Summer Begins ~ NOW!

It's finally here, my first day of summer!!!

My end of year gift was a memory scrapbook, a page done by each student, precious!

I was so ready for today, I'm tellin' ya. We had a fun week for our last days of school, with field day, swim party, "clean the room" day, word searches, hidden pictures, classroom game afternoon, awards day and party, and while you as a teacher try to juggle all those balls in the air, you have cum files to complete, conferences, report cards, walls to strip bare, completed work to turn into books for them, kids that are as wiped out as you, and sometimes it is a bit overwhelming. Thanks to Larry for some beautiful created certificates, Ginny for 2 full days of help only another teacher could do, and Jerry to help pull down posters, scrub and pack up, I'm home today and still in my gown at 9 a.m. and reading my blog buddies posts! Yea!! I may get that old Google Reader list back down to zero, yet...

Saturday, we participated in the Southern California's Quilter's Run, and put 200 miles on our car going to 14 participating stores. I was really wanting to be a "party pooper" (mainly because I was just pooped, lol!) but Beth, Jerry and Larry prevailed and we actually had a great time, all without the aide of a GPS, man, it was too funny at times! Beth and I are hoping to do a few more places this week, and the guys will join us again for next Saturday. (but I will borrow Jeff's GPS next time!)

Now, we mostly only spent money on the gas and our lunches, but Beth did get some cherry prints to decorate and use in her new kitchen, and I fell for this patchwork print, too-o cute to pass up! The fat quarters had to come home with me too, of course...:-}

I found them at Fresh Picked Fabrics, and bought for Beth and myself their quilt square kit (each participating store was giving a quilt square pattern, but you could buy their fabric kit, too). I laughed when I got it home, and couldn't find the checkerboard fabric for the center of the flower; they gave us pieces of black and white to make a 50 square patchwork piece- Ha! I'll be looking for a checkered piece next time out ~ grin!

Oh, and we found these little thread snippers. When I lived in Japan as a girl, my Momma had several pairs of these and they are great for having at the side of your machine when sewing. I had to get those, just 'cuz they gave me a happy thought of my Momma...does anyone else have those times of talking and sewing with family? I love the heritage I share with others of you.

More power to those who learned to sew without the guidance, I wonder if I would sew? I was so impatient with imperfections, I'd wad up a dress I'd made a mistake on, and I'd see Momma later, seam ripper in hand, gently picking out my botched project. I have to admit, that taught me so much, including to do the same thing for my daughter Lydia, and others.

Another thing I greatly appreciated too, was her advice to walk away and come back to it later, that problems had a way of solving in our mind when we would lay it down. I see sewing as a puzzle, and try to fit quilt pieces in place. Do you do that? If it's a pieced square, I find myself breaking it down in my mind, seeing if I can come up with the solution. All that to say those little snippers took me back to sewing at my Momma's side. *vbs*

Here are those "15 minutes of sewing" pineapple blossoms, I'm up to 16, and going for 20. I have a puzzle in my mind, figuring on how I'm connecting them. Stay tuned....

Now this came in the mail last week, and I haven't even emailed a thank you to my friend Jodi for it, and the inspiration she wrote to me on a card that came, too! Thank you, Dear Jodi! I'm blessed to call you friend.

I'm waiting on some red and white charm squares to come from the exchange with Karen of Sew Many Ways and some polka dot charms to come from Wendy of Sewing in the Wendy City, both of those were right up my alley. Other than that, today's goal is to move the sprinkler around the yard, ha,ha! Oh, and I'll go to quilt class tonight, too.
Ah, this is a good Monday, I hope yours, is, too!




"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee...O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever." Psalm 118