My Quilty Life

We've moved!

2007-02-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

The new blog can be found at:

http://quilty.birdies100.com/

Enjoy!

(Note: please do not delete your blog)

QB makes some Quilty Coasters (this is NOT the big news)

2007-02-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

QB has finished her Christmas sewing project for February. She made three sets of quilty coasters each set with a different design. There are four coasters in each set.

The Christmas moose coasters:

The watermelon coasters:

The Christmas coasters:

Glass on coaster:

Something big is in the works!

2007-02-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Can anyone guess what it is??

QB will announce the event on Sunday.

(GB - do not try nagging QB for inside info.)

More Boring Snow Ranting & some quilty stuff

2007-02-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

While yesterday's snow didn't amount to a hill of beans, it started snowing like crazy here about 45 mintes ago. Since it is so cold today, with a high around 20, the snow is sticking to everything. QB will try to ignore it until she must go outside for something.

This morning, LB's friend's mom invited LB to join them for a morning of bowling. LB had a great time!

BB had a great birthday yesterday. He really enjoyed the gifts he received. He was thrilled to receive more cellphone airtime from the B100! Also, he tweeted and flapped with joy when he opened the Pokemon cards from GrannyBird! He also received a nice card and some loot from AB! Thank you, everyone!

While QB has been sewing string blocks for the Heartsting project, she has also been sewing different string blocks for herself. She is making 6" square blocks:

Here are 4 blocks sewn together:

And a grouping of the 4-sewn-together sections up on the design wall:

QB really likes these blocks because they contain scraps from all her previous projects. Each one is a trip down memory lane.

Is it Saturday already?

2007-01-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

It must be because when I look outside, I see..........SNOW!!!! Argh!!

As everyone knows, today is BB's 12th birdday! Happy Birdday, BB! DB will be grilling ribs for dinner. Gifts will be opened tonight, when all the birdies can be present. Yesterday, DB took BB skiing. BB loves to ski, so this was sort of a birthday outing. DB said the place was empty, I guess since it was a weekday. A good time was had by both!

Tomorrow, QB must do a monthly reckoning on her yearly sewing goals. Some she has exceeded, others she has not met. Since she is working on a yearly basis, these monthly goals are just averages of the yearly amounts. Still, it will be nice to know how she is doing so far.

QB can't think of another thing that is new. Since she is still sleeping 11-12 hours each day, there is considerably less time to get stuff done. QB thinks she may start a log of how much she sleeps each night, so she can show it to the vet at her next checkup.

It's the weekend, so you know what that means!

2007-01-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, more snow! It has been snowing lightly since at least 8:30 when QB got up. There is about one fresh inch. This, after a week of 40-50 degree temps which were melting some of the FEET of snow we've accumulated! Arghhh! Anyway, enough on that subject!

QB has had a busy week with the birdlets while they are off-track. This is what she can remember off the top of her head:

Monday - Brownie for LB
Tuesday - Take BB to band, deliver Girl Bird Scout cookie order forms & $$, take BB to doctor, and Court of Honor for Boy Bird Scouts (wherein scouts receive the awards they've earned last quarter) BB received 4 merit badges.
Wednesday - take birdlets to pool
Thursday - take birdlets to Junglequest (a climbing place)
Friday - Take birdlets and LB's friend to the pool. (They stayed in the BBB for over 3 hours!)

Today, BB and DB are off on a snowshoeing outing with the Boy Bird Scouts. This is just a day trip, not an overnighter. LB and QB are just hanging around the nest in their pajamas.

QB has not done much sewing this week, just a little bit on her string blocks.

The Snow Gods are Angry!

2007-01-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

We received another 8 inches of snow yesterday! QB is getting desparate! She cannot stand anymore snow, slush, or cold. She has been frittering away her days like Granny Bird! QB likes snow, but this has been ridiculous. QB's birdmobile is caked with dirt, but she can't see the logic in having it washed when she won't even make it home without it getting dirty again. QB is tired of picking up gloves and hats and scarves and coats and boots! When will this end?!?!?!

On a lighter note, LB has been pet sitting for NNL since Thursday night. NNL and NNK are supposed to return around noon today, so QB will not have to worry about that. Nor will she have to tromp down the blocks (through the snow) to accompany her there. Today, QB couldn't face the snowy trip, so she sent BB down there with LB. They will probably hang out there until NNL returns, as they want to avoid the Cleaning Bird, if she shows up. She was due an hour ago. QB doesn't really mind, as she has nothing much to do today until she has to drive LB to Brownies at 3:15pm and she is in no rush to go out in the SNOW. (Do any birds see a theme here?)

QB tackles Mt. Washmore!

2007-01-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Now, anyone who reads MQL regularly knows that QB does laundry every day. Today, however, she is saddled with 3 full loads! She feels like Granny Bird. Anyway, how could this be, you may ask:

1. Normal load of clothes
2. Extra sweaters/sweatshirts due to the cold temps
3. BB's bed sheets (every Wednesday)
4. All birds' towels (usually on Thursday, but moved to Wed. due to spelling bee tomorrow)
5. Towels and swimsuits from last night's pool outing.

Whew! QB has made good use of her waiting around time by retreating to the sewing room, and picking up in the rest of the house. QB feels as though she has sewn through miles of thread on these string blocks! She is working on about 25 blocks at once. Sew, sew, sew, press (iron), press, press. Sew, sew, sew, press, press, press. You get the picture. So now that she has a stack of blocks for herself, she must decide whether to set them with sashing, or without. She has been viewing photos online to help her decide. One of the stumbling points with using sashing would be to decide what color and what size. If she opts for no sashing, she can just sew 'em all together. Of course, there is no rush or anything. QB certainly has enough ongoing projects to keep her busy!

Spring Thaw!

2007-01-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

After a positively frigid weekend, today we reached a balmy 35 degrees! And, the sun finally came out! Hooray! It really was too cold to do anything optional this past weekend, hence QB had nothing to blog about. She did some chores, some sewing, and entertained LB by playing board games, doing puzzles and playing cards.

Today, QB had a meeting at the bird school and did her usual chores - dishes, laundry, etc. She spent about an hour in the sewing room listening to an audio book and sewing some string blocks. QB liked the Heartstring blocks so much, that she is making some for herself, too. When remodeling the sewing room, she came across a stack of 6 1/2 inch string blocks that she made several years ago. She has started sewing some more of these, and has been working on some more for the Heartstring project.

LB and BB have 2 more days of school, and then they will be off track until mid-February. BB will be in the school spelling bee (again!) this year. It is on Thursday morning. QB will be there to cheer him on.

Tomorrow night, we have an orientation night at the middle school BB will begin attending in August. Tonight, is Bird Scouts - who are meeting at the pool for a little R&R. They don't always want to focus on the work of Scouting. (And believe me, it is work a lot of the time!)

What's the weather like?

2007-01-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Great, if you like sub-zero temperatures and 5 inches of fresh snow! So, what do birds do on a day like this? Sell Bird Scout cookies door-to-door, of course! Brrrrr. LB sold 14 boxes before succumbing to the cold. Daddy Bird watched her go to a few trusted neighbors' nests while he shoveled out the driveway...again. Granny Bird has generously offered to purchase 5 boxes for the troop's "Hometown Hero". HH's are charities that birds can purchase cookies for. Once the cookies are delivered, the Scouts deliver them to the HH for their enjoyment. And, BTW SudZ, you are not a Hometown Hero. Thanks again, Granny. Five boxes is a nice chunk of our required sales goal. QB will email you the payment info privately.

After warming up some, DB decide to take LB and BB to the RV & Camping Show downtown. They decided to drive as they didn't want their wings to freeze up on the way. Also, we figured it was too cold to stand on the platform and wait for the lightrail. QB opted to stay home and do some sewing instead.

When she finishes her tea, QB may brave the cold to head over to Toys R Us and get BB's birthday present. Birds only have 3 more days of school before the off-track, so QB should probably sneak out now while she has some time alone. She may also stop at Joann's and pick up some blue or red fabric for some more Heartstring blocks. There is a 50% off sale this weekend.

Police release photo from ATM surveillance video

2007-01-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Anyone with any information is urged to call the local bird police.

Missing Flamingo!

2007-01-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

A flamingo was reported missing today in a small mountain town. Police suspect foul play.

Could it have been a robbery gone bad?

Police are rounding up the usual suspects:

Blocks in the Mail!

2007-01-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

QB had a lazy day today. Her stomach was bothering her, so she laid around on the couch and watched TV for a few hours after all the other birds cleared out. By 1pm, she felt much better and was able to eat lunch. Then, she flew off to the post office and mailed 35 Heartstring blocks to the project coordinator. On a roll at this point, she continued on to the library and checked out some new audio books. From there, it was off to the grocery store to pick up a few essentials. QB returned home around 3:35pm, just in time to meet the birdlets at the bus stop.

QB is making tacos and brown rice for dinner. If DB is home in time, she supposes she will watch the President's speech on TV with him. If he's not home (7pm MST), she will most likely sneak into the sewing room for a bit.

Tuesday's doings

2007-01-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

After doing laundry, dishes, and making beds, QB worked on some Heartstring blocks for a short while this moring. She now has 27 completed, and several more in the works. She stopped into the post office after dropping the birdlets at school and picked up some different types of mailing envelopes - priority, flat rate, etc. When she has 30 blocks done, she will ship these off to one of the ladies who volunteered to put the tops together and do the quilting. Thirty blocks will mean QB is halfway done with this 2007 sewing goal. (You may recall that she planned to do an average of 5 blocks per month, for a total of 60 blocks for the year.)

QB is also working on three TTT blocks and expects to have them done in a day or two. The 2007 goal for TTT blocks is 1/month or 12 for the year. QB will wait and mail all 12 blocks together when they are finished.

