Baby Emily is Here!

Baby Emily is Here! I am NOT the grandma, but I AM the great aunt. I had a chance to spend several minutes holding her yesterday. Her parents are tired but happy and the grandparents (seen above) are over the moon. I hosted the baby shower, but I didn't finish the quilt yet. Guess I'd better get busy!

Where has the time gone?

Where has the time gone? I have been working just two days a week this month and have hugely enjoyed my time off. To give you something nice to look at, here is my friend Barbara's quilt on the design wall at our last sewing day. I just love the liveliness and color of this one. She collected polka dot and retro looking fabrics for ages before making this quilt.

In my own sewing room, besides more fabric painting, I have two projects going but no pictures to show you yet. Under the quilting needle are my bright "bullseye flowers" and on the design wall is the start of a quilt in beautiful ocean blues for my son. I have also been reading stacks of books while curled up in my comfortable window bed. This activity has been known to morph into the luxury of an afternoon nap.

Lest you think I have only been lazy, another thing I have been doing a lot of this month is exercising. Jerry and I have been walking 15 miles a week together and added to that are my swimming aerobics classes. We are both looking a little better than when we posed for our "chubby Hawaiian" picture in the sidebar, but we have a long way to go. I can't tell you how happy I am to get Jerry walking with me. He works long hours and doesn't take care of himself, so this is great progress.

Yesterday I went shopping with my SILs Diane and Barb and had a great lunch out at Panera. I had the Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken Salad.

Yum!

We also had a great visit with my sweet niece Amy, who is due to have her first child next week. Do you think we are all just a little excited? She has her nursery all prepared and her bag packed for the hospital. The proud papa is anxiously awaiting his role as coach.

Today I will be visiting the new Quilt Visions museum. I'm so excited to be able to spend the day just taking in all that fabulous inspiration. Stay tuned for future blog reports.

On Saturday we will celebrate my FIL's 92nd birthday with a big family party. It's not at my house, but I will help out with food and decorating.
Next week I have another shopping and lunch trip planned, more catching up with friends. I have not even touched my "home improvement" projects yet. Where has the time gone?

It's July, so I'm on Vacation

This was the view from my front door on Saturday morning. Jerry and I got up early to walk by the lake. Good thing, too, because it was bright and hot by the time we finished at 9 am. Same thing today, only it was hot and sunny by 8:30am. I think tomorrow we will start even earlier.
Summer heat here is nothing to kid around with. You don't EVEN want to exercise in it, unless of course you are in a pool.

Here is how I spent another part of my day. That is silk charmuese on the frame, and yes I know those pins are a terrible abuse of fabric, but I am cutting that part off later.

I am having the most wonderful time being away from work. Believe it or not I love my job, but being away is better. Time for morning exercise, time for painting, fabric or otherwise, time for reading, time for napping. For dinner I am preparing a lovely healthy stir fry and then I am meeting some friends for coffee at Starbuck's. We will sit outside enjoying the cool of the summer evening, laughing and chatting and catching up on each other's lives. Ah, this is the life.