You Aren't Going to Believe This One

You know I am an insomniac.  I don't sleep much at all.  So last night about 1:30 AM I got to flipping channels and got interested in some movie that was just starting.  It was called The Five People You Meet in Heaven. 

I know my friends are picking up their teeth from the floor 'bout now! 

It was a movie with a very interesting concept.  When you die, you will meet 5 people who influenced your life the most.  They are there to teach you something about yourself or your life. 

The good thing about this movie is that it wasn't the standard answers you get when you ask the question, "What person living or dead would you want to meet?"  Jesus Christ.  I know there are some really interesting people who have lived, and I would think that if not for severe religious upbringing and the need to prove to oneself that Jesus really did exist, most people would choose someone vastly more interesting or important.  Like the person who invented fire or indoor plumbing. Or Jonas Salk who invented the polio vaccine.  Or Socrates.  Or Elias Howe.  Or the guy who stood beside my grandfather when he was 15 years old and enlisting in the US Marines to fight in WWI.

Anyway, back to the movie.  I really encourage you to get that movie. If you want to get it then don't read the 5 people he sees, but here is a brief description of those he meets.

Th first person was the Blue Man from the local Freak Show at the Carnival.  He taught him that people are people, they may look different but they still are human beings.  The second was his Captain from the war who taught him that the ultimate love for another human is the ability to sacrifice something for them.  His Capt was killed when he stepped on a land mine allowing the others to escape and live.

The third person was the woman who owned the Carnival where his father worked.  His father beat him, his sister and his mother and was a drunk.  He hated his father.  He had thought his father died of complication of a drunken spree, but really his father died of pneumonia after saving a guy he went out to kill because he had made advances on his wife.  He needed to forgive his father.

The fourth person was his wife who died of a brain tumor and told him that she knew he loved her but while she was alive and after and their lives had been wonderful for that.

And the fifth was the little girl in Japan who was in the hut the hut in Japan he had torched during the war.  She forgave him. 

It was a wonderful movie.  And I can't stop thinking about the meaning it was meant to convey.  That you impact other lives, and they impact yours.  And you may not even realize it.  It does matter, so do the right thing. 



glen

Desparately Seeking Quilting Time

Where is all the time going to?  It is flying out of the windows and the doors.  Quickly, I might add.

I had worked feverishly on CAAWS stuff, mom stuff, Frank's family stuff and life stuff to get ready for the cruise.  The whole time I was thinking when I got back from the cruise there would be time aplenty.  Not so. 

I did manage to get my Virtual Bee blocks done for the November Girl.  She wanted lucious red with slashes of color.  So I complied with her request and fell in love.  I wanted a quilt like this one too!  But then I want them all..........

Thank you Dan.

Thanks, Dan.  My friend Dan sent this to me this morning and I though I would share it with you.  I have no idea who wrote it, but it has been sent around in some emails so that is probably a lost cause as to tracking down who actually wrote it.  None-the-less it is beautiful.

It is exactly why I took care of my Alzheimer Aunt for 10 years and why I am here with my mom.  Aunt Edith still knew me, although not too many other people share that recognition.  I liken her to Chloe the Smelly Basset, not because she smells (grin) but because there was not a day that went bChloey that I did not laugh at them both.  Funny gals, they are. 

My mom is different.  She is just confused.  I actually had a better relationship with my Aunt than I did my mom in all my growing up years and then adulthood.  My mother gave herself over to whatever man she was with, and the fact that it was my father made no difference in how they treated her or how she treated me.  She was one of the Happy Homemakers of the Fifties with their Little Purple Pills.  But she was my mother, so the obligation is there, my brother is not.

 This is what my friend sent me:

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.  

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.  The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.  As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.   He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'

True love is neither physical, nor romantic.  True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.'

Design Wall Monday 10-25-10

Back from the Caribbean Cruise.   It was absolutely fabulous weather.  We rode Segways in Nassau and kayaked the mangrove forests in Freeport, hobnobbed with the 6 toed kitties at Hemmingway's house and shopped at Fabric Stores in Key West. 

Since I was gone all week I did nothing toward sewing but I did purchase these delightful martini glasses in Key West at The Seam Shoppe. 

PS - I REALLY am lusting after a Segway.......have to figure out how to work on into the quilting studio

I think I will go eat all the sugar cubes I can find......

Yes, we just got home from the cruise.  Picked up the dogs, went to the grocery store to get milk and bananas for Frank and dog yogurt for the doglets.

I am uploading my pictures, and have some fabulous sunset and sunrise pics. 

