The Run Around

The day started bright and early this morning.  It is Mike's birthday, and so I got up and made him his favorite Eggs Benedict.  Eggs Benedict is one of those dishes that uses lots of pots and pans, and, like a stir-fry, you'd better have everything ready to go before you start making it because it all gets finished at the same time.  You need to have the Canadian bacon in the frying pan ready to go.  You need your eggs separated, your lemon juice squeezed, and your butter melted for the Hollandaise sauce.  You need your eggs out of their shells and ready for poaching, and you need your English muffins ready to be toasted.  Once all of that is done, you start the clock and Go!  Oh yes, and you need big forearms like Popeye for all the whisking of the Hollandaise sauce you'll be doing.  Oh yeah...feel the burn.  And I'm not talking about the flame...I'm talking about that muscle in the top of your forearm.  I wouldn't have made a chef.  Anyway...all of that to say that my Eggs Benedict came together this morning to perfection.  It doesn't always work out that way, and so it was a great start to the day.

So once Mike was off to work, I sat and read emails and blogs and did some embroidery, but then it was ready to get going on a day of running around.  I needed to go to the post office, and I had two international parcels to ship.  Then I went to Curves despite all the excuses I was giving myself not to.  (Yay me!)

 (Gratuitous image of Curves exuberance...completely absent in this blogger.)

Then I went to my LQS to have a service pack update put on my new sewing machine.  As it turns out, the machines need a software update straight from the box.  I was hoping it would improve my straight stitch, and it did.  Glad of that.  Also, I picked up the straight stitch plate I ordered the same day I bought the machine back in March.  Honestly, it is extremely difficult to get certain parts for these machines right now.  It comes with five bobbins, but I ordered ten more the day I bought the machine.  I'm still waiting for them, and they seem to be unavailable anywhere.

While I was waiting for the service pack to be updated, of course, I nosed around the store and found a few things I simply had to have.  First, look at these stripes!  I love polka dots and stripes.  Can't get enough of them.  Won't these be great in a binding?  It's called Manhattan Modern for Benartex.

Also this one that I found while I rifled through their remnant bin..  It has a sheen to it.  I think I have this in four different colors now.  I might have enough to make a quilt using the different colors.  In any case, I like the fabric and can see all kinds of uses for it.

These next three, also from the remnant bin, were just some blenders I liked.  Any one of them would work well in my Hobo Quilt.

I found some of this fabric below at another time about a year ago, and I used it all up almost immediately.  I was glad to find some more of it because it is very versatile.

And when I was all finished at the fabric store, I headed over to the Backyard Bird Shop to pick up some little nozzles for the sprayer over our bird bath.  We end up replacing those about once per year.  Also, the birds are eating like there is no tomorrow.  I've been putting out a suet cake almost every day, so I needed to replenish my supply of suet.

But I saved the best part of this post for last.  In yesterday's mail, I received this delightful birthday surprise from Sharon V.  Somehow Sharon got the idea that I like cat fabric, and she sent me these two little bundles wrapped up so cute in polka dot ribbon.  Could it possibly get any better than that?

Well, as a matter of fact, yes.  Because when I unwrapped the bundles I found a packet of cat buttons and some little cat scissors hiding inside.

Oh my gosh!  What a fun little package to open.  Thank you so much, Sharon.  I am touched by your thoughtfulness and generosity.

So that's about it from me today.  I got home too late to get started doing any sewing, but I have a day at home tomorrow.  I'll be able to finish up my Gardener's Journal quilt sections then, and maybe get started on something else.  A lot of stuff got crossed off my to-do list today.  I'm looking forward to more relaxation tomorrow.  How about you?  Were you busy with to-do's?  Or did you have a great day of sewing and relaxation?