thank you, Merry!

It was a great mail week :)

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STILL DANCING

I'm still working on the Dancing With The Stars quilt.....one block at a time.

This block is called Cha-Cha.  It reminds me of looking through a kaleidoscope where the pieces don't quit match up.  I don't care for this block by itself but I do like it mixed in with all the rest.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Dancing

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.  

~Dr. Seuss

How is your week going so far?  Did you have a nice weekend?  For me, so far so good.  Our weekend was fairly quiet and gave us time to recharge our batteries.  Recently we've had a couple of tree branches break off.  One was a rather large pine branch and the other a middle sized branch of a bush that turned into a tree.  I told my DH that the birds in the neighborhood must be getting too fat.  In all reality, it's probably because of the heat.  The smaller branch is the one that startled me as it went down right outside my sewing room window.  The forecasters had predicted cooler weather, which we had for two days, but we are supposed to back up the old century mark again tomorrow.  Even the plants and trees are tired of the heat.  Oh well.  I'll stay cool inside while I stitch and quilt.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Octopus

The octopus - a creature of nightmares and underwater spooky movies.  All those legs seem like they would get tied in knots.  However, there are time when I wish I had 8 hands, especially when the girls were little.  Here are a few facts on the demon of the sea:

* An octopus species known as the mimic octopus can actually impersonate other creatures

* All octopuses have three hearts

* They have no bones and will not be able to maintain their shape out of water

* The octopus has blue blood

* They have a very good eyesight but can not hear

* All octopuses can change their color

* When threatened or provoked, the blue-ringed octopus will quickly change its color to bright yellow with blue rings on it

* Sometimes octopuses may shed an arm to escape a predator

* An adult Octopus can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime

* The octopus is considered to be the smartest of all invertebrates. In captive environments, octopuses are able to complete puzzles, mazes, and be trained. In some cases, octopus can be seen playing with their toys or keepers

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A FEW MORE BLOCKS

I have continued to work on my Dancing With The Stars blocks.....

This block is called Tango.  The center square is really a warmer purple than the photo depicts.  The Tango dance dates back to the 1890's and originated in the lower class districts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

And this one is called Mambo.  I hadn't heard of this dance but looked it up and found out it is a Latin dance of Cuba.  The Mambo dance was invented in the 1930's in Havana.  It's been fun relating the blocks to their names with a little bit of history.  

I'm still loving foundation paper piecing and look forward to creating each new block.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Quiet Week

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.  

~Dr. Seuss

This has been a very quiet week for me.  No shopping or meetings in the evenings.  I've been able to get in a lot of sewing and stitching.  Now next week will be the complete opposite.  I have something going on 4 evenings and a full day next Saturday.  Luckily we have only a couple of errands to run this weekend so there will be time to charge the batteries.  How has your week been?  Will you have a quiet weekend like me?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Crab

Watching a crab skitter across the sand at the beach is so much more fun than watching a spider climb my wall.  And they make such a wonderful meal!  Here are some interesting facts about crabs:

* A crab is a decapod (meaning having 'ten limbs') which has eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace (a hard protective covering of bone or chitin) with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers

* Soft-shelled crabs are blue crabs that have recently cast their shells

* About one-quarter of the crab's weight is meat

* The Crab typically walks sideways

* Average crabs live no longer than 3 years.

* The crab's scientific name is Callinectes sapidus which means "beautiful swimmer"

* If a crab loses its claw, the claw will grow back

* The teeth of the crab are in its stomach.

* The biggest crab till date was found in Maryland. It was a male and measured 9 inches

* The most colorful crab in the world is probably the Sally Lightfoot Crab. It has red, orange, yellow and white colors.

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MORE DANCING

I continue to work on Dancing With The Stars.  I have made another Lambada block and then added....

This block is called Viennese Waltz.  I'm still lovin' FFP!

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WOCS

Last week I sent in another completed cross stitch block to WOCS.  

They are creating a quilt with a beach theme.  These flip flops worked up quickly and were easy to work on in the car.

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FINAL THOUGHT

A New Project

Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out.  

~Art Linkletter

Has everyone been watching the Olympics?  Unfortunately I haven't seen much of the games.  I'm either busy sewing during the day or they come on after my bedtime.  My DD#2, on the other hand, has probably seen more hours of the Olympics than most.  She is a big sport fanatic.  She will watch almost any sport so she is in hog heaven - she gets this sports watching trait from paternal grandmother - lol!  Hopefully this weekend we will have some time to watch at least some of the games.  Which sport is your favorite to watch?  Me?  I prefer the winter Olympics but do like diving, gymnastics, and rowing.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Straws

I use at least one straw each and every day.  Bright and early (well, really dark and early) I open a can of Diet 7-Up and insert a straw.  Did you know you can anchor the straw in place if you angle the pop-top so the straw can go through the bottom hole?  I got really tired of the straw trying to escape from the can because of the fizz and figured this out one day.  I have used every color of the straws above plus more.  And it has to be a bendy straw or I'm not happy.  Here a couple of facts about straws.....

- The drinking straw dates to the ancient Sumerians, who used them to drink beer. A seal from 3100 B.C. depicts two men using straws to drink beer from a crock, and archaeologists discovered a gold and lapis lazuli drinking straw in a Sumerian tomb.

-  In 19th-century America, people used naturally hollow rye grass as drinking straws. Frustrated with how these natural straws began to disintegrate in beverages, Marvin Stone invented a wax-coated paper straw, which he patented in 1888.

-  Joseph B. Friedman made another major advancement in drinking straws: the bendy straw, which he created by molding a paper straw around the grooves of a screw. He patented the invention as the "drinking tube" in 1937.

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A NEW PROJECT

I have started a new project that I'm really enjoying.  I have begun the quilt by Carol Doak, Dancing With The Stars.  I even splurged and bought the exact fabric that she used to make up the quilt.  It is a foundation paper piece quilt and the CD allows me to print out the pattern with ease.  I have a new love in the world of quilting!  No, it's not Carol Doak, but foundation paper piecing!  Here a couple of the blocks I've made....

This block is called Lambada.  I have to make 15 of these as they are the connecting blocks.  So far I've made three.

This is the second block.  It is called Lindy Hop.  I make a Lambada block before every new block so that way I don't get bored making the same block all the time.  Like I said, foundation paper piecing is my new love :)

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A BIT OF CROSS STITCH

I have continued to work on my large counted cross stitch project but have taken a bit of a break to make up three blocks for WOCS.

One of the blocks they requested to be made was tropical fish.  I finally found this pattern through an Etsy store.  It was fun to stitch.  I have made couple of other designs but I will share those another time.

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FINAL THOUGHT

And since last time I included a puppy video, I think all cat lovers can relate to this video.....