Day #110 - Birthday Bash with Delish' Donuts! A yummy recipe for today!

Good morning, all!

Happy birthday shout outs for my family: my brother, my sister and my oldest grandson's birthday are all in the same week!  Luv yah all! 

We celebrated all 3 last night with a birthday bash: lots of desserts (rather like a dessert bar!), presents and laughter!  I took yesterday's posting's coffee embroidery and made a mug rug for my sister - sorry but in my rush I forgot to take a final picture!  Suffice to say I lined it with a towel, backed it with a chocolate brown and quilted it with a black thread so the designs popped out!  (All done AFTER I got home from work, thank you very much!)

For my grandson, it was his first Tonka!  He and his brother were driving it around the porch, with his new Buzz Lightyear  driving, thanks to his great-grandmother!

And, for my brother, it was yummy time! Donuts! It's a once a year thing I like to do for him as he enjoys them and as good as they are, they are NOT considered health food by the stretch of anyone's imagination! Thanks go out to my DD, Kel, who mixed the dough so that when I got home all I had to do was cook them! 

Would you like the recipe?  If so, read on!

Donuts

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
5 tbsp oil
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
oil or shortening for frying

Pre-heat your oil/shortening to 370 degrees.
1. Beat the eggs.
2. Add the sugar, beating constantly.
3. Stir in milk and the 4 tbsp oil.
4.  Sift before measuring flour.
5.  Resift with remaining ingredients.
6. Mix moist and dry ingredients.
7. Roll out dough on floured surface and cut donuts.
8. Add a few at a time to hot oil.
9.  Turn when golden brown.
10. Remove when both sides are done.
11. Let cool a wee bit and EAT THEM!! 

Enjoy the day,
Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #109 - Stichin' and health insurance for children in NH

Good morning, friends!

Yesterday was a wee bit of stitching and a whole bunch of driving!  As I mentioned about 2 weeks ago, hubby was part of a large # of riffed teachers at our high school.  Along with his income was the loss, like so many, of health insurance.  My first phone call that day was to New Hampshire Healthy Kids to start the paperwork for coverage for our daughter.  The forms and necessary paperwork are long, but the benefits are worth it!  NO CHILD IN NH SHOULD GO WITHOUT INSURANCE!!!  If you live here and find yourself in our situation, CONTACT them! If you know people without insurance, LET THEM KNOW about this!!  It takes one worry off your plate, seriously folks!  Okay... off my soapbox...

About the stitching: I did a bit of machine and a bit of hand embroidery.  The first is going to be turned into a mug rug this afternoon when I get home from work, for my sister's birthday!  Woot woot, baby girl!  You are amazing!  Luv yah!

The hand stitching was a continuation of the Over the River and Through the Woods project that will, I believe, take YEARS to complete...so hope you plan on hanging around to see the finished project!  Lol!  Here's the update:

Well, I overslept this morning, so it's a quick note today as I am off to work!
Good day and quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #108 - Another great day BUT "blue screen of death?" possible!?!

Good morning, all!

What a GREAT day at Fresh Chicks Farmer's Market yesterday!  I added a tent to my space and it was not only great to keep the sun off, but it made a spot to hang the fabric headers for easier viewing as well as the fabric buntings I have in stock!  I sold more fabric and headers, a quilt kit, some maple syrup and some hand crafted goodies (burp cloths, the coasters and pot holders) - WOW!  I have a week off with the holiday on Monday, so I've got to get to work!  

Even better was the fact that everyone who came, visited and bought were new folks from last week!  Friends who didn't know I sell fabric (what a silly girl I am - hiding under a basket, I guess!) and new friends who learned about making pillowcases.  Such a great time!  Kudos out to my DD, Shauna, and her buddy Lou who schlepped my car full of treasures over and set the tent and it's contents up and then came back and took it all down with me!  Made my life sooooo much easier!  Thanks, guys!

My only concern today is that when I turned ol' Bessy on this morning there was a quick blue screen with white writing that showed for an instant and then flashed off.  I am praying it wasn't the first viewing of the "blue screen of death" as it is so aptly named: the screen that comes right before your hard drive crashes!  I have a Black Armor Back-Up drive from a year ago when the computer was acting wonky, but I am scurrying to make disks of things like my Quick Book and embroidery design files as well as the files of all my patterns!!  Don't even get me started on my photos.... have to hope that Black Armor will keep them safe and sound!  I couldn't fit them on anything else!

Well, it's off to make breakfast and then work in my studio playing around with upcoming birthday gifts and creating pillowcase kits (can't believe how they are selling!).  I hope everyone has a MARVELOUS day!!

Quilty hugs,
Carrie
PS>  We are just 4 blog followers & 97 Facebook fans from our 1,000/100 goal!!  Thanks bunches!!

Day #107 - Off to market today!

Good morning, all!

It's funny but I really had no idea I would be spending my Monday's at the local farmer's market this summer.  If you had asked me about what I was doing I am SURE this would not have been no the list!  I had plans to shop at it, but not to set up shop - but good things happen when you are open to them.

Every morning I receive a daily positive/inspirational quote in the mail and this was one of the selections today: You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Mrs Roosevelt had a lot of good things to say but that one sits high on my list today.  We all have things that bombard us, most likely one of the best signs we are alive, I 'd say.  For some of us, there are days we wonder how we will get through to the next one. How will we cope with what is going on around us?   I would say, as Eleanor says, "meet it with courage and the best that you have to give."

I think that perhaps there needs to be a bit of risk-taking, as well.  I was pretty nervous about going last Monday and setting out my world in front of others.  "What if no one even stops at my table?"  "What if I don't fit in to the scene?"  "Should I really be there?"  Well, the answer to those questions was quickly  answered last week as I met so many wonderful people and have some new friends!  So, my advice: take some risks, accept what comes your way with grace and confidence and things will all work out!   Dr. Whitt is in the house!  Lol! 

Starting tomorrow I can have some pix again ~ my camera died and I've been borrowing my DD's.  She has spent the last few days with her sweetie and his family in VA at the ocean: very jealous!  She and her camera will be back tonight!  For now, here's what is growing in my yard, yum yum!

Well, it's time to head over the the bank for one dollar bills.  Let's load up the wagon folks and start out on today's adventure!
Enjoy YOUR day and hope its fantastic!
Quilty hugs,
Carrie
PS. I will post pix of the upcoming goodies for the 1,000/100 Follwer/Fan Giveaway as soon as I can get my hands on the camera, so be watching!

Day #106 - It's all about the process

Good morning, friends!

It would appear that there is a strange, bright yellow orb in the sky today, otherwise known to some as THE SUN!!  Yea!!  Dear Sun, we are SOOOO glad to see you. 

Ah...so that will mean some nice outdoorsy things today, too!  Like a marvelous trip to the dump!  Yippee, can't wait!

I was wondering what to chat about today and I thought I would toss out something I've been thinking about lately: process.  As a Type A personality, I do have a tendency to focus on product, outcome, finished things.  I am goal oriented, can't help it, it's who I am.  While embracing that, I do have to admit that I am very interested in the process: how did you GET from here to there?  I would imagine part of that is because I want to improve my outcomes!

For example, in the world of athletics (yes, a large part of my life) how did your team achieve that state title?  How much was work, the ability to draw the best out of people, getting team members on the same page, luck or the alignment of the stars?  I have a talented group of young ladies heading my way in August: what can I do to bring them to their highest level?

At the same time, my true goal for the group is to make the experience the best it can be.  I want them to enjoy their time on our field and with our team.  I want them to remember the time in a positive light and be glad they gave up 2 months to be with us.  We walk a fine line as coaches between process and product, so I am always interested in other people's process.

The same can be said for creating.  I have some lovely finished projects that I share with family and friends in the form of gifts and goodies.  They enjoy the finished product (which I do as well) but for me, it was the process - deciding what to play with, experimenting with color and style, the trial and error of both and all parts of what I do.  There ARE things that don't make it out into the world.  Often they are the victims of a vicious rotary cutter that snips them into alternate things, like say, a pin cushion or eye glasses case, where their painful color combo or alignment doesn't show!

But, all part of the process!  So, I guess that I embrace process in many areas!  Would you like to read about other creative folks who are willing to put their process out there?  If so, peruse this list!  We are a great bunch!!

Clipped from: r0ssie.blogspot.com (share this clip)

Have a wonderful Sunday, all!
Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #105 - Happy Anniversary to Us and a bit of stitchin'

Good morning, friends!

Once again, it's a damp morning out there!  When the sun does come out you probably won't be able to even FIND New Hampshire!  The grass and greenery will be too tall and we'll be hidden unless we are up on Mt Washington!

Hugs go out to my hubby & best buddy: Whitt!  We were married 28 years ago today!  Wow, does time fly!  I seem to remember sunshine on that day - one can only hope!  I also seem to remember locking myself out of the hotel room and having to go down on the boardwalk at Hampton and yelling up to try and get his attention...which didn't work!  So I had to go in to the desk so I could call our room and he could let me in, which made them laugh hysterically, as you might imagine.   Obviously this was BEFORE cell phones... Anyway, many more, my friend!

As I mentioned yesterday, I need a portable creative endeavor to take with me, so I decided that for this weekend I would go hand embroidery.  Here's my latest:

I am not sure if it will be part of a bag, a fabric book cover, some other goodie!  I'll show you once I decide!

Here is the project "of the summer" or at least of this weekend!

You can see part of one of the 3 panels for a black and white quilt that I picked up at Bunkhouse Quilts in Wilton.  It's called "Over the River and Through the Woods".  I wonder how it will hold up to drizzly weather?  We shall see!

Off to watch more softball!  Enjoy your day, all!

Carrie

Day #104 - What to do, what to do...

Good morning, all!

Yesterday was another rainy day in NH - beginning to feel a bit like Oregon or something!  People keep talking about building their arks!  We are supposed to have the first game of the ASA states this afternoon and then go to a Fisher Cat's game... I feel a soggy night coming on ...

My oldest DD flew out to Philly last night, icky weather and all -yeah, NO delays!  She's spending the weekend somewhere warm and beach-like, so I made her promise to bring some nice weather back, folks!

My friend Laurie and I were chatting about bag making at the farmer's market the other day. She's looking to try a messenger-type one and I found one in Sew Many Bags, Sew Little Time that might work. 

How many of you make bags/totes/purses?  Have you ever tried to make a messenger bag?  I made a computer cover that was styled like it for my niece, but it didn't have the strap.  If you have any sites with good ideas, patterns, etc, let me know!  I have until Monday to gather up possibilities for her!

Our "every weekend softball world" starts in earnest today.  Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays will now be spent at some location in New England, soaking up the sun (or sponging up the rain at this point), reading a good book and cheering on my youngest DD and her friends.  I have to come up with some tote-able crafty things to bring with me so I don't fall behind in my creative journey! 

What do you take "on the road"?  How do you carry it so that no one is pronged by your needles?  Do tell!  I am open to suggestions!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Friday!
I'm all over it!
Quilty hugs,
Carrie
PS.  Don't forget that I need ideas for my 1,000 Fan- 100 Follower Giveaway!  We are getting closer & closer every day!!  Post your ideas either HERE or on my Facebook page!!

Day #103 - Closing in on 1,000 FB fans and 100 blog followers...soooo....

Good drippy morning, all!

I just realized that I am closing in on 1,000 fans on Facebook and 100 blog followers!  Wow!  Gotta do something special, right?  "Celebrate good times..." as the song goes. So, I am wondering, as you are to be the recipients, what would you like the chance to win?  Inquiring minds need to know!  Actually, just this one mind, me!  :o)

So.... why don't you take a minute and scroll through the blog posts, Facebook pix , eBay and Etsy shops and  see what appeals to you!  I am thinking several prizes, so don't panic there!  Should we do fabric yardage, pieces, kits, HEADERS (hmmmmm.... Erin?????), crafted goodies, patterns, books?  WHAT DO YOU THINK???

Let me know by commenting here with your thoughts and ideas and/or on my Facebook page and we'll build the list of goodies!

Secondly, to HIT 1,000 fans and 100 followers (before Christmas.... lol!)  it would be just lovely if you shared this with friends and crafty family members!  The quicker we can do that, the quicker the goodies will be up!  Woot woot!  What do you think?

Okay, gotta go to work!  So, put on your thinking caps, crafty friends, and tell me what you'd like!

Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #102 - I WON!

Good morning, friends!

