Another Birthday

Good morning, my friends. It was a busy day yesterday. I managed to get everything done that I wanted to before I needed to leave for physical therapy. I left around 2:00 p.m. for the 35 minute drive west, and I had plenty of time to make my 2:40 p.m. appointment. Still, I'm kind of a speed demon when I get behind the wheel. I'm not driving fast intentionally, but I rarely know what the speed limