Cold Birds.......

The temps reached all the way to 29 today.  Positively sweltering.  We are now heading toward 48 hours below freezing.  My fountain is almost solid, and the dog water has been solid since Monday.

I picked up frozen poop all day. 

I am putting the birds together.  I must have made a million HSTs.  Every time I thought I had the spaces filled, I would see more to fill.  I was moving them around until they had a comfortable place to nest.

Interestingly the twins did not want to be next to each other.  And the Love Birds...Oh my!  They wouldn't leave the nest long enough to get any HSTs!

I hit on a great fabric sale and bought 4 yard lengths for backings.  This grey one I bought 8 yards.

I am thinking the yellow birds, well, will be for the Daily Bird Quilt.










Here are some other fabrics that came in the shipment somehow.  Also in 4 yard lengths, go figure.

The solid grey is actually a pale aqua, maybe a teal.....which is more green I guess.

I started filling in the holes and some birds got an extra layer of HSTs.

I couldn't get these two silly birds to stand correctly.   They wanted to hang  off the side of the design wall.

Some got  a surrounding of HSTs.

Still clinging to the side though.

 I decided to add a date and my initials to some of the larger spaces. It was either that or  more HSTs.  I intended to try some branch blocks, but totally became obsessed with making those HSTs. The 2 really does look weird, though, huh?

Here is what it currently looks like.  I hope it is not jumbled looking.  What do you think?

I am going to use  this as my OMG for January!  Go see the rest of  everybody's goals for the month.








I started putting the blocks together in larger blocks.  Here is my first corner.



Geez, those Love Birds................look at the mess they made on the floor.....

Day 1 Year 2018

Did you know the Gregorian Calendar, the one we use today, was set up in 1582. But not all countries used it as their civil calendar until 1923.  Took them a long time to get with the program.  The big difference from the


previously popular Julian calendar was the length of a day.  The Gregorian year equals 365.2425 days where the Julian Calendar Year was 365.25 days.

If you subscribe to the Buddhist Year the date would be 2562.  And the female Tibetan Fire Rooster Calendar is 2144.

So Happy Gregorian New Year to you all.

It was in the teens last night and today the highest number on the thermometer outside my back door only went to 27.  Last year we were in the camper from Hell with no heat.  It does get very cold in South Louisiana, doesn’t it.


I spent the day in my sewing room putting the HSTs on the birds.  I am thinking in either need it make some additional birds or to use some sort of alternative block.

I was thinking that the branch block from the Modern Guild might be an interesting thing.  The birds could appear to sit on the branches and sing their hearts out all day long.

I am listening to The Last Tudor by Phillipa Gregory.  She writes amazing biographical stories about the women in the 1400s and 1500s in Old England.  Lady Jane Grey, War of the Roses, The White Queen, the Red Queen.   The Seymores and the Stewarts.  If you like historical reads, definitely look her up in your library.




DiNozzo oversaw the replenishing of the Dog Bone Inventory.  We go through a ton of Milkbones every week. 

Here is the wine jelly I made from the leftover wine at the CAAWS Volunteer Party. It is absolutely wonderful.    Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio.  And edible flowers from Whole Foods.

And that is my new pig plate.  

And I am making vodka and scotch vanilla extract.  It needs to sit for 8 weeks before you use it.

I am going to be ready for the year 2144.......or 2562.........whichever is your preference.

Cold Noses

The weather people on all the stations last night were warning of a freeze and making sure people protected their pipes and their pets. Frank put up all the plants that get affected by the cold and covered the rubber tree sufficiently to protect it. (I bought it in 1979.)

So Frank announces last night that the weathermen are wrong and it won't get as cold as they have said.

This morning it was 21 degrees when I got out of bed at 7:30 AM. The weathermen had predicted 24.  So I am glad Frank is never wrong!  Don't they look good in their cozy warm coats?  Chloe refuses to wear clothes.  She does not play well with dress up. Putting anything on her causes her to become instantly rooted to the ground.  So at 21 degrees, she is naked.

I have to be in court this afternoon.  Hopefully it will be decided this afternoon and it will be over.  I have so many things going on. And I want to make some soup with lentils and sausage and some of the baby kale I found in the grocery store on Sunday.

I am on the program for the Feb meeting of one of the guilds and I need to set up some programs for the year. I have an agenda to set up for the CAAWS meeting this week and I have the Fundraiser meeting as well.

I have two pieces to finish, my challenge you can't see and the red sunprint.  Maybe tonight.

When it will be 14 degrees...........and I am believing the weatherman!

Lagter:  Tea Towel Fabric possibilities.

BRRRRR! Inside Quilting Today!

The rain held off yesterday all day and that allowed the canals to drain a bit.  Mind you, the water is still very high.  And with the overcast sky with 100% humidity, nothing is even drying.  We have ponding in our yard when it generally drains exceptionally well due to the efforts of my hydrologist wannabee husband.

The temp right now on my covered and protected back porch is 34.  We did get a chance to take the wild hellions for a walk to the end of the street but it sprinkled on us the entire time.  Now they are anything but like in this picture, bouncing off the walls and needing exercise!

Out of self preservation we took the boys and Chloe to get their nails trimmed.  For short trips, DiNozzo is fine.  If it is much longer than the vet or Petsmart, he tosses his cookies.

I am going to get the borders on Maylee's Quilt in a bit.  I can't wait to see it to that stage.  And it will go to the Guild next week with me for a really wonderfully exciting show and tell.

AND I GET THE ELLIES!

glen