Like the calm after a hurricane, all the angst over the slide show was for not, it was well received even though the sound was a bit like a skipping record in spots... now I turn it over to Bri to fix and get out.  "My work here is finished..." at least until field hockey is over - oh wait, it hasn't even started!  :o)

The banquet was lots of fun: good food, good friends, and the end of that page in the softball chapter of our world.  Scary part?  As of about 11:30 yesterday my youngest DD became a senior in high school!  How did THAT happen????  Where did the time go?  One minute she was on my hip and the next she's grown up?  Okay, maybe not yet, but she WILL be!!  Sigh....

So, I enter drawings just like you folks do for me and I WON!!  A lovely packaged just arrived in the mail yesterday and for a minute, I couldn't figure out what it might be.  Then I opened it and found absolutely adorable pin cushions and some lovely coordinating fabric inside!  How cool is that?  I won them during the Sew Mama Sew blogger event from Mark Cesarik!

I also wanted to share some shots from Tracie's Farm today.  My veggies are lovely and yummy!  The pix do not do the wonderful farm justice, really - it's so neat and tidy! 

Well, it's off to work for me. I hope everyone has a lovely day, I plan on it!

Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #101 - Gremlins, evil spirts & bad karma INVADE my computers....humblest apologies!

Good afternoon, friends!
I would like to start by apologizing for my delay today ... as you waited with bated breathe for the news on the farmer's market!!

I mentioned earlier that I was trying to finish the slide show for the softball team.  I will leave out the inappropriate language that flowed throughout this project, for starters.  I've done a dozen of these, really, and I'm pretty good at it.  This time, I swear, the moon was in the wrong place, gremlins attacked ALL my computers or my techno-karma has been OFF the charts for about 2 weeks.  I've been trying and trying to get this done and at EVERY corner, there was an obstacle ... a BIG one!  It became a bit above and beyond today when I FINALLY (after 2 weeks) had it within 1 minute of finishing and the program just closed.  On it's own.  Bam!  Okay, that happens, I'll just go in and pick up where I left off, right?  WRONG!  After 2 hours of work, it had all disappeared.  Gone. Vapor.  You've got to be kidding, right?  No.  Gone. 

A few tears and then, okay, I'll do it again!  So I did, but time I literally saved every 30 seconds.  Good thing.  With only 4-5 slides left ... BAM!  Shut down.  Again.  Thanks to the softball gods, it had saved it to that point.  I quickly added the slides, saved and sent it to the DVD.  It's not my best work, but 4 computers (yes, literally 4 that I tried to do this on) later, I had to let it go.  I will apologize for the glitchy music before we start, but I had to let it go or someone might die...

Okay, Bri will have to doctor it up and get the copies made, I am DONE with it for today!  Hopefully, the girls will like it as there are wonderful shots of them in it, which, is what it's all about.

Now, to the burning question: "How did the farmer's market go?"  Can you say: "FABULOUS? GREAT?? A BLAST???"  If you can, then you can sum up how it went!  It was my first time there and the first time anyone was there with fabric, so, to have had 6-7 sales is GRAND in my book!  I made  more than it cost me to be there, so, FANTASTIC would be my response!

Not only did I make a bit of money (which is where I am at right now...) but I made some new friends and actually got to sit, relax and chat with people.  It was truly lovely.  There is a different pace there than what I am accustomed to and it was such a gorgeous day - it was an amazing day, really!  The best part was showing people how the sausage pillowcases work - it's like a magic trick and poor Laurie had to listen to me talk about it all day!

I had quite a few people ask if I could give lessons - wow, that was great! 

Here are some shots of and from my table - can't wait for next week!

Okay, time to get ready for the softball banquet!
Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #100 - Talk about "Steppin' Outside the Box" .... baby!

Good morning, everyone!

Well, the first day of my "steppin' outside the box", believing in what I do and who I am and busting through the fears starts today!  Yup...I am taking Whitt's Kits "on the road" and heading over to my first farmer's market opportunity! 

The whole thing is a weird sequence of events that you can look at and go, "oh, that's how I got here..."

• I host Fabric-A-Thon that lots of friends can't make it to and tell me that they wished they had;
• I start thinking that I should try it again;
• Hubby loses job;
• I go into "OMG" mode and then "OK... right... let's see what I can do" mode (much better mode, just sayin');
• Go w/Mom to Wellness Center on my way to pick up CSA veggies and while I wait, wander through Fresh Chicks Farmer's Market;
• See my friend, Laurie, with yummy bread, and we talk about fabric (I buy bread);
• My boss/BFF says: "HEY... see about YOU going there!)
• Yup, I am!