Sunset and Sunrise respectively. 

Along with some really great photos from the kayak though the mangroves and the segway over the island we did.  Now I want a segway.  Did you know you can't fall off one of those things.  Well, not literally, it works based upon a gyroscope and you really can't fall off.  But one lady had her battery die and the whole machine just keeled over, with her on it.  I wish I would have had my camera out, it was better than Carrie sitting on the ground after her bike tossed her off!  The look on this ladies face was priceless.  

Desserts were unbelievable.  I didn't know what to choose, so I ate them all.    Don't believe what you hear.  But I am craving those sugar cubes I have in my pantry..........

The beaches were gorgeous.  Open and wide and no one on them since tourism is down, way down.  Now is the time to go before Obama takes all your money to pay for his health care giveaway.    if you have the money the prices are right for the cruises and hotels.  In Key West they had the worst September they have ever had in history.  Way way down.

 

 My favorites at any aquarium are the jellies!  I love them.  The salt water tanks in Key West are incredibly beautiful. 

We also kayaked in the mangroves on FreeportFreeport is not exactly free, in fact it is very expensive to live there.  The island is totally owned by one man.  He bought it from the Queen herself.  And nothing is actually manufactured or grown there, it is all imported.  For example, a car costing $22K in the US is imported to Freeport which has 75% VAT and now you pay.......$38.5K for it.  And $5.25 per gallon of gas.  A loaf of bread is $6.75.  So most people hop on the ferry to the mainland Florida and buy wholesale cases and haul them home to Freeport.

We went to the quilt shop on Key West, they were sorta friendly.  Of course I can't walk away even from grumpy poeple and not buy something.

And we saw the 6 toed cats at Hemmingway's house.  Weird.  They look like elephant feet when they stand up. 

I will post some additional pics in the next week or so and show you my fabrics I bought!

glen:  just glad to have the dogs nearby again.

In the Navy, In the Navy now!

Dear readers, I will be out of pocket for a while, whilst I while away my time on the deck of a ship cruising the ocean blue.

Bon Voyage!

glen:  Life is short, sew hard!

design wall Monday 10-11-10

I had a skeleton on my design wall but I gave it to my daughter on Saturday and forgot to take any pictures of it.  I do have the same old thing on my design wall, snowflakes.  But I am quilting a watermelon quilt...........hey, it was a very busy week and I needed some computer game play time!

I am totally NOT a football fan, but we fell into the clutches of the local color reporter yesterday on our bike ride.  So after we had ridden about10 miles in 90 degree temps she takes pictures of us and plasters them all over TV with an interview about the LSU FLorida football game.  All I did was nod!  I was scared to say anything worrying I would look like an idiot knowing nothing about football!  Geez!  Check out my last post.

On my design wall.  That orange-ish square is for a second quilt, it does not go to this one.  I just wanted to see what the orange one was going to look like.  I need to finish them both to show at next guild meeting.  This is our mystery quilt I have been leading all year.

glen, much to do today -- busy busy busy!

TV Interviews on a bike ride

So that was exciting.  I am now being sought out for interviews by the local media.  Well, sort of.  On our bike ride down the levee and through LSU we decided not to wait the 20 minutes to get a table at Louie's.  So after much debate, a consult on the I Phone and discussion with a quartet of LSU students tormenting a fifth student we decided to head to VooDoo BBQ on Nicholson Drive.  And that chain of events led to the interview by Keitha Nelson of Channel 9.  She was hunting die hard LSU fans (chortle, choke which is NOT me!) and asking about the game last night and last weekend. 
She grew interested in the bikes and we will probably dominate the feature as they took video of us getting on  the bikes, riding up and down the street, the purple bikes Amber and I have and a rousing shout of "We're Number Once!)
The ride debuted three new bikes.  Frank, Amber and I all have new wheels!  Dan negotiated with the bike guy at Capitol Cyclery and we got great deals with a lot of extra gear.  Today our ride took us 13 miles from the State Capitol to the  LSU Stadium to  Voodoo BBQ and back through the concert at the Shaw Center downtown. 

No falls, no bumps and no bruises.  Here is our trip in pictures:

You know it is Louisiana when you see beads in the trees!
Here is Amber on her new bike.
Planetarium downtown           
Dancing Waters at the Centroplex
.  Can you see the planets???
Then on to the Mississippi River Levee and a great view of the bridge and some of the LSU cows.

  This is us trying to decide where to eat.  Voodoo BBQ wins.
This is Frank trying to look like he is just having a causal discussion while the TV cameras roll!  LSU Bike Impound.   LSU Stadium where it all happens 


Dan leaning on a post on the levee looking toward downtown.  See the state capitol bldg in the distance on the left?