QB has made a bit of progress on The Beast. She fixed to loopy problem and has joined a yahoo group made up by Beast users who share tips, etc. She has already gleened some good info!

QB heard from Granny today, and is glad she came through her surgery okay. QB was surprised that GB felt well enough to go out for breakfast. She also hopes that GB will have FB take a picture of her with the eye-patch on. Is it black, like a pirate's patch? Avast ye scurvy dogs! QB suggested that GB talk like a pirate until the patch is removed tomorrow. Oh, and QB was surprised that GB "isn't going to blog with an eye-patch on". QB is not sure how this is relevent.

It is warm and mild today, but we are expecting frigid temperatures (below zero) later in the week. We are also expecting....you guessed it.....MORE SNOW! Estimates range from 6 to 12 inches. Will QB and Pal ever get to walk again?!?!

Quilty pictures

2007-01-08T18:08:00.001-07:00

Cotton thinks The Beast is just fine, thank you!

A single Heartstring block:

Heartsting blocks on the wall:

Arrrgh! Score one for The Beast!

2007-01-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

QB spent a frustrating afternoon loading a charity quilt on The Beast and starting to quilt it. After doing a lousy job on the first section, she rolled it forward only to find that the bobbin tension was way off and instead of nice flat stitches on the back, she has loopy-loopy-loops! The whole section she did will have to be ripped out and redone, but only after QB solves the tension problems...somehow. QB is mad as a wet hen!

Birds continued cleaning house today and they have a a huge load that is being picked up tomorrow by the Lupus Foundation. QB has people call asking for donations every few weeks. She doesn't care who gets the stuff as long as they come and cart it away for FREE. (Hi, SudZ!)

Tomorrow, Daddy Bird has a dentist appointment at 7am, so he will have to drag all the stuff out early. Birdlets will go back to school, and cleaning birds are supposed to come. LB has Brownies after school, so QB will have to pick her up at 5pm. The following night is a "cookie kick-off" meeting regarding the sale of GS cookies, which begins on 1/13.

After the fiasco with The Beast today, QB tried to calm her nerves by starting to make the TTT blocks. She cut out a Star Flower and Cog Block and started sewing both. Perhaps she can finish the blocks tomorrow.

QB doesn't want to break her blogging streak!

2007-01-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

So she will report on her boring activities of today. QB slept in until 9:30am! This despite having gone to bed at 10:30pm. QB always hints that excess sleep must be her brain repairing itself. Better that than being thought a a lazy bird.

Once QB was showered, dressed, fed and had laundry going, she and BB attacked his closet. It was like an archeological dig. We cleared the first layer and found an old 2005 calendar. Several layer (hours) later, we found a 2003 calendar. We threw away 2 full trash bags of stuff (including candy from a 2003 party) and boxed up loads of stuff for a charity that is sending a truck on Monday morning. LB was happy to help because as long as we were working in BB's room, we weren't in her room. She made many trips up and down the stairs bringing things to the recycle bin or down to the charity pile.

After exhausting cleaning spree, QB snuck off to the sewing room for half an hour while BB and LB recovered by playing a game. QB is now sewing 3rd set of string blocks for Heartstrings project. When she finishes these blocks, she will send them on her way and have this sewing goal completed through June! She also began cutting for TTT block. Maybe she will get to sew on these tomorrow. This will be more likely if she can manage to pry herself from bed after only 9 or 10 hours of sleep.

QB heard from a neighbor that MORE SNOW is expected next week. QB hopes that neighbor is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! She is sick of snow!

Snow Day!

2007-01-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right! It's snowing again and school is closed. So after an exhausting 2 days with their beaks to the grindstone, BB and LB now have a 3-day weekend. BB's friend just called and invited him over to play at 10am, so QB will have to shower and get dressed instead of lounging in her PJ's. (Note: this is not NNK, who lives 3 houses down. BB must be driven over to the other friend's nest.)

Weather info: We woke to about 3" and snow is supposed to continue until this evening. Weathermen estimate 8 to 10 inches total are expected.

QB printed out instructions to The Cog Block last night and picked out some red, white, and blue fabrics. She had planned to make a test block today, but now she will most likely be playing board games with LB while BB is away. Perhaps she can sneak into the sewing room on Saturday morning for a bit. Birds have no plans for this weekend. Maybe QB can convince DB to take the birdlets to a movie.

Decisions, decisions!

2007-01-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

QB has been pondering what type of blocks to make for the ToTheTop project. After spending too much time browsing various blocks, she has narrowed it down to four possibilities:

Ohio Star

Star Flower

Star of Virginia

The Cog Block

These will be made using red, white and blue fabrics. Normally, QB would stick with Ohio Star - a tried and true - , but she thinks it might have too much white background. Anyway, let QB know your favorite, so she can come to a decision and get started! Although her goal is one block per month, for a total of 12 blocks this year, she will probably cut/sew assembly-line style, so she may finish up this entire goal well before 12/31. Ditto with the HeartString blocks (a goal of 60 for the year). She already has 10 completed.

Things are back to normal....

2007-01-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

and QB is feeling a little blue. After having so much action for weeks - vacation from school and work, snowstorms, Christmas, New Year's - the nest seems particularly quiet. LB and BB flew off to school and DB flew to work. QB has made beds, washed dishes, and is doing her second load of laundry. She did a bit of sewing on a postcard swap that was supposed to be mailed by 12/31/06. She is almost done - expects to finish this afternoon.

Yesterday, QB completed the first item from her sewing goals list. She made 2 pillowcases and has packed them away for Christmas '07. She also cut out 1 set of coasters for next months Christmas project. Once she gets the swap cards out, she will finish up her first set of Heartstring blocks. QB expects to mail these blocks in to the coordinator on a quarterly basis. She also pulled out a small applique hussy and began tracing and cutting the pieces for that.

When QB posted her list of goals, she forgot to add "Make 1 TTT block" each month. TTT is a group that makes quilts for veterans in hospitals and nursing homes. QB figures that by the end of the year, she will have 12 blocks to mail them - enough to make a quilt when combined with plain setting squares. QB wants to make nice star blocks in red, white and blue. Blocks are 12" square when finished.

Well, it is time for QB to fold laundry and then fly off to Walmart and the grocery store. She may pop into the library and return some books too. She hopes LB and BB are having a good day. They only have 10 more days of school until the next off-track! This last time off was "winter break".

Happy New Year, and such

2007-01-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

From what QB can tell, the new year is turning out to be remarkably similar to the old year. The ground is still covered with snow and ice, except for midday, when it is covered with snow and slush. The grocery stores are pretty much back to normal after having had their shelves picked bare. DaddyBird flew off to the trenches this morning after his long vacation - if you can call shoveling 47 inches of snow off a 2-car driveway a vacation. Yesterday, he did some finishing work on the sewing room remodel and then settled in to watch some of the football games on TV.

Western adult birds had an unevenful NYE. We watched the Times Square ball drop, banged pots & pans, and went to bed around 10:30pm. Tradition dictates that birdlets are allowed to stay up as late as they want that one night a year. And stay up they did! More pot banging at midnight (MST) followed by TV, video games and the like. LB finally gave up and went to bed at 2:30am, and BB estimates he fell asleep around 3am on the couch. QB let them sleep in until 11am, then made them get up. They go back to school tomorrow (1/3), so they needed to get their body clocks back on school-time.

QB set some sewing goals for herself this year, in place of a long list of resolutions. During the sewing room remodel, she was appalled at the number of UFOs (unfinished objects) and hussies (haven't started yet) she found. Also, she discovered she has considerably more fabric than she realized. Apparently, "denial" is not just a theory. Because QB was the recipient of so much charity last year (the brain-tumor and all), she has decided to dedicate a good chunk of her efforts to charity sewing this year. She is committed to completing 12 complete quilts for FireHouse Quilts (these are 40" square) and 60 Heartstring blocks (9 1/2 inch string blocks) which will be assembled by others into quilts for various charities. Of course, she may do more than that, but she is determined that these are the barest of minimums. She will also continue to volunteer at the school and such.

Non-charitable sewing goals include:

- Learning to use the beast
- Sewing one Christmas item (such as pillowcases, BUS, coaster sets, etc) each month
- Finishing UFO's (1 per quarter)
- Starting and finishing Hussies (1 per quarter)

QB made a little chart in Word listing these goals and has printed a copy to hang in her sewing room to inspire her during the year.

Here we go again!

2006-12-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

We already have several inches of fresh snow and more is on the way! QB has heard estimates from 8 inches to two feet! Will birds be snowbound again???

More Snow!

2006-12-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a white Christmas, twice over. It has been snowing lightly for several hours now, and it is sticking to all the shoveled areas.

QB went out to Walmart and the grocery store earlier. Since the blizzard, the supermarket shelves have been bare. (No delivery trucks + panic buying.) Anyway, QB was finally able to snag some milk and meat, although the produce section is still bare! Despite crowded parking lots, both stores were no more crowded than a normal Sunday. All the check-out lines were open, so QB waited less than a minute to pay at each store. QB thinks the lots looked extra crowded because of the gigantic piles of snow created by plowing the lots.

DaddyBird has been hard at work on the sewing room again today. It is really shaping up! QB hopes the wallpaper border and curtains are delivered next week, so that he can put them up next weekend.

I found the camera, but Blogger is being difficult about loading the photos

2006-12-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Our newest ornament:

Our new tree topper:

Uh, where's the camera?

2006-12-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

QB's camera has been temporarily mislaid. All the birds can stop clamoring for photos. QB will post when she locates said missing camera.

