and the 2017 finale

well, 2017 is leaving us frozen.  but this too shall pass -- hopefully soon ...

it was -14 when I left the office for home at 4:00pm 

ya, I worked most of the day ...

so for 2018 -- these are the quilt projects I'd like to try

a scrappy hand pieced clam shell

live the internet I can find a picture of anything in the colors I like!

I've had this picture saved for freaking years ..

it's not complicated

 my flea market fancy project -- the blocks are done -- maybe I should cut out the borders and hop to it eh? I mean really ... it's this far along .

I've saved this magazine cover for over a decade -- enough said

and I've been accumulating scraps for one of these ... more hand applique -- probably my summer project at the cabin.

We've committed to the cabin for next summer -- so I see a lot of hand sewing / applique work in my chair on the deck .... 

the other resolutions are on the side bar -- no fabric, no yarn, no clothes, less social media and well, no food

sounds attainable ... he he he 

at least the first four 

Blessings for a fabulous 2018

and part two....

  so two of the scrapbooking/cardmaking Divas came to the office and assisted me with the project from hell.   Stuffing, sealing up and attaching stamps to the client packets we mail out at year end ...
it is a thankless job -- full of paper cuts and sore fingers  -- I even bled on a couple of envelopes ...

  they are all stuffed ---
  most of them (more than 3/4 are sealed -- my gig)
  and all need stamps (one box is done) ....

good conversation, lots of laughter and take-out Chinese gets the job done!

Thanks ladies -- I'd still be there stuffing ....


and tomorrow -- back to the desk gig (with a little stamp attaching)!


good night!

it is a lovely day in the valley

dash camera!

gotta love a Minnesota Winter -- lets hope it gets above zero in the next 72 hours ...

I'm at work -- my windows are covered --

quilts are stashed every where

and I'm working away.

 

no -- don't just don't do it

I'm up to 31 phone calls this morning - regarding the provisions of the new tax bill.  really, peeps, you are asking with 48 business hours left in 2017?

wth.  caller 19 was the Free Press -- this should be entertaining.


and the phone is ringing yet again.  damn someday's this gig is well, taxing.


ha ha ha ha

oh my

the coolest picture from the paper (Mankato Free Press) yesterday -- the Dakota riders as they were riding into Mankato from South Dakota .. from Land of Memories Park to Reconcilation Park --

I've always wanted to see the ceremony in person -- at 0' yesterday -- and a full load of appointments that was not going to happen. 

striking picture -- there were other pix also ...

Santa sewing

  so a couple of months ago, I agreed to make a T-shirt quilt for a Christmas gift to Skylar from her parents -- Skylar is a former intern/employee/part of the crew -- who moved on to the City and a job with the Department of Revenue ....

Skylar and Nick were best buds .... 

excuse the mess -- the busy season is quickly approaching

Skylar is a HUGE Minnesota Lynx fan -- HUGE -- season ticket holder HUGE ... never misses a game HUGE .. her Mom had saved a bunch of T-shirts and towels ...

I went to my stash for the block sashing -- and found the batik for the borders at JoAnn Fabrics -- the hardest part -- making those damn shirts lay flat -- some of the shirts were a bit used and very well loved -- and even with the "t-shirt" interfacing -- they wanted to move a bit.  I quilted in an all over swirl (the only thing I do well) ... and avoided the vinyl on the logo's ... I want it back after the holidays to do some hand quilting around the logos .. that should flatten it out a bit ...  it's about 72" by 72"  .. 

I know the kid will love it !

edited on Friday so I could link up with Crazy Mom Quilts -- Finish it up Friday!
  

Merry Christmas

random Thursday moments

my 5th grade class -- weren't we a cool looking bunch -- 1970 or 1971ish ... 

found this one on my phone .. must have been my road trip to St Cloud in November - a beige Holiday Inn Hotel room -- at least I had a recliner!  ..

secret project

my custom quilting project is done.  DONE.

During the drama of Friday night I slabbed together the "rows" ...

Early Saturday morning -- it became a top and I cut out the borders and binding  (early early -- 5:00am) -- Saturday night the borders went on and the long arm was loaded

and early yesterday (4:30 am) .. the quilting commenced and ended -- it's about 72" square and I quilted it with an all over swirl (what else) .. in a light gray Aurifil -- it really didn't take much more than an hour .... trimmed 'er up .... and last night before and after supper the binding went on ... it's washed/dried and ready for Santa to gift -- looking at it this morning -- I might want it back to add some more quilting --

my Bernina sewing space really isn't set up for large scale .. did some table movement to make that happen ... and since I'm not going to WORK on Christmas eve -- I think I'll re-arrange my sewing/crafty space ... and perhaps purge a few things ...

pictures to follow -- after it's gifted ....

road kill

road kill -- adj. -- the feeling one gets after a week of crazy followed up by an evening of truly unscripted ..

i need to start living more unscripted ...

week of chaos on 3rd street -- pre tax planning -- a lot of pre tax planning, oodles of pre tax planning and the oddest phone calls ....

arrived home to sew on my secret project --- got 2 of the 3 slabs together -- after lots of block trimming --- and then it was off to the

emergency room -- Mom -- the hacking/coughing has been ugly all week ... and at 7:30 we were off to er --- bronchitis ... 3 prescriptions later .... and no pharmacy open here in Hooterville -- it was then off to Mankato ... and home ... all in 2 hours ... which wasn't horrid ... but elder #1 was driving and one would think we were in the Indy 500 .... good grief ... I was glad to be strapped in the back seat ...