And here is the Cajun Music Fest we rode through in Downtown.

Auction Wins

Last year I won big.  I mean BIG!  Like over 50% of the baskets and over $200!  Jessie won the other half of the baskets but she was supporting a Quilting Husband as well.  Frank won’t pick up a needle or rotary cutter.  So it looked way worse for me. 
I resolved not to win as much this year so my take was a bit smaller.  But I did get a few interesting things. 
At 2 of my 3 guilds we have a birthday table.  During your birthday month you bring in a small item.  They sell raffle tickets for 25 Cents each and I usually purchase $2 worth each month.  So I never ever ever win anything!
At the Big Auction at River City last night I purchased 10 $1 tickets and dropped them into ten different baskets. Whereupon I won 5 of those items!  I got two fabric shopping bags with two pkgs of batting each, A red/white/blue tin of FQs and a group of 13 FQs tied in a ribbon.  And I won one of the red/white/blue baskets from the silent auction for $14.  It has a pattern, about 6 yards of red and red stripe fabrics, and 2 yards of blue and white stripe fabric, and about 4 other red and blue  fat quarters.  The box is a thread box that will hold about 15 spools!  Can't beat that with a stick!
The Remember Me Guild Auction will be when I am on the cruise!  And I was so hoping to be able to go to that one. 

I got a new quilt magazine in the mail today, Frank just brought it to me.  I am going to take my bath and cuddle up with it after I finish with y’all.

So nighty night…………Gotta check out Fons and Porter!
glen:  I am still reveling in my Stash Manicure glow.  It was a wonderful experience and I want to thank Madame Samm for allowing me to be a part of it!

PS:  Don't you love the dishwashing detergent in that picture?

I am a celebrity now! So where is Jimmy?

There is a fabulous blog called Stash Manicure.  I have been following it for a while now and have taken some great ideas from the many guest contributors.  I was never really sure about how one got to be a guest contributor, but was intrigued by the possibility that I could get in there and swing my pen around and have many hundreds of people read my insightful words.

But alas, no one noticed me.  Until one day when Madame Samm put out a frantic post saying she was short some contributors and asked if anyone would like to sign up to be one. 

Well now, that was right up my alley!  So after making some final arrangements I debut tomorrow!

Check out my first guest contribution at Stash Manicure!  Oh, this is so exciting.  You all HAVE to read me where, but now hundreds.....maybe thousands.......will HAVE to read me.

And surely Jimmy Smits will notice me now that I am a celebrity.....right?  (Oh he is so fine!)

Check out http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com/  to see the real deal!

glen:  excited and all over that guy.............

Got a little DVD in the mail!

Been waiting for this one and it appeared in the mailbox the other day.  Now for the time to look at it and practice the free motion work. 

And then was wasting a little time cooking dinner.  These guys are recycled from last night’s fabulous Sweet Italian Sausage and Onions and Peppers dinner.  I had three left over that have been cooking in my famous Italian Red Gravy. 
Growing up in New Orleans we had Red Gravy and Brown Gravy.  This is Red Gravy.  And when you add these Sweet Italian Guys in there, it becomes ITALIAN Red Gravy.

Can you smell them????????     MMMMMMMMMMM…………..
glen

Bike Riding instead of quilting

Dan, Amber, Carrie, Valerie, Frank and I met at the Louisiana State Capitol Building for a fabulous bike ride though downtown. The sky offered a cloudless 63 degrees, perfect biking weather. No one

was hurt in the making of these pictures,                                                    although some were shaken up a bit.
                    The ride started at the State Capitol Building, which really is a pretty building.

 

 

 

 

 

Then we rode into the Downtown area past the Old State Capitol Building. Dan told us that the building burned down in 1863 and was rebuilt to house governmental affairs. Currently it is where you go when you get jury duty, which is where both Dan I and were in the last month.

Then we rode on the Mississippi River levee a bit. Carrie took a bad tumble from her bike but like a good trip historian I took pictures before I had to ask her if she was ok. She was, just lost a good bit of skin to the cement roadway. She opted to head back to the truck and home to take care of her wounds.

We rode past the Capitol Lakes after we made sure she was safely off.

Then we rode to the Capitol Lakes and saw a lot of wildlife. Nutria, herons, lots of ducks and some lovers who were trying to hide from someone (not sure they were supposed to be together, you know.)

And we ended up eating at Coyote Blues stuffing ourselves with nachos, tamales, tacos and tea

!