Monday, January 31, 2022

The Arctic is Vacationing in Florida

" Nothing since August 14th. ~ ~ ~ time for an update to the chronicles. "

This was the terse text from Marilyn early in January. 

In block capitals.

Wow, I thought. I have surely blogged since then, in my head at least? 

Turns out blogging in your head doesn't quite make it to the page. Kind of like having a gym membership, does not, in and of itself, bestow a fit and slender physique. You have to actually visit the gym and maybe sweat a little. As it is now the very last day of January, I thought it might behoove me to provide an update, for Marilyn, and for anyone else who wanders over here and wonders - What has happened? Is she sick? Or, God forbid, dead?

 I'm happy to report that the grim reaper has not come for me yet, though, if our oft taken for granted warm weather does not return soon, I may yet freeze to death. I know, I know. Our recent lows would be welcomed as a heatwave in many parts of the world but it's all relative. The blood thins. The bones shiver. One promises not to complain about the heat when it, inevitably, returns. And meantime one has dug deep in the closet for the winter clothing that, mercifully, was still buried there and not off finding new life in some thrift shop. The OC, being less of a weather wimp than I, has remarked in recent days, on seeing my outfit - You look like an Eskimo! Well, welcome to my igloo. One offers thanks for pack rat tendencies. They do have their uses, Q.E.D.

~ ~ ~

So, what's to report? Since August 14th?

My major accomplishment for 2021 was starting and finishing, a king-sized quilt for California Girl. 

The house was in disarray for months as I moved furniture aside to make floor spaces large enough to lay it out for a bird's eye view so I could piece it together correctly. It wasn't until September when I picked it up from the longarm quilter, who, by the way, did a beautiful job, that I spotted a big mistake. 

But I'm not telling.

 CA Girl went on a big adventure to Europe where she fell headlong in love with Italy and threatened to never come back. Reality, however, finally kicked in and she returned in October, stopping in here to pick up her quilt. And she loves it, I'm happy to say. *

October and November saw us visiting Oregon. The OC got to play farmer and logger and general dogbody as he and YS got lots of work done. December saw holiday visits from two sons, brief but lovely, and before I had fully registered that it was Christmas already, even before I'd stowed away the decorations and vacuumed up the pine needles, here's Marilyn, calling me to order, demanding, in her inimitable way, and pronto if you please, that I get to blogging. 

So that's my update. More to come. And if by chance I should fall off the wagon again, I'm sure Marilyn will rise to the occasion with another terse text. 


*Blogger, the universe, my computer or maybe a conspiracy of all three is/are refusing to allow me to add photos which is good news and bad news. Good because it means you cannot see my big mistake but bad because you cannot see the stellar job the longarm quilter did. I'll keep trying.

7 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Thank you Marilyn.
Re your big mistake, I think it is a rule. They hide themselves until the hour after the eleventh hour, when it is virtually impossible to fix them.
I am glad that the recipient loves it - and am wondering whether she can see your 'mistake'. If not, it is not there.

gz said...

Welcome back!!
Glad the quilt has gone home well.
I never thought of getting some one else to quilt my patchworks...but it does take time, you almost feel sometimes that the work is done when the piecing is finished..but it's only half done!!

Colette said...

Good to have you back!

molly said...


EC - I like the Amish attitude - if they make a mistake they leave it in, their thinking being that only God is perfect.

gz - it's quite common over here to farm your quilt out for the actual quilting. It does, in a way, feel like cheating! But if I don't 'cheat' in this way I might never get a quilt finished, especially a king sized one. My bad for starting so many and I want to finish them all as I'm no longer a Spring chicken...

Colette - Thank you...I think...we'll see if I can keep it up.

Eva Wilson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sabine said...

You did ok according to MIL's rules: "change is as good as a rest", "life is what happens when you are having fun" and "make sure to keep a decent set of warm underwear".

It's not just the Amish who leave a mistake, in hand knotted oriental carpets, there are usually intentionally at least three errors, sometimes hard to spot, which are also meant to show that only Allah is perfect.
I have a hand knotted rug and it took us quite some time to find the errors but they are there.

Pam said...

Good old Marilyn, is what I say. Now, try to keep it up, Molly!