While we were snowed in, DB decided to start the sewing room remodel. Hence, all of QB's stuff, (and my, there's a lot!) has been relocted to the other bedrooms and the hall. Yesterday, DB painted the room after spackling various holes. The paint is essentially the same color - maybe just a shade darker - but the whole room looks so fresh and new! Today, he will get over to the hardware store and put up the large shelves in the closet. Oh, and buy the rest of the cabinets. Then he can assemble and install the cabinets over the next few days.

Mail delivery was supposed to resume yesterday, so maybe the wallpaper and curtains will show up soon. QB is not looking forward to the task of returning everything to the sewing room in an orderly fashion. If she could find the camera, she could explain why.

Extra! Extra!

2006-12-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Read all about the BLIZZARD!

Local pictures will follow once QB is up and dressed.

Blizzard!

2006-12-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

We are having a major blizzard! Not just lots of snow, but high winds, too. Everything I shoveled earlier is burried again. QB will not be shoveling again until the sun is out. DB's office closed early and he was able to get home by 1:30p. QB is very happy that we live so close to his office - less than 4 miles. School was already closed for the holidays, so nothing new there. QB was able to get a little sewing done and LB came up and helped her pin and iron.

DaddyBird's plan to remodel QB's sewing room is moving right along. Yesterday, we picked out paint and ordered a wallpaper border. QB also ordered a lace valance for the window which has quilt patterns in the lace. QB found the same curtains on Ebay and managed to save $6 on the pair. DB also picked up one of the cabinets he is planning to install. QB suggested we buy one and put it together, before getting all 8 or so. DB is putting it together as QB is typing this. Right now, the plan is to empty the room on Friday and start painting on Saturday. Although the paint is here, QB is not sure if DB has the rollers and such. If not, the painting may have to wait, depending on the weather.

Cotton vs. the Christmas Centerpiece

2006-12-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Christmas centerpiece we ordered from our favorite Bird Scout:

The centerpiece after:

For Granny Bird

2006-12-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Granny Bird lamented the lack of new entries on MQL, so QB will update despite having little to say.

Thursday (12/14) was the last day of school for BB and LB until the new year. They return to school on January 3, 2007.

Friday, (12/15) LB had 2 baby teeth pulled. She was in quite a bit of pain despite novacaine and nitrous oxide. The teeth had very long roots because the adult teeth were coming in behind them, instead of pushing these babies out. Tooth fairy delivered an astounding $20 for LB's pain and suffering. B100 - watch your teeth! SudZ is out with his pliers!

Saturday (12/16), DB and BB went skiing for the day with a neighbor. Everyone had fun.

Sunday (12/17), LB and BB decorated the Christmas tree, which was promptly un-decorated by Cotton. QB got some photos of Cotton sticking his head out of the top of the 9-foot tree. We then took a trip to Lowe's Hardware to look at shelving options for QB's sewing room. Daddy Bird is giving the sewing room a makeover for QB's Christmas present! New paint! Cabinets! Shelves in the closet!

Daddy Bird flew off to work this morning while QB, LB, and BB stayed home and took care of chores - laundry, dishes, room cleaning. Afterwards, they all went to the grocery store, then QB bought the birdlets Wendy's for lunch. (QB had a sandwich at home.) QB set up the crockpot with Ch***en Tortilla Soup, which is simmering away as QB types. Oh, we also stopped at Ace Hardware to buy a replacement coffee pot. Cotton knocked the old one off the counter on Saturday and it shattered into a thousand or so pieces. QB also looked at paint samples while she was there.

Birds have very few commitments this week. BB goes to the ortho to get his retainer on Wednesday, and Friday is DB's 45th birthday. QB supposes she should add "bake birthday cake" to her to-do list for Friday.

Birds are having roasted ch***en with stuffing for Christmas Eve dinner, and BBQ ribs on Christmas Day. DaddyBird has to work on the 26th, but then is off the rest of the week. Nothing is planned for New Year's Eve or Day.

Today's the Day!!

2006-12-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

BB's braces come off this morning! Hooray! Popcorn, skittles, and bubble gum. Oh, my!

Note: this procedure is called a "deband" in ortho-speak.

Later today, BB's class is having a Latin American fiesta to wrap up their studies in that area. Following is D.A.R.E. (drug awareness, resistence education) graduation. LB's class is having their winter party this afternoon too. QB will be flitting around the school all afternoon!

Another Busy Week for the Western Birds

2006-12-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

It will be another busy week here for the Bird Family.

Monday night: LB is singing in the Snowflake Serenade with her Brownie troop.
Tuesday night: Bird Scouts for LB and DB
Wednesday night: Dinner at neighbors' house. We are bringing dessert. QB bought two pies - apple and peach - and will get a half gallon of homemade vanilla ice cream.
Thursday night: BB will be playing his trumpet in the winter band concert.
Saturday: BB has a community service project in the a.m., LB is going to a screening of Charlotte's Web with the Girl Scouts (QB may have to drive), and LB has a birthday/pool party in the evening.

So far today, QB:
- Drove LB and BB to school
- Mailed off two more packages at the post office
- Returned books, etc. to library
- Went to Target to make 2 returns and buy birthday gift for party LB is going to on Saturday.
- Went to Old Navy to get LB a pair of black pants which QB found out yesterday are needed for tonight's performance.
Then of course, there was the usual laundry, beds, dishes, vacuuming etc.

Thursday, QB will be going for a CT scan at 9:30am, followed by a visit to the neurosurgeon at 10:45am.

Still snowing

2006-11-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Tiny little flakes. We have about 4 inches on the ground and it is very cold. School is on a one-hour delay. BB and LB are enjoying their extra hour of rest. QB had to call the vet and reschedule Pal's appointment for later today. His ear is bothering him again.

QB has showered, made the bed, and started the laundry. Other than that, there is not much she can do until all the birds fly the coop. She still has to serve breakfast, do dishes from same, etc. DaddyBird was supposed to have a 7am meeting, but he is still home. Guess he canceled.

It's Gettin' Cold in These Here Parts!

2006-11-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

The temperature has been dropping all afternoon and it started snowing around 3pm. Several inches are expected. Tomorrow's high is supposed to be around 18 degrees. Brrrr! It will be a good day to stay inside and sew. QB has several swaps coming due that she must finish, so perhaps that is what she'll do tomorrow.

Today, QB spent some time wrapping Christmas gifts. In the mail is her gift to Shoppy Bird's house. Boxed up and ready to go are packages to the B100 and to Granny Bird in Exciting City.

Despite QB's vow to not buy gifts for the extended flock this year, she seems to have quite a bit to do anyway. As MB departed on Saturday, she handed QB money and asked her to pick up gifts for LB and BB. And of course, QB has been receiving gifts from GB in dribs and drabs that need to be wrapped. Also, QB picked up a few things for DaddyBird today. You might recall that his birthday is coming up too. QB also decided that the littlest grandnieces and grandnepphews would have no use for cash, so she has picked up some gifts for them too. Those must still be wrapped, packed, and shipped. Oh, and QB ordered some things for MB that haven't arrived yet.

Whew! Glad I decided to take it easy this year!

MB flies the coop

2006-11-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Western Birds drove MB to the airport this morning. DB got gate passes for all of us to accompany her to the gate and wait. He also arranged a wheelchair for her so her wings would not get too tired before the flight. After seeing her off, the younger birds were starving so we grabbed some airport food on the way back to the car. LB and BB had McDonalds and DB and QB tried Panda Express. QB was not impressed, but the food served its purpose.

QB is now trying to catch-up on some of the chores she had to put off. In between, she must whip BB into working on his homework. He sits with the books in front of him, but accomplishes zip unless QB stands over him. This cramps QB's work style, for sure. DB and LB are outside shooting hoops, so BB cannot even blame them for distracting him.

QB got NO SHOPPING done yesterday or today. Very disappointing. QB is going to try and finish the quilt top she started in the mystery class last Sunday. If she gets the blocks together tonight, she will treat herself with a trip to the LQS for some border fabrics.

This Week's Happenings

2006-11-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

DaddyBird's mom (henceforth MickeyBird or MB) arrived here on Sunday. She had a good flight - had to fly commercial due to aged wings. Anyhow, DB and BB picked her up at the airport. LB had a Brownie meeting and QB was at a quilting event. (More on that later, perhaps.)

Monday, after reporting the goose-napping, DB drove MB and QB to the quilt museum. We admired the exhibits then had a nice lunch at Panera. They serve soup, salads and sandwiches. DB and MB both had soup-in-a-bread-bowl. QB had choose two - a cup of soup and 1/2 a sandwich . Full birds flew home and relaxed until the birdlets returned from school. LB is homework free this week, but BB was loaded down as usual.

This morning, all the adult birds visited the school for an assembly. BB was playing with the band. They played while the other birds were filing into and out of the gym. Band was good, and the assembly was nice. We left around 9:30a. DB and MB flew home while QB flew off to the grocery store for milk and some other things. Store was crowded, but every checkout was open, so QB did not have to wait. At 2pm, DB or QB will fly to the school and drive BB and LB to the orthodontist. After that, it will be home, dinner, and DB and BB will be going to jail!! Well, just for a tour with the Bird Scouts. The jail tour is part of the Crime Prevention Merit Badge. Perhaps they can interrogate some known goose-nappers while they're there.

Tomorrow, bird school is closed. Birds have dentist appointments at 2pm. Other than that, the day is free. QB may suggest that MB and the birdlets make a cake for Thanksgiving dessert. QB bought an apple cobbler and some ice cream, but the little birds would probably prefer cake.

Thursday will be turkey, football, and sewing for QB. Friday is free, unless QB is tempted to the stores by any doorbusters. (Hi, SudZ!) Saturday afternoon, MB flies home to Oklahoma. Sunday is free, I believe.

Ok, now everyone knows everything about the Western Birds!

GOOSE-NAPPED!!

2006-11-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Abigail has been stolen!! DaddyBird just called the cops! Squad car on the way!

