1/18/17

Raining Sideways

Oregon is back. It's 46°F. and raining sideways. That's the reason we live here...it sure as heck isn't for the snow. The icicles are history, which is a shame given all their hard work. The windows are coated with raindrops.


And the blanket of snow is receding. 


There's not much to tell you since I did almost nothing yesterday. The night before was another mostly sleepless night. We went to bed early, and then I woke up just past midnight. My brain said...wow, what a great night's sleep I've had! Only it was just over three hours. I tried getting back to sleep, and then got up after a couple of hours lying awake. Finally, I went back to bed after the bagels were baked yesterday morning. 

This used to be a problem when I was in graduate school...waking up with a busy mind. If I can keep my mind from gearing up about the things I'm doing during my waking hours, I can keep on sleeping. Otherwise, those unfinished projects keep me awake. Fortunately, I got a much better night's sleep last night. It doesn't help that the weather has been so crappy. I not only don't want to get outside, it's downright dangerous to do so. It'll be good to have the rain and plain old wet sidewalks back again. At least I can walk on wet sidewalks. The icy ones give me pause.

This morning I returned to the next project in my rotation of handwork, big stitch hand quilting Mumm's the Word. When I finished the Quilt Barn Trail last month, this took over first place as my oldest unfinished project. I think the big stitch quilting was the right choice for this, but I really hate doing it. Take a good look because this will probably be my one and only attempt at this. Unless I forget and start another one.


My plan is to work on this until the end of the month, and then I'll start up with another Bag Lady. Here's where I was when I left off last time around. I'm hoping this time to finish up the quilt center that remains...that is the area outside the pink line, but inside the border.


There are about two weeks left in the month, and so it shouldn't be too much of a stretch. If I can get to where just the border is left, I'll feel as if this can actually be finished some day.

Today I'll get back to work on quilting Stars and Stripes too. Also, I've been neglecting my housework, so there's some of that to get done as well.

Today is a Red Letter Day. It's 100 DAYS until Mike retires. We're going out tonight to celebrate, and it's going to be wonderful. As of tomorrow...double digits, in the best way possible.

8 comments:

claudia said...

I've been thinking about you all day. So you didn't get the freezing rain the news people were talking about? YAY! Rain is good. We have rain here, but in my case it only means mud, mud everywhere! I let my daughter use the farm truck yesterday to move someof her stuff and when she got back, she tried to park it, but it had other ideas. When it was wallowing in the mud and heading for my other truck she stopped trying to park it and walked through the ud to come tell me the truck was staying put. My room mate spent twenty minutes later trying to move it, but I think it will stay there until who knows when. This morning I moved my other truck to the top of the property, so I could go into town tomorrow...it's been raining all day, so the mud isn't going to let up.
I'm glad you are all cozy and safe, with lots to do! I'm piecing purple scraps like crazy!

WoolenSails said...

I think rain on top of snow is the worst, just a wet mess, but good day to stay inside and work on projects. Beautiful hand stitching, I need to learn how to big stitch, mine are too small and it is taking me too long, lol.

Debbie

Brown Family said...

I like what you are doing with the big stitch quilting. I know we have talked about this before and I did not understand it, but it is growing on me. Yours is neat. When I do embroidery I make such tiny stitches that I think I would have a very hard time doing this type of quilting!

piecefulwendy said...

I'm happy to hear the ice is disappearing. Those gloomy rainy days are the pits, though, even if they make for good stitching. I like your big stitches, they are so neat and even. I have a quilt top I want to do this on, but I can't find it. I tucked it somewhere when I moved back into my quilt space. It'll turn up, eventually. Haha.

Dana Gaffney said...

Sideways rain stings and my first thought was poor Smitty, still not going out. I like the big stitches, they look really good and from someone who knows nothing about them, they look easy :)

Quiltdivajulie said...

Does he have a countdown calendar to mark off the days one by one? That's what DH says he's going to have when the time comes.

Kate said...

Just 100 days left? That will be here before you know it!

Lyndsey said...

100 days left to retirement, wow that's going quickly. John's retiring this summer and is crossing the days off on his calendar