I want to thank all my fans, followers and friends that weighed in and helped me choose a background for my sign!  I think the black works GREAT! Here it is:

After I finished this, last night was all about deciding what I wanted to bring ~ can't haul EVERYTHING that was at the Fabric-a-Thon as I only have 2 tables!  Being selective - also, I want to have some new/different things each week so that people will want to come back!  :o)  So I have a tub of  8" - 15" x 44 for $1 each, a couple baskets of Fat Quarters,  the LAST bag in stock of scraps for $10, a tub of headers, a basket of handcrafted goodies, some patterns, pillowcase kits (with a model to show how to make the "sausage style") and yummy maple syrup!

I need to make my pricing signs, a few tags, go get $1 bills and I should be ready!  Got to remember water & my umbrella too, as I didn't get to buy a tent/canopy yet.

One last note, as hubby was heading out he stopped to peek at what I was doing this morning and asked "what was this blogging thing all about, anyway?"  So, I introduced you all to him!  :o)  "World, this is Bri.  Bri, this is my blogging family!"  He says "Hi!"  (He's a nice guy, you'll like him!  He'll be around a bit more, as things work themselves out, and he may jump in to my creative world from time to time, so I thought I'd better introduce you!) 

He's the one on the left.  The cutie on the right, that's Mick!

Well, wish me luck!  Thanks so much for all your words of encouragement!
Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #99 - Need your opinion...

Good evening, friends!
I ALWAYS post in the morning, but I am off to a softball tournament at some ungodly hour tomorrow and also was looking for some input.

I am making a fabric banner for my table/booth at the Fresh Chicks Market on Monday and I spent time today cutting out letters (after using iron-on interfacing...) while I watched my sweetie play softball.  Oh... and got a nasty sunburn on my knees!  Please tell me how I always miss SOMETHING when I put my own sunscreen on... sigh...

Here are the backgrounds (with lettering) that I am trying to narrow it down from:

If you have any input, PLEASE COMMENT BELOW!!  I would really appreciate it!  :o)  I am going to applique the letters on tomorrow when I get home from softball ... and BEFORE I am packing up my goodies for Monday afternoon, hehe!

Thanks!
Carrie

Day #98 - Wicked Cool Machine Embroidery!!

Good morning, All!

Quick message this morning as the batteries on my keyboard are about DONE!  Trip to Staples today for ink and AAA batteries, while traveling back and forth to Nashua for softball all weekend!!

Just wanted to post a website for those of you who do machine embroidery.  My cousin shared it with me and to what I understand, it is the "sister" site to Embroidery Library.  One might say "it's not your mother's machine embroidery" and be pretty accurate! 

It's called Urban Threads and it's WICKED fun!!  (that's a NH term, folks...)  I am falling in love as we speak, with some unbelievable designs!  I found some PERFECT ones to make projects for my nieces (no peeking, girls!!) and, like Embroidery Library, they have free designs and $1 designs .... so I'll be shopping there!

Here is some "eye candy" for you:

I'd rather not think about snowflakes right now...

I'd rather think about camping! :o)

Only $1 right now, can you believe it??

You have to step back away to really see this one...

Possible design to use for our Fairy House Day at the Historical Society!

"I have a glue gun and I know how to use it!"

Lol... they call hubby "the Ninja" at wrestling.... I may have to adapt this one!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #97 - Kid Curators= Big Hit! New fun= Fresh Chicks!

Good morning, World!

I spent a great deal of my day with 5th graders yesterday and was EXHAUSTED by nighttime!  The Kid Curator Opening last night was a HUGE success and lots of fun!  I will link to the pix as soon as we have them.  The students did an incredible job and a wonderful presentation - their voice-over slide show was GREAT!  I watched it again and again and learned something new each time.

I had mentioned things being in a bit of a flux here as of earlier this week and that I was marching into action.  My boss and BFF, Michelle suggested I check into a new farmer's market in town that was a bit broader in spectrum and was happening out at the hospital.  I went there Monday, as you might have read in Tuesday's posting, buying yummy bread from my friend Laurie!  The market is called "Fresh Chicks".