APB

2006-11-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

All birds be on the lookout for a Quilty Bird. She was last seen on Thursday, November 09, 2006 ("A Day in Flux"). She may be accompanied by a male birdlet suffering from a mild sore throat, headache, and stomach ache; a female birdlet in need of an orthodontist appointment; a Daddy Bird recovering from a sore back; a dog; 2 cats; and countless quilts.

Report to Birdies 100 central immediately if you have any information on the whereabouts of the missing bird. We have reason to suspect that she may "feel like she should go hide under the covers until January."

Thank you.

- B100 Staff

* APB = All points bulletin

A Day in Flux

2006-11-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

QB had a busy day planned for today, but has had to cancel just about everything because BB woke up feeling sick. QB is taking him to the doctor at noon. He has had a mild sore throat for about a week, and today has a headache and stomach ache too. A bird friend of his went home sick from school on Tuesday with strep. QB saw him in the health room at school while she was there to volunteer. Anyway, QB spoke with sick-bird's mom who said her other two birdies had been ill with strep also.

Oh, and today is the chorus concerts that BB has been practicing for for months. He will surely miss the morning concert, given for the school. Tonight there is another concert at 7pm for the parents. If BB doesn't have strep, and feels better, perhaps he can sing in that concert. AND, BB and DB are supposed to go camping this weekend with the Bird Scouts! Could there be a worse time to get sick?! QB thinks not!

So, since QB had to cancel her outside activities, she did a little internet shopping for the holidays. She will do a little sewing too. At 2:30 pm, she is supposed to take LB to the orthodontist for an initial consultation. QB will see if BB feels well enough to stay home alone for an hour or so. If not, she suppose she will have the cancel that, too.

Less than 47 days left...

2006-11-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

until Christmas! Yikes! This is the least prepared QB has been in a decade. She is getting a little worried. Her cards are pretty much ready to go and she has decided that all DB's nephews and nieces will receive a check in lieu of a present this year. QB has also gotten/made gifts for Kristen Bird. These are already wrapped, too.

So, what's the problem?

Daddy Bird - birthday and Christmas gifts
Gifts for LB and BB
Gift for MIL bird.
Gift for Granny who REFUSES to offer ideas.
Gifts for teacher birds (2).
Gifts for Pal, Friendly and Cotton.
Gift for RB.
Gift for Baldy.
MIL who will send $$ at the last minute and ask me to shop and wrap for her.
GB who sends everything unwrapped and relies on QB to take on that chore for her.

Ok, QB is just thinking out loud here. When she writes it down, it doesn't look as overwhelming - especially since checks can just be popped in the mailbox and don't require a trip to the post office. (And since QB doesn't have to worry about a hot mailbox she can mail those anytime - day or night!) QB is pretty sure DaddyBird wants some special golf club for his birthday. She will try to talk him into ordering that for her, so she doesn't mess up and get the wrong thing.
Also, GB has already completed her e-shopping for the Bird Family, so hopefully, those things will arrive and be wrapped (by QB) before December 1st.

QB received the Miles Kimball catalog today and circled a few items that she will order for Granny, if GB is unwilling to make suggestions. And, BTW Granny dusters are not in season here in November and December.

Hmmm. This is all making QB feel like she should go hide under the covers until January! This too shall pass, I suppose.

What's News!

2006-11-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

Birdies returned to school today. QB used today to catch up on errands and such. She also walked with DustyBird and met DaddyBird for lunch. She volunteered at the school for 40 minutes - sorting all the Thursday folder stuff from the last 3 1/2 weeks. Oh, and she went to Walmart, too.

QB also spent a bit of time in the sewing room. Somehow, she is committed to 4 more swaps before the end of the year. She is not quite sure what she was thinking when she did this. She is also committed to wrapping multiple Christmas gifts that Granny is sending for the birdlets.

QB picked up her holiday photos and cards from JCPenney last week. Yes, she decided to be lazy this year and just get the pre-made, pre-signed, photo cards this year. Anyway, she started addressed them this past weekend and found out she was short 12 envelopes! So, she flew over to Penneys and picked up some more. QB is glad she did not notice this oversight on December 23rd. Thank you, FLYLADY! QB also wrapped a few gifts last week and has given herself the assignment of wrapping two more tomorrow. (One of these was sent by GB for DaddyBird.)

QB's plans for tomorrow:

Make breakfasts
Pack lunches
Wash dishes
Shower
Walk 1 hour with DustyBird
Make bed
Do laundry
Go food shopping
Finish Cat & Dog swap postcards
Wrap 2 presents
Make dinner
Wash dishes

This is a fairly light day for QB. She may even have time to read for a bit after lunch.

QB's on a Roll!

2006-11-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

QB finished this little baby quilt today. There is no intended recipient, it will just go into "inventory".

Potholders finished

2006-11-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

QB finally finished these potholders that have been hanging around for over a year.
Top photo shows the front and back. Bottom photo is a close-up of the chenille side.

The New Baldy!

2006-11-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Vacation and other new stuff

2006-11-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, we returned from our "vacation" on Monday. The trip began on Sunday the 22nd. Upon driving into the valley, approximately 5 mmiles from our cabin, Pal vomited all over the front seat of QB's car. The next day, or so, BB was sick with a headache and a few quick vomits. He recovered, but QB's throat was sore the next few days. LB got sick with the same stomach virus next. Daddy Bird avoided the virus, but hurt his back shoveling out from the 2 FEET OF SNOW that fell midweek. Oh, and the altitude was making QB's sensitive head feel as though it was going to explode half the time. Many Advils were used over the course of the week.

There were some good times sandwiched in between, but this is not a week QB would care to repeat. Of course, the highlight of the trip was going to a toy store and finding a dozen Baldys in the DISCOUNT BIN!! Naturally, we had to buy one! QB will take pictures soon.

QB has spent the days since returning home doing laundry, catching up on bills and paperwork, and running various errands. QB has also been running BB back and forth to school for band and chorus. Both groups have concerts coming up in the next month. In all honesty, QB will be quite relieved when BB and LB return to school on 11/8. Of course, there are only 11 actual days of class before the 5 day Thanksgiving break. Oh, and QB's MIL will be arriving on Sunday, 11/19. She is staying that whole week - will fly home on Saturday afternoon. QB is very grateful that the cleaning birds will be coming on Monday. The nest can use some cleaning and QB is just too pooped!

Let's see. Oh, QB went to vote in the "early voting" yesterday. Since last year, the voting has become all computerized. All the old birds (and QB) were complaining how complicated it was. Well, it really wasn't once you got the hang of it. Anyway, along with the govenor and representatives, there were a bunch of judges and other postitions up for grabs too. Oh, and about 10 referendums that were worded in double-speak. The entire voting process was 13 pages and took QB about 20 minutes. QB is glad she voted early as she can imagine it will be mobbed on Election Day.

Today, QB had to take both Pal and Friendly to the vet. Total cost = $264. Pal has his usual infections stemming from seasonal allergies. (He scratches himself raw.) Pal was a good boy throughout the exam. Friendly was just in for normal maintenance - exam, vaccines, etc. She growled at the vet.

Ok, that's probably more than anyone wanted to know. It is almost time for QB to start cooking dinner. She will be making meatloaf, baked potatoes and asparagus. LB will complain about the meatloaf and vegetable, BB will complain about the potato and vegetable. QB is not a huge fan of meatloaf. Mercifully, DaddyBird will likely devour everything.

More Snow!

2006-10-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

Woke up to another 2-3 inches of snow on the ground today. Forecasts are for warming temperatures next week.

Halloween postcards QB made for a swap:

Daddy Bird made this for Cotton!

2006-10-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

There are some shelves and a scratching post underneath it.

The First Snow of the Season!

2006-10-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Snow was predicted for tomorrow, but no one told the clouds. About 11am we started with rain, then rainy-slush, now it is all snow. We probably have about a half an inch already.

LB is feeling much better, although a bit congested now. BB is still ok, as are QB and DB.

Cotton is doing well. He is full of energy and acting very kittenish. QB tried to post some pictures yesterday, but Blogger wasn't cooperating.

LB Sick!

2006-10-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Fever of 103.3 degrees. Red cheeks. What a rotten way to start the off-track! Poor, LB!

Miffed Birds

2006-10-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of September or so, QB received a mailing from the store where she and the Bird Family have their annual Christmas photos taken. The brochure urged QB to make her appointment NOW! It said, in part, that holiday backdrops will be available by 9/15! Dutifully, QB called for an appointment, settling on 10/14. Time passes, the date creeps up, "Uh-oh! What will birds wear in the photos?" QB flies off to the store and purchases new finery for all the birdies. Saturday arrives, birds all rush around getting coiffed and dressed, get to the store, "Oh, the holiday backdrops haven't arrived yet." Grrrrrrrrr. Since birds were all spiffed up, we had our photos done anyway. However instead of a nice fireplace or Christmas tree background, we have "black". They did use the magic of the digital age to add a Christmas ornament to the holiday cards, but you'll have to wait for Christmas to see them!

Quote of the Day

2006-10-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

QB saw this in someone's email signature:

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." Annie Dillard

QB started thinking about how she is spending her days lately. She really has lapsed into spending most of her day hanging around the nest. (Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and all that.) Mostly she just works on finishing up her chores in time to meet the birdlets at the bus, supervise homework, make dinner, eat, clean up, wash up, and fall into bed exhausted - only to do the same thing again the next day. Ok, she also wastes considerable time on the computer.

Now, perhaps QB is just having a case of needing-a-vacation fever, but just in case, she went to the LQS today and signed up for a Mystery Quilt Tour! You receive a fabric kit and work on an easy mystery quilt top with clues supplied by the instructor. Class is on 11/19, about 10 days after LB and BB go back on track. (Today was their "track-out" day.)