the up side of the evening -- I got two slaps together and the rest of the blocks trimmed .... Mom got drugs ... still coughing but the inhaler, steroid and antibiotic are now in her system

this morning all of the slabs are pieced together, the borders are cut and the batting is hanging on the rails of the long arm -- hoping to drape out the wrinkles -- long arm bobbins are wound -- back is pressed, bindings are cut out too ... tonight is borders and loading long arm -- tomorrow is quilting and binding .. will go fast from this point forward  ...

one highlight of the week -- I truly am legal now ... good to go for another year ... the entire licensing process is just odd -- and that peer review process -- after all these years still intimidating ... although I received a complimentary note from the reviewer ... but still -- it's all about compliance and regulation

 ... unfortunately - there is a whole segment of the occupation who doesn't play by the same rules -- karma will come.

i'm legal ...

life in a world of regulations can be time consuming ....

it was my peer review year ...
 so -- f/s and background documents were forwarded to my reviewer in late July
 mid September heard back from her and she submitted her documents to the RAB .... (report acceptance body)
 early December I heard back from RAB ... and forwarded docs on to the State Board of Accy
 quickly heard back from them -- life is good for 3 more years

today was update/upload continuing education doc's to State Board ...
   ( minimum of 20 hours per year and 120 hours per 3 year cycle -- I average 40 a year)
and renew licenses

and of course --- it all costs $$$   like $2,000... between the peer reviewer, the RAB and the license renewals ..

but I'm DONE ---

annual license renewals
peer review is every 3 years ...


just breathe ... it's good to be legal ...

weekend treats

my version of some kind of chex treat --- corn chex, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips -- melted almond bark

puppy chow -- rice chex, melted chocolate chips, melted peanut better and lots of powdered sugar ...powdered sugar everywhere ...

and a little fruit thrown in for healthy

and my yaktrax I'm ready for ice.

silence be damned

Jon's (again it was on Facebook -- so I'm going with it's fair game to share)  panoramic shot of the neighborhood -- somewhere around 11:00 is the farm -- 9:00 is the shop and 1 - 5 the Traverse des Sioux Historic Site ...


I was silent for 4 days .. so much happening, so many thoughts, so cold I can't think or see straight.  Worked every night this week, some where -- not always productive.  My afternoon appointment cancelled so I have some work time available -- so I'm here typing away.

Wednesday -- me and the "first time driving in snow, wind and slippery roads" occurred with the brown truck.  I still like her!  Learned how to operate the remote start last night -- will test that out tonight on the outbound commute.

Emily, the cleaning lady comes tonight -- we need her bad.  She's been on a once a month schedule since April .. snow season brings about more mess.

okay -- back to silence for another day ....

hummm, lots a thoughts

I had an odd, yet productive weekend.   Ruby went to the car wash this morning  and after I got home -- she went into storage for the winter ... covered and mouse deterred ... and .... ta dah ... the truck actually fits in the garage -- it's kind of close .... but it fits.  We probably should have tested that out sooner ... but she's in the garage.

84  --- 3 inch blocks made from flying geese leftovers ... a whole lot of squaring and trimming

we had a crafty Saturday -- and it was a beautiful weather Saturday -- but ... I made 42 large flying geese blocks in the morning/early afternoon and then used up my trimmings to make the 3" half square triangles above -- I cut 6" blocks from 13 Christmas fabrics for a new Christmas table quilt .... they are in a pile for another day ..

and I did a lot of thinking ... thinking is good ... Mama Pea from A Home Grown Journal recently blogged about the lack of time to keep up with all the stuff (for lack of a better description, stuff works) that overwhelms our days and our lives -- and to recharge herself she's taking a break from blogging, blog reading, and social media.  She's got a point -- social media is a giant time user -- and frankly I (all of us) have lost the ability to communicate with each over via the spoken or written word.

I spend too much time on all of it -- too much wasted time.  Blogging is the least of it -- blogging is my daily journal for myself (because the 15 of you who read this -- tolerate my ramblings) ... I do purchase, download and print a hard copy of this blog every year -- it's under $ 10.00 ... 

So my goal is to only facebook and instagram on my phone - that will slow me down ...  and the blog, this blog  ... is going to see me once a week ... I might resume the photo a day blog .. but that could be done here ...

and all the extra time -- watch for the letters, cards, notes and phone calls ... we all need to learn to communicate with our friends and loved ones ... 

i am such a numbers geek

2017

337.5 January
393.5 February
466.5 March
378.5 April
243.5 May
261.5 June
234.5 July
248.5 August
203.5 September
246.5 October
226.5 November

3240.50  YTD   3274.50 last year!

so i'm a numbers junkie .. i just am, it's how i'm wired.
we track a lot of details at the office ...

i track how many hours i work ... so for clarification
this is my hours at the office and on County time  
it's sometimes hard to separate the two ...

for reference (and because i'm a numbers junkie)
a 40 hour a week, 52 week no break schedule is 2,080 hours ..

the good thing in this odd data ... i'm working less this year than last!!!!   hahahahaha
and March was awful.  
it just was.