This is their description and mission:

Description	Fresh Chicks Local Outdoor Market is another opportunity to make connections and discover what bounties we have right here in our community. Broader in scope than a farmers' market, the Marketplace provides a venue for you to find what you need, and at the same time, support your local growers and artisans.
Mission	Our goal is to educate and inform the people of the Monadnock region of the positive economic impact that buying locally has on both the community and the individuals in it, while providing a location to shop for local produce and products.

A scene from their Facebook page!

I got in touch with them, asked about a space, explained who I am and what I do and they were all for it!!  I am excited to give this a try!  Not only is it an opportunity to share fabric with my local community, it seems like a wonderful group of people to be a part of!  Because of their “broader scope” I think my fabric world may fit in nicely.  So now, I am in search of a tent and a couple of tables … not to mention "YIPPEE … I get to set up some tubs of fabrics!!"  Woot woot!

Off to start selecting fabric and make myself a pretty sign to hang!!  Hope to see some of you there (my local buds!) on Monday!

Enjoy the day,
Carrie

Day #96 - Blog hoppin'!

Good morning, friends!

It's a beautiful sunny day here in NH.  It has felt like fall the last wee bit, rather like the end of field hockey season!  But today, as New England weather will, it's supposed to hit close to 90!  Gotta love it!

I am not sure how many of you are blog hoppers like me and visit the lives of Internet'ers all over the world, but I've joined up with some others to participate in a blog hop in which you can win a variety of prizes by hoppin' along!  This one only runs through the 19th and is all about Father's Day! It is aptly named the Father's Day Giveaway Blog Hop (nice and straight forward!)  I have some great fabric included that would make wonderful gifts for dads, significant others, fishing lovers!!  Obviously it won't be in time for this Father's Day, but if you're like my family, there's plenty of other opportunities to whip up goodies for the guys!!

The fabric in my goodies package!!

Yesterday was a fun, creative day at work.  I have spent some time this school year working with a group of 5th graders at Great Brook School (one of our local middle schools) on a program called "Kid Curator".  They went through a whole process with me.  They started by coming to visit the museum and doing rubrics on our exhibits and then going up to the Town's Attic to measure and record dimensions and such of the space they would use.  Next, it was all about the research.  They did the bulk of that with their class ~ those of us helping them did go in a bit for assistance, as well.  I went in to help with turning the research into some sort of product on another day and between the Hancock Historical Society and a wonderful train enthusiast named Dale and myself, they learned LOADS about the local railroads.  We found them pictures to fit what they were doing from our joint collections and they also found a variety of artifacts that fit.

Yesterday they came in to curate the exhibit.  I had also taught them about font size, visual presentation and how to mount on foam core.  Their job yesterday morning was to put all the material up in the space.  We worked on how to make things level and what works best for the eye - spacing, height, etc.  I will pop some pictures up tomorrow of tonight's gala event when their exhibit opens to the public!  It is VERY impressive and something to be proud of. 

One of my jobs yesterday was to sew a series of nails on fabric and mount them, to keep them safe for the duration of what they have done. Thought of you all as I stitched the nails on and that I would have to share it with you! It is a culmination to a great deal of work on their part - nice job, guys!

Well, off to get ready to go BACK over to GBS and share our Hurricane of '38 Program with several OTHER 5th grades!  Hmmmm.... what did I do with those darn white  gloves?

Later, guys!
Carrie
PS.  Go over and check out the Father's Day Blog Hop!!  I know I am!!

Day #95 - Changes in the wind

Good morning, friends!

Creating is many things: a chance to make something of lasting value; an extension of who you are or a gift to another person that comes from the heart.  It can also be a release, an opportunity to step outside yourself and your circumstances and wrap yourself in something positive.

That is where I am at today.  We got news that we, at least I, wasn't expecting.  It puts us in the same boat as many many other families and folks out there, and the same one that at least a dozen other educators at the high school are in: Bri was "riffed" yesterday.  Jobs are tenuous at best, I guess, but it's a scary thing. 

After a bit of pure emotion and fear (Sorry, Michelle, hugs!) I went into "Okay, what do we do now?" mode which is far more positive and helpful, at least to me.  Within hours of the news I was already planning what I could do and how to deal with the situation.  It's going to be okay, really.  There is strength in the calm resolve that we will get through this.  Things may change (told the kids we'd be having LOTS of pasta with DELICIOUS veggies for the summer!!) but that isn't always a bad thing.  Just a scary one for a control freak....oh, did I say that out loud?