So between QB's upcoming vacation, future Mystery Tour, and the possibility of MIL coming for Thanksgiving, followed by the Christmas holidays, QB will consider her life sufficiently spiced up. Now, what will other birds-in-a-rut do to spice up their lives?

A Few Photos

2006-10-11T09:56:00.001-07:00

Cotton helps with the dishes:

Nest after being painted:

Twinkle Passed Away

2006-10-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Twinkle passed away around 6am today. QB and all the birds are very sad. She will probably not be posting or reading blogs for a few days.

QB and LB hit the road!

2006-10-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

We are up, packed, and ready for our Brownie weekend. We are waiting to be picked up by another mom who offered to drive us. Wish us luck!

Sick Kitties

2006-10-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Cotton has developed an upper respiratory infection. Apparently, this is quite common in shelter cats. He has been sneezing, has a drippy nose, and runny eyes. QB took him to the vet yesterday. Vet said it's a virus (ie: a cold), but gave an antibiotic ($24) to prevent a secondary infection and/or pneumonia. Twinkle has started sneezing too, so he gave a rx (another $24) to her too. Thus far, Friendly is sneeze-free. QB has had the joy of administering said antibiotics to unwilling recipients twice daily. She has the scratches to prove it.

QB has been working on her fall postcards this week. She would like to have them done by Friday before she goes on the mother/daughter Brownie weekend. She has 7 more to finish, then she can just relax and let the other swappers' cards come rolling in. She also has a 5-person Halloween swap to do - mail date 10/25. She must finish these before leaving on vacation on the 22nd.

BB started chorus this morning. They practice from 7:30a - 8:30a on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was tough work getting him up,ready, and out that early. DaddyBird drove him, as there is no early bus service.

Oh, back to the Brownie weekend. QB had an offer to ride with another Mom and her daughter, so she will be driving up to the mountains with them. It is about a 2 hour trip, although it is only 90 miles or so. Those zig-zaggy mountain roads will slow you down!

Pal is developing his annual autumn allergies. His eyes are red and he is getting a rash around his mouth. Every year, QB ends up medicating him throughout her vacation. It's practically a tradition.

QB just finished reading an excellent book titled My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. She recommends it, although the ending is sad. Reluctant-reader birds of teenage years might enjoy it, as would the rest of QB's vast blogger audience.

Well, that is all the news from the West. QB would like to point out that she prefers to update her blog only when something exciting happens. Her day-to-day activities are not nearly as exciting as Granny's.

A Reluctant Subject

2006-09-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

It is hard to photograph a reluctant, moving subject. These are the best I could do today.

Daddy Bird flies the coop, again

2006-09-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

QB forgot that DaddyBird was traveling today! It wasn't until she was making the weekly menu plan that she checked the calendar and saw that he is off to Phoenix for two days! He must have told her though, as the calendar notation is in QB's own chicken scrawl! Well, anyway, that makes tonight's menu simple enough - pizza! DB will be home very late tomorrow night.

Cotton was supposed to spend the night in LB's room, but after everything was set up - food, water, makeshift litter box, basket layered with quilt batting - LB changed her mind. Seems Cotton got up on her lower bunk and was kneading her quilt. She freaked out! "Cotton's trying to shred my quilt!!!!" Luckily, BB to the rescue! He volunteered his room, so we moved everything in there. We are hoping we can find Cotton in the morning amongst the clutter. Since BB was such a last minute hero, QB rewarded him by offering to make his bed this morning and tomorrow morning, a task he positively despises!

Well, DB is long gone and QB must slip in a quick shower before waking the birdlets. Ta-ta for now!

It's a Boy!

2006-09-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

Name: Cotton
Age: approximately 4 months
Weight: 3lbs.
Color: White and Black
Species: Feline
Cuteness factor: 10+

Pictures to follow. He's sleeping now and LB won't let me disturb him.

QB buys some yarn!

2006-09-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, QB broke down and bought the Speed Stix. Then, she went to Hobby Lobby today and bought 8 skeins of Homespun (on sale!) to make a Fireside Jewel 6-hour Fast-Finish Throw. QB hopes the Speed Stix are not too slippery. They are plastic and QB usually knits with bamboo needles. The throw is knitted with 4 strands of yarn held together. QB has never done more than 3 strands at a time.

Now, QB must keep herself from starting the new afghan which is supposed to be a project for vacation week. She really must focus on finishing up her postcard swaps first. She has about 1/2 the Fall swap cards in some stage of production and QB signed up for a new 5-person Halloween swap. That was probably a mistake, but it's too late now. QB really must find her willpower!

Painting Birds Arrive!

2006-09-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

A day early! Originally, the painting birds were supposed to paint the nest tomorrow (Thursday). Presumably, they are here today because rain (snow?) is predicted for tomorrow. They came Monday and powerwashed and scraped. Yesterday, they applied primer where needed. Boy, will DB, LB, and BB be surprised when they return home today and find the formally tan nest is now green. (Clary Sage, per the swatch) None of them even saw the sample in the book, as QB picked out the colors. (per DB's request)

QB finished her log cabin postcards over the weekend and mailed them first thing Monday morning. Two were headed to Canada, so those probably won't arrive until next week. QB hopes the domestic ones arrive in the next day or two. QB also finished the first 5 cards of her 24-person Fall swap. She mailed them at the same time. She is currently beading the next 5 cards and will perhaps mail them on Saturday or next Monday.

QB is not sure if she mentioned that she and Little Bird will be attending a mother/daughter Brownie (Girl Scout) the first weekend of October. QB is not sure which other Brownies/moms are attending. Coincidentally, it is being held at the same place where birds take there yearly vacation in the mountains. The whole Bird Family (including Pal) will be attending later in the month.

QB is not going to take her sewing stuff on vacation this year. She decided there is too much to pack and haul up there. Instead, she will be taking her knitting bag. Last year, she discovered the on-site arts & crafts center had a great selection of funky (there's that word again) yarns. QB will print off some internet patterns to bring with her. She is thinking of buying the new Speed Stix made by Lion Brand. They are size 50! Hobby Lobby has all their Lion Brand needles on sale, but sadly did not have these in stock when I checked yesterday. She may pop in to Joann's today and pick them up with her 40% off coupon.

Has anyone ever used these Speed Stix before? QB would appreciate input as too whether they are unwieldy to use. Hobby Lobby also has Lion Brand yarn on sale this week, so QB would like to decide before Saturday whether or not to get these. She plans to start with either a 2-hour Wrap or a Cocoon Shrug.

Well, nothing else much is new here except LB is trying to talk DB into letting her get a kitten. NNB has 3 she is trying to find homes for. QB can see DB's resovle starting to faulter. By tomorrow, the Birds may be a 3-cat home again! A dangerous place for a family of birds.

P.S. to Granny Bird - You don't need to explain that we already have animals and don't need another one. We live here full-time and are aware of all the pets that already reside here.

First Log Cabin Postcard Finished!

2006-09-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Only two more to go - for the swap. Last night, DaddyBird announce, "Boy, I bet my mom would love to get one of those!" Subtle as a brick. Well, she has gotten several of QB's postcards and has raved about them suitably, so QB will send one at DB's request. Of course, now she must cut out all the applique shapes etc. and make another mini log cabin before she can finish the others which must be mailed out tomorrow. Perhaps "must" is too strong a word, but there is so much changing of thread, stitches, feet, etc. that QB would prefer to do the assembly-line fashion.

The little log-cabin blocks is what takes the longest. There are 13 pieces of fabric and it only finishes to 2 1/2 inches square. They are paper-pieced, of course. QB hopes that the individual fabrics show up in the picture and they don't just look like solid dark and light sides.

Nothing is new here

2006-09-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

QB is blogging just for the sake of blogging. Nothing is new. She has been sewing some 6" log cabin blocks. She cut the pieces out months ago and they have been fluttering around the sewing room ever since. Better to stitch them together before they all get lost. The blocks are not for anything special and probably won't be made into a top/quilt until QB needs a baby quilt.

QB has also been working on post cards. She finished the small (5 person) Fall swap and mailed those last Friday. She has another small swap (4 people) with the theme "use all or part of a log cabin block in your post card". Of course, the 6" blocks I've been making are too big for this. This swap is supposed to be mailed by 9/17 and QB still hasn't even finished the prototype card! Sigh... Anyway, she does have her idea pretty much mapped out though, so she hopes to have them done and mailed on time. She made a little paper pieced log cabin block that finishes to 2 1/2 inches. It will be the basis of a log cabin - the kind found in the woods. QB has some nice navy blue starry fabric for the background.

QB is also involved in a large postcard swap which closed signups last weekend with 24 people. That means making 23 cards. The theme is also "Fall", so QB will be making some more Funky Falling Leaves cards. In fact, she already has some leaves fused down and ready to be stitched. There is no way that making 23 more of these will hold her interest. So, she has been plannning a few different designs too:

- A squirrel holding an acorn - "Fall Harvest" - using fused applique, and
- A crow in a field of sunflowers, although this might be stretching the "fall" theme a bit. QB has a nice collection of felted wool that she received as a gift from DaddyBird several years ago. She is planning to make these cards with a primitive applique look - black wool bird with gold blanket stitching. QB is always happy to have some hand work laying around and the mail deadline for these cards isn't until 11/15.

BB and LB are still working hard in school. LB seems to enjoy this school year more than last year. Her teacher is about 30 years younger, so perhaps that is why. Also, the kids in the class are starting to catch up to her maturity-wise. She doesn't wake up "sick" each morning asking to stay home from school, and that is a relief.