So this is where the creating comes in: it will be what mentally rescues me ~ fabric!  I love to play with it.  I love to create with it.  I love to share pretty ones (isn't it all??) with others.  So I'll be heading to the studio to create some new things and take oodles of what I have and share it with others.  Be watching my Facebook page for jelly rolls of rainbow colors, bags of fabric scraps and beautiful yardage! 

The quote at the top of my blog has been and is my mantra (okay, maybe it's a bit LONG for a mantra, but it sits over my computer and I read it every day!!!):


"You're always believing ahead of your evidence.  What was the evidence I could write a poem?  I just believed it.  The most creative thing in us is to believe in a thing." ~ Robert Frost

I BELIEVE things will be okay, but it doesn't hurt to get to work to be sure!  :o)

Thanks so much for ALL the kind words from all of you about how you read this everyday!  I hope you know that today's post is truly a positive one - change isn't easy, but, like the quote I made my personal Facebook status yesterday:  "The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." ~ Alan Watts

Let's dance, shall we?
Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #94 - Yikes, you READ this???

Good morning, all!

I would like to begin by thanking friends who actually READ this blog!  At first I was using it to force myself to do what I started out to do: create everyday.  I figured if I put it here I would feel I HAD to do what I set out to as it was "public knowledge" I was trying and someone, off in a corner of the world might hold me to it!

It has spun into more than that and become both more fun and a bit bigger than originally planned, which is all good.  I say this because several times in the past week people have mentioned to me that they were reading my blog that morning!  HOLY COW!!  That is soooooo cool!  Also, a bit scary!  I know, that sounds a bit silly as I am posting it on the Internet, but when you are writing each day, it's in isolation, for practical purposes.  It's a like a diary or journal, on line.  Everyone once and awhile, someone might comment, but beyond that, I really  have NO idea if anyone read any of it.

When I was chatting with my friend Laurie yesterday (and if you are reading this this morning, Laurie, THANKS for telling me!) while buying some of her delicious bread from the farmer's market at the hospital (BTW, if you are in or around Peterborough, you should TOTALLY stop by on Monday's 12-6!) she mentioned she'd been reading my blog today.  I got all "oh gosh, really?" on her and we started chatting about fabric for her daughter's quilt.

She wasn't the first person to mention it to me, as I said, and it got me to thinking: "Oh goodness...I hope I have things people learn from and enjoy!"  So, I do - I hope you enjoy a bit of this or that and continue along this journey with me!  Hugs!!!

Laurie's Houghton Farm cinnamon bread... TO DIE FOR!

So, as to my creative venture... I was sharing that I was working on DD's softball team's slide show.  I spent hours working on sorting hundreds and hundreds of photos into "folders" that I could just input directly into my program to pull it all together.  I THOUGHT I could...

About 2 weeks ago we were having computer problems.  Ends up it was the video card.  A friend gave us another and it seemed to work fine.  What I found out yesterday is that it isn't up to snuff for Window's Movie Maker!!  OMG!!!  I immediately texted hubby in a panic!  I need to put this together in the next day or so to get it to another friend who's going to make the copies for the girls!!!!  Breathe....breathe....

It would appear that an equivalent program is on my son's computer, so that's where I'll be heading in a few minutes with a flash drive full of pix and a CD of music...I hope...
I would like to finish with a shout out to Tracie's Farm in Fitzwilliam, NH.  She has a CSA, which is sold out  for the season, but there IS a farm stand with wonderful fresh goodies available.  If you live in the area, you should stop by!  I was amazed by the beauty of the fields ~ I will take some pictures next week!  I can share with you what was in MY basket, though.

 

2 kinds of lettuce, spinach, radishes, basil, bread and jam!

Let's but it all together for breakfast, shall we:

 

Directions:
Stir fry onions in olive oil with salt and pepper.  Once translucent, toss in a handful of fresh spinach leaves.  Cook till done.  Remove.  Pour a beaten egg in the same skillet, cooking one side, flip and cook other for just a bit.  Spread spinach & onion on one half, sprinkle shredded cheese over that and flip the other half of the omelet over it.  Head just enough for cheese to melt.  Remove and EAT!!  Fresh spinach .... yah baby, makes it perfect!!

Well, I just have to say that by the time I finished this, the above toast and omelet?  GONE!!  Enjoy your day, all!

Quilty hugs,
Carrie