QB has dinner in the oven - roast beef and baked potatoes. The roast is from QB's trip to Supper Solutions back in May. When she opened the bag it smelled very garlic-y. She hopes LB and BB will actually eat some of it. She also has corn on the cob simmering in the crock pot. Perhaps DaddyBird will offer to clean up the kitchen tonight so QB can work on her postcards. Too bad he doesn't read my blog!

QB wakes late, throws in the towel, and other stuff

2006-09-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Little Bird slept in QB's bed last night, as she often does when DaddyBird is traveling. This morning, she complained when the alarm went off at 5:45am. QB must have turned it off after that, because the next thing she knows, TwinkleCat is tapping her on the head and it is 6:45am! Yikes! That will get a bird's adrenalin flowing!

So QB hops out of bed, wakes the birdlets, and flies down to the kitchen to start cooking BB's French toast. Birds are sluggish and QB doesn't want to yell, so she decides to drive the birdlets to school instead. (Bus comes at 8:07a, school is 6 minute drive, school starts at 8:40a) So all the birdies relax and QB has time for a cup of tea and a quick shower. She throws a load of towels in the washer and drives to the school. Since she is there anyway, she goes in and does her Thursday folder volunteer time. She comes home, throws towels in the dryer and puts clothes in the washer. When towels are dry, she will take Pal for a walk, then put clothes in the dryer. Of course, she must still return to the bird-school at 1:15p for third grade math help, but QB was glad to get "folder stuffing" off her to-do list.

The air has turned cool here. It is still reaching the low 80's during the day, but at night birds have begun using their blankets (and quilts!). QB finds this change in the climate makes her melancholy about the year gone by so far. She checked the New Year's resolutions she made last year and finds she has accomplished little, and in fact has backslid in some areas. So QB has decided to throw in the towel on 2006 and chalk this year up to The Year of the Brain Tumor.
QB will try to do better in 2007.

So far, QB has decided that she would like to do more volunteer work in 2007, including making quilts for Firehouse Quilts. QB thinks she will commit to making 12 quilts for them this year. The quilts measure approximately 40" square. QB also figures that these will be good practice for The Beast. QB is not sure what other activities she will pursue.

Yawn...Another "Exciting" Day

2006-09-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

QB had another yawner of a day today. However, in order to appease the flock, QB will blog about it anyway. As you may remember, DaddyBird is in Utah this week.

So, today QB:

Woke up
Drank tea
Showered/dressed
Woke the birdies
Cooked breakfast for birdies (French toast for BB, bagel for LB)
Packed lunch boxes (Soup for BB, pasta for LB)
Made beds
Did laundry
Took birdies to the bus stop
Ate breakfast (the half a bagel LB didn't eat)
Washed breakfast dishes
Walked Pal
Google-talked with Granny
Went to the library
Went to bagel store to restock the freezer
Ate lunch (leftover pizza from last night)
Sewed beads on four Funky Fall postcards
Watched Jaws while sewing
Read newspaper
Got mail
Met BB and LB and the bus stop
Supervised homework
Cleaned out lunch boxes, washed thermoses and water bottles
Sewed merit badges on BB's Bird Scout sash

Soon, QB will heat up leftover pot roast for dinner, eat, wash dishes, corral birds in shower(s), serve dessert, wash dessert dishes/run dishwasher, read story to LB, brush teeth, change into PJ's and collapse into bed, as tomorrow will be much of the same, except Thursday is QB's normal day to voluteer at the bird school too.

Daddy Bird flies the coop and other stuff

2006-09-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

Daddy Bird flew off to Salt Lake City today. He will be home very late on Thursday. His flight doesn't even leave SLC until almost 9pm. Anyway, birds here will miss him. However, life is simpler when he travels in that we eat very easy meals, such as pizza, mac & cheese and sandwiches.

Birdies returned to school this morning after their 3 day weekend. QB was at the school for an hour and a half to help with the yearly fundraiser. She will be there again on Friday morning to help with hearing and vision screening.

DB, BB and LB went camping in Wyoming this weekend (Fri-Sun). A friend has a cabin there and invited us and another family. The birdies had fun fishing, shooting BB's, riding the ATV's, etc. QB had a hot pot roast dinner waiting for them when they returned home about 7pm on Sunday.

We have had nighttime visitors. The last few nights, Pal has started barking furiously, most recently at 3am today. Birds aren't sure what the problem is, but QB thinks it may be a raccoon. Yesterday, she put out a bag of squishy grapes for her squirrel friends. They ate some, but the bag was still pretty full. This morning, she found the shredded bag...empty. QB will not be leaving out fruit on the deck anymore.

A few months ago, the Bird Family received a notice from the homeowner's association that they had to get their nest painted. Birds pretty much ignored the notice as QB was busy having her brain surgery and recuperating. Anyway, the deadline is 9/15, so QB figured they'd better get cracking. Last week, she called some contractors and got some estimates. She also went to the HOA and chose some nest colors from the "approved list". Today, she signed the contract and the nest painting will begin in late September. (She also filed for an extension.) The Painter Bird works exclusively in this area and is familiar with the HOA committee. He said that if they said another notice, I can fax the HOA a copy of the contract and that will satisfy them regarding the deadline. PB seemed very knowledgible and had a long list of references. He also provided proof of liability insurance as well as worker's comp, which made Daddy a happy Bird! Anyway, the new nest color should be sage green with cream trim unless for some reason the "approved colors" have changed.

That's all the news from the nest. QB hopes this satisfies the nosy birds, especially Granny!

Funky Postcards

2006-08-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

"Funky" according to Miriam-Webster:

Main Entry: 1funky Pronunciation: adjective: being in a funk : PANICKY

Second listing: offensive odor
1 : having an offensive odor :
FOUL2 : having an earthy unsophisticated style and feeling; especially : having the style and feeling of older black American music (as blues or gospel) or of funk
3 a : odd or quaint in appearance or feeling b : lacking style or taste c : unconventionally stylish : HIP

Now, while QB is often "panicky", that was not what she was going for. Nor does she feel her postcard has an "offensive odor". (Well, maybe just a little from the Shiva paints, which are oil-based.) She was hoping that the majority of the birds would consider it's third meaning of "unconventionally stylish".

Ok, so since QB received more than 3 replies to her previous post, she will unveil her Funky Fall postcard:

Back of the postcard - QB plans to write the addressee inside the leaf outline. For anyone interested: QB cut out a leaf template from cardstock, held it down, and brushed Shiva paints over the template and off onto the fabric.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply to my previous post!

What does "Funky" mean to you?

2006-08-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

QB is working on a new series of postcards for two new swaps she is in. She was going to write a message something like "A Funky Fall Postcard". When she looked up the actual meaning of the work "funky" however, it had a different meaning than what QB thought it did.

So, without consulting your dictionaries, please just give QB your initial impression of the word "funky". If QB gets at least three responses, she will post a picture of her card.

More Photos

2006-08-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Granny plays Scrabble with QB and BB:

QB is bored

2006-08-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

and doesn't have anything to blog about, so she will be lazy and put up some pictures instead. Ok, blogger and juno are not cooperating, so these are the only photos QB has been able to load.

Granny Bird Takes Flight!

2006-08-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

This from DaddyBird:

So we get to the airport +3 hours before departure only to be told thecounter doesn't open I until 4:30. 35minutes and three trips to the birdparlor (bathroom) later, we are on our way to the gate. DB has talked the clerk into giving him a gate pass, so off we go. Mind you the wait at the counter was quite enjoyable for the other passengers, what with the tap dance in order to keep GB's feet fromfalling asleep.

Fast forward to the security line: Some serious decisions had to be made. Do we carry our little tiny water bottle to the last minute or discard before getting on line? After consulting with several security folks, we were assured there would be ample capacity at the screening line. Still in all, we decided it would be best not to take the chance and tossed early. PS: GB missed the can.

At the screening line the games were only beginning. You see, had we the nice luxurious paper towels in CO like they have in Exciting City, GB would have been A-OK. But no, she opted for the little tiny napkins to use as germ warfare protection devices (aka disposable shoes.) Problem was DIA doesn't use thequality wax on their granite floors. When trying to swoosh swoosh arises: the napkins caught and rolled under her feet. After several annoyed glances from both the security lady as well as the 8,000 people behind her, we decided we were just going to have to having the germ barrier on the southern front broken. After a quick wipee to the feet, shoes were reapplied and we think we will be ok.

There's more but we need to board and we need to make one last visit tothe bird parlor.

This from QB:

At 10:20am (QB's time), Granny tweeted to QB that she had safely arrived in Charlotte. She planned to eat lunch and make the LOOOOONGGGGG treck to the connecting flight during the 2 hour layover.

More Granny stuff, etc.

2006-08-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

QB has lost track of the days and what happened when, so she will just write what she can remember in whatever order it comes to her.

Today was DustyBird's outdoor quilt show. It has been more than a year in the planning. QB was very nervous that no one would actually come. All that worrying for nothing! There were just over 100 quilts and lots of birds milling around admiring them. There were vendor booths, quilt raffles, classes, demonstrations, musicians (harp, cello, piano - at separate times) and more. Whew!

QB gave a demo on quilted postcards. She ventures to guess it was the most popular demo given! QB was originally told there would be a classroom available, but it turned out to be more of a foyer. QB made due and, rather than demonstrate the actually stitching of a postcard, she laid out all the cards she had received, as well as all the supplies/embellishments she uses. She made up hand out explaining the process in general. Lots of oohs and aahs, and one ladybird even asked if I had any available for sale. Sadly, QB did not. (Sorry, SudZ) QB's demo was supposed to last 50 minutes, but QB ended up talking for closer to an hour and a half. Now QB understands how tired poor GB's tweeter gets after a busy day at the bird factory. Luckily, QB did manage to sneak in some sips of water!

After the quilt show, Granny treated the birds to a nice lunch out at Applebees. Then, we returned home and DaddyBird had to take LB to Toys R Us to get a present for a birthday party she attended at 4 o'clock. LB partied while DaddyBird took Granny to mass. Then, DaddyBird barbecued hamburgers for the birds' dinner. All in all, a good day was had by all. Now QB can get back to work on her quilty jacket that she had to set aside to prepare for the demo.

Yesterday, DB, QB, BB and LB went to the county fair. LB and BB went crazy going on ride after ride. When it rained, we all headed over to the exhibition hall and viewed the quilts and other crafts on display. There was also an extensive display of framed photographs taken by other Western birds. We also got to see a sheepherding demonstration by some Border Collies. QB said that Pal could do that. Statement was greeted by loud gaffaws from the rest of the birds. We also saw the beginning of the rodeo, but birds were getting tired by then, so they packed it in and headed back to the nest.

Well, QB is very tired from her busy day, so she is almost ready to hit the hay. Oh, BTW, after sleeping one night in the bed, Granny was back on the couch again last night.

Days 3 & 4 etc.

2006-08-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Day 3) was a hang-around-the-house day mostly except for a trip to go out for lunch (GB's idea). BB wanted to go to his favorite restaurant which features Asian fare, but GB vetoed the idea. Birds made the mistake of showing her the menu (a copy of which we have at home) and GB didn't see anything on it that she would eat. She also balked at the idea that it was Asian and not Chinese. So instead, we all went to a buffet that serves salad, soup, muffins, pasta, fruit and desserts. QB was very tired and would have preferred a restaurant where birds are served their meals, but she apparently had no say in the matter - it having been decided by BB, LB and GB while QB slaved away in the kitchen getting dinner into the crockpot. (Homemade tomato sauce and meatballs)

Granny still hasn't slept in the bed that QB prepared for her, nor has she offered a plausible reason for refusing to do so. QB was not enlighted by her responses to DDLP's questions.

Today (Day 4), we will be going to the Wildlife Experience. We will see a short, educational movie that lasts approximately 45 minutes. There is a play area for kids and various exhibits. The museum is relatively small and not too crowded. It is also close by, about 3-4 miles from the nest. It has LOTS of bathrooms, a nice cafe, and benches throughout to sit on and rest. We see from MEL that GB is trying to wiggle out of attending with us. Birds specifically test-drove the place two weeks ago to made sure it was Granny-worthy. If GB is planning on bailing out, then birds may as well do something else, as we were there 2 weeks ago.

For those who are interested, GB took a shower today! She is now sitting pretending to watch BB and LB play a game, but QB noticed she is strategically located directly below the paddle fan! The following exchange is presented for JB's reading enjoyment:

Scene: Kitchen/Family Room. DaddyBird sits at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. Granny is on the computer in the adjoining den. QB staggers down from bed, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She proceeds to the sink to fill the tea pot....

GB: I have to shower this morning.
QB: Huh? Yeah, ok.
GB: Would now be a good time.
QB: Yeah, fine.
GB: I know everyone else has to shower too.
QB: Huh? (Are we still discussing this??) Yeah, I said, "OK, fine."
GB: Well, has DaddyBird showered yet?
QB: (Coming to life, despite still not having had any caffeine.) I don't know, just go ahead.
GB: I can wait if you want.
QB: Just go ahead! (Leaves room)
GB: DaddyBird, would this be a good time for me to take my shower?
QB: (returns to room) I just SAID it was a good time!
GB: (With exaggerated patience, as if talking to a child or a crazy person) Ooooo-kay... (And heads up the exhausting 14-step flight of steps)

Granny Bird's Visit - Day 2

2006-08-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Another night on the couch for Granny! Apparently, it is too hard to walk up the (one) flight of stairs. Granny prefers to rattle around at night - watching TV, playing on the computer, drinking 50/50 coffee.

Today, BB had band. QB usually drops him off, returns home, then picks him up. Today, we were lucky enough to go to Circuit City instead while BB was tootling his trumpet. At least GB was able to find an antivirus program that met her standards. Soon, the Western Birds will be as secure as the CIA, just like Granny!

After picking up BB and returning home, we ate sandwiches for lunch then headed out to the movies to see Cars! The movie was cute and made the afternoon pass quickly. While there, GB ate licorice, BB had a soft pretzel and LB had popcorn. QB didn't order anything for herself, but did sneak some popcorn and a piece of pretzel.

GB fiddled some more with the computer when we returned to the nest, and now GB, BB and LB are continuing the game of Monopoly they started yesterday. Shortly, QB will cook dinner, then BB and DB will fly off to Bird Scouts. QB assumes GB will commence the viewing hour and QB and LB will go upstairs (that exhausting flight!) and read together.

Granny Bird's Visit - Day 1

2006-08-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Day 1 highlights:

Despite the fact that QB changed the sheets and washed the blankets, GB decided to sleep on the couch in the family room last night. It was so comfortable she might sleep there every night.

Today was a shopping day. Granny was eager to get to a computer store so QB could spend some birdseed on new virus protection. Despite an hour of looking and comparing, GB was unable to decide on a package. More software shopping on the agenda for later this week!

More shopping at Toys R Us where a generous GB treated LB and BB to $20 worth of toys each! BB bought a Lego creature and LB bought a stuffed animal and a Hip Hop Revolution. Remaining loot was combined to purchase a Pokemon game.

Birds ate lunch at a nice local restaurant. GB had a ch****n salad sandwich, QB had a ch****n filet sandwich, BB had a burger, and LB had mac & cheese. GB used the bathroom 3 times and gave it four stars!

GB, LB, and BB have now resumed a game of Monopoly that they started this morning. QB is finally able to blog and check her email. GB is a computer hog! She has no excuse not to blog! Also, she does not want to hook up GoogleTalk for birds. RB and the B100 will have to apply pressure so that GB will GT while here. Just think, while birdies are camping, GB will have hours of free time to GT with the B100!

Granny Arrives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Granny arrived this morning. We picked her up at the airport and arrived back at the nest around 12:30p. We ate lunch (GB had a sandwich, cup of tea, and a diet soda), followed by 2 games of Scrabble (GB, BB and QB played). After that, GB rested on the couch for a bit. She is now awake and laying down while LB reads a book to her. Later, DB will cook hamburgers on the grill for dinner. Grannys is VERY TIRED! QB is sure she will blog all the details of her trip on MEL tomorrow.

What's News!

2006-08-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

QB hasn't posted in awhile, so she will try to catch up everyone on what's new:

- LB and BB are winding up their second week of off-track. School resumes 8/15.

- Today is DB's company picnic. He has to work this morning, and will return home around noon to pick up LB and BB and take them to the picnic. QB has declined to attend. She will be sewing instead.

- GB is coming to visit next weekend, so QB should start making some plans for her arrival. (Just kidding, GB, we know you're arriving this weekend.) LB and BB are anxious to play cards and board games with Granny! (Scrabble, Monopoly, poker, go fish, Life, etc.)

- DustyBird's group is having a quilt show next weekend. Apparently, QB must have said she'd do a demonstration of quilted postcards because she is now on the list of demos. She will be "working" from 10a to 11a. Will GB join her?! She could help set up and breakdown.

- A few weeks ago, QB found some cool horse fabric and made a pillowcase for Kristen Bird for Christmas:

Here is a close-up of the fabrics:

- After weeks of record-high approaching temperatures, things have finally cooled down a bit. QB has been able to give the a/c a rest for the last few days.

- QB started working on the quilty jacket she mentioned in her 7/22/06 post. Her goal is to have it ready to wear in time for the autumn weather.

- Twinkle Cat seems to have bounced back from her illness. She is eating again and acting like her old self. QB is very happy to have her back to normal.

- Birds booked their annual mountain vacation for August and everyone is looking forward to a week in the woods. DustyBird will be watching the cats and Pal will be accompanying us, as usual. Next year, we will take the Alaska trip that had to be cancelled due to QB's tumor issues.

Well, QB should really get this day started. Both birdlets are reading and QB is still lounging around in her pj's. What would FlyLady say!!

A Christmas Gift for Granny!

2006-08-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Either QB will knit, or JB (I'm sure) will crochet for Granny a great purse! Read the testimonial!

Some news

2006-07-22T05:54:00.000-07:00

A few brief tidbits:

- I still have not heard from the doctor about the CT-scan I had last week. DB called on Thursday, but still nothing.

- LB's second summer sewing camp was cancelled. We were the only ones who signed up. We will have to hold a Mommy-led camp.

- QB and DustyBird went to a quilt/sew/craft expo yesterday while BB and LB were in school. We took a (FREE!) class on making a quilty jacket from a sweatshirt. We have agreed to pick a day in early fall to get together and each make one, so that the pattern does not disappear into the black hole in the sewing room.

- Yesterday was track-off day for the birdlets! No school until 8/15! Sleep late! Lounge around in pajamas! Fight with your sibling!

I'm sure there is more news, but QB must go get ready for her 7am walk with DustyBird.

QB's Southwest Postcard

2006-07-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

This is the card QB made for the southwest postcard swap. Only two people signed up, so QB only had to make 1 card. It is not her favorite, but it is done. Tomorrow is the mailing deadline, so there is no more time to fool around with it.

Roasted Chickens...

2006-07-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

and other birds! It's a heatwave! QB is holed up in the house and giving thanks to whomever invented air conditioning! Birdlets are off at school, which mercifully is also air conditioned. QB walked to the mailbox a few minutes ago. It is about 7 houses down the street. QB will now stop complaining that it is "too hot" to be upstairs in the house. (Heat rising and all.)

Besides some bills, QB mailed a postcard to Stephen Bird. This card was made by Julie in PA and sent as a gift to be used by QB. Thank you, Julie. QB is sure Stephen will be happy to receive it.

QB also received two cards in the mail yesterday from swaps she is in.

Received from Martha for the Quote Swap:

Received from Lois for the Southwest Swap:

Mac, I took these shots with the "tulip" setting. I am curious to see if they come out any better. Let me know what you think.

QB wins a prize!

2006-07-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

QB won a prize in the Mall Crawl!! A bundle of 7 Thimbleberries fat quarters now reside in QB's laundry room waiting for a spin in the washer. QB thinks she may use them to make a tablerunner.

Camera Shy Twinkle

2006-07-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

QB took Twinkle to the vet tonight. QB's wallet is now $240 lighter. QB will get the results of the blood tests and such tomorrow. In the mean time, QB must give Twinkle a sticky, glooy hairball remedy thrice daily.

Home from the vet and under the bed:

Back to the doctor

2006-07-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

Some of QB's pre-surgery symptoms have returned. DaddyBird called the doctor today and left a message about them, as well as QB's pain has been worse the last week or so. The nurse just called back and told QB, "It sounds like you should come in." So tomorrow, at 8:30am, QB will be back at the neurosurgeon, instead of attending the monthly committee meeting at the school.

Finally, blue skies!

2006-07-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

The sun is out! After a week of rainy weather, the sky is blue with just some high wispy clouds. QB does see some clouds building over the mountains, but for now she will just enjoy the gorgeous day. Oh, and GB, monsoon season means lots of rain (compared to our usual high desert climate), no hurricane force winds to be concerned with.

Abigail during monsoon season:

Little Bird's completed quilt:

Close up of LB's quilt:

Time to Build the Ark!

2006-07-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

The newspaper announces, and a look out the window confirms, another rainy day. Yes, fellow birds, monsoon season has arrived early in the mountains this year! While the last week of rain has lessened the wildfire danger, unfortunately it has been replaced by flooding and rock/mud slides!.

Despite the rain, LB and BB returned to school on Wednesday. Each returned home with a stack of papers for QB to complete, along with fees, etc. to be paid. Thursday, QB attended back-to-school night and met the new teachers. QB signed up for her usual volunteer activities - math help, Thursday folders, book fair, vision/hearing testing and bringing food for teacher conference nights. Yawn.

LB finished her quilt yesterday. Today, QB went to the quilt shop and signed her up for sewing camp II. It is the last week of July when the birdies are off-track. BB was not interested in taking the camp, so he'll just have to come along and bring a book or something. When LB gets home, QB will take a picture of her posing with her finished quilt.

Received in the Mail!!!!!!!!!

2006-07-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

QB received 2 magnets in the mail! One is a r/w/b small magnet and the other is a small magnet with swirl designs on it. These are so cute! Thanks so much, Julie! The magnets are great!

QB makes another change to the blog!

2006-07-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

Can you find it? Pehaps you can teach an old bird new tricks! (QB really just replaced code set up by RB.)

Catching Up

2006-07-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of what's new in My Quilty Life:

Cards made for "Quote Swap". QB's quote was Life's Uncertain - Eat Dessert First!

Front and back of patriotic postcard made by QB. Sadly, QB completed it too late to be mailed in time for Independence Day.

Back of LB's pillow (made at sewing camp):

Close-up of LB's pillow back:

Friendly helps LB with her sewing homework:

LB finishes her pillow!

2006-06-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

LB finished her pillow today. It was mostly done at camp, just needed to finish stuffing it and slip stitch it closed. She is going to take it with her tomorrow when she and DaddyBird go camping with BB.

How observant are you? and other things

2006-06-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to CalicoDreams for the website (I think?!). Take the quiz and show your results!

QB's results:

***Your Observation Skills Get A C***
You tend to notice the big things in life...
But the details aren't exactly your forte

Yesterday, LB's friend's mom called about bringing dinner on Friday. Q&A on what everyone likes. Anyway, during the call QB was whining a bit about LB driving her crazy this week. We hung up, and about an hour later, said mom called back and invited LB over for the afternoon - a very nice mom! QB is lucky to have such good friends and neighbors here.

Tomorrow, DaddyBird will meet LB and QB at the LQS where LB goes to camp. He will pick up LB and they will proceed to the campground where BB is staying. They will camp overnight and drive BB home on Saturday morning.

Tuesday, QB took LB to the doctor for her annual (8yo) checkup. Doc asked how LB is doing and QB chronicled all the aches, pains, tandrums, nastiness, etc. Doc smiled and said, "It looks like you have a Diva Personality all right." That's it?! No magic cure?! Rats! Anyway, the examination was fine and LB didn't need any shots. FYI: Weight = 63.6 lbs (75%) and Height = 53" (90%) (that's 4' 5" for Granny).

LB started her pillow at camp yesterday. She got as far as stuffing it, but the teacher ran out of stuffing. That's ok, QB has tons of fiberfill at home. We can work on it a bit this morning, and after she returns from her friend's house this afternoon.

Well, it is time to get ready for a short walk with DustyBird before DaddyBird goes to work.

LB's Camp

2006-06-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Pin cushion made by LB at first day of camp:

LB had homework which we worked on yesterday. LB was being rather snippy as she does not take directions from QB very well. Today, LB will be making a pillow and (hopefully) starting her final project - a quilt! Of course, we have to leave in 2 hours and LB is still dithering over her fabric choices. We are supposed to have the fabrics ironed and cut into squares. Apparently, QB will have to doing some of the cutting to catch us up.

QB finished a UFO!

2006-06-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Whew! Just in time! QB has met the UFO challenge and has avoided paying a fat quarter penalty. Here is a picture of the tote bag she finished and another of it beside a magazine for size comparison.

After a frantic day of packing yesterday, DB is spending the day transporting BB and his friend to camp today. LB and I spent part of the morning choosing fabrics for her quilt camp which starts tomorrow afternoon.

All Hail Queen Quilty Bird!

2006-06-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Many months ago, QB joined in a UFO challenge on one of her on-line groups. QB worked diligently on her UFO's in early 2006, but got side-tracked after the tumor stuff. Well, it's finally happened! QB is now the reigning Queen of the UFOs! (Remember, being queen is a bad thing.)

Here is the announcement posted to the group on Monday:

So without further delay, here is the new queen!

Quilty Bird, you have become queen of UFOs, as of June 19th, 2:30 PM!!
You will have one week to finish a UFO or you will owe a FQ and stamp
penalty, used to swell the kitty!!

FQ = Fat Quarter (1/4 yard of fabric)
UFO = UnFinished Object

So, how much does it cost to have a brain tumor?

2006-06-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

QB received a bill from the hospital where she had her surgery last month. This is just the hospital where the surgery and recovery (M-Th) were. This did not include: the doctors, the diagnotics tests, the other hospital where some of the tests were, etc. QB has a constant flow of bills coming in from thos places, too. Anyhow, here it is:

Grand Total: $ 56,045.18

QB's part is a mere $1,088.49 after insurance and "contractual adj". Of course, QB's part would have been more, but apparently she hit her $3,000 yearly out-of-pocket limit. QB now understands how middle-class Americans without health insurance go bankrupt.

Who can find the changes?

2006-06-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

QB made a change to her blog today. Can any sharp-eyed birds find it? Hint: It is NOT a blog entry!

Hallway Overflow

2006-06-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

Looking in the door:

Another picture - this one of the hallway leading to the sewing room:

QB's sewing room

2006-06-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

QB hasn't done anything interesting this week, so she figured she treat you to a peek inside her sewing room, which has become an absolute disaster area. QB will try to FlyLady her way out of this mess next week.

Sewing cabinet "workspace" and I use the term space loosely.

Sewing cabinet door holding the strips QB cut before her operation:

The cutting table:

Under the cutting table and sewing cabinet:

The open closet:

QB's ironing area, including the big board look-alike made by Dusty Bird.

Some pictures

2006-06-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

QB saw this row by row quilt at the quilt show Dusty Bird took her too last Thursday while LB and BB were in school. QB has always liked row quilts and took these pictures to remind her to make one someday.

Christmas row by row quilt seen at the quilt show

LB and her birthday loot

Pal helps celebrate LB's birthday

Daddy Bird and Quilty Bird Scrabble Match-up (QB won)

QB goes on an outing

2006-06-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today, Dusty Bird took QB to the biannual quilt show held by the local quilting guild. There were about 100 quilts exhibited. QB looked at half, then had to rest. (It was in a church and there were comfy chair and couches in the hallway.) She was then able to walk around and view the remaining quilts. QB enjoyed her time out of the house.

Today is Little Bird's 8th birthday. We went out for an early spaghetti dinner, followed by BB's baseball game. (QB stayed home for that one.) Then, when the birds returned, we had cake and LB opened her presents. Today, she received cards from AE (complete with cold, hard cash) and Shoppy Bird. Two day ago, she received her first Highlights Magazine - a gift from JB and family. She is always excited to receive mail and was thrilled to get the magazine!

Well, QB is pooped from her busy day. It is time for her to turn in.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2006-06-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

The Good: An exercise even Granny can do.

The Bad: Fellow Birds being rounded up!!

The Ugly: Browse the Official Contest Entries

QB takes a walk!

2006-06-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

QB must be getting better as she is starting to go stir crazy being in the nest. Today, when Dusty Bird came to walk Pal, she took QB for a short walk too. The original plan was to just go around the block, but QB was still doing ok at that point, so they decided to go further. The walk lastest about 15-20 minutes at a slow pace ~ not exactly the hour-long brisk walk they used to take, but it is a start. Tomorrow, Dusty Bird will be unavailable to walk due to other commitments, but QB will try to get Daddy Bird to take her for a short walk after LB and BB get on the bus.

So, now it is time for QB to take a rest after her strenuous morning. She will brew a cup of tea and read the newspaper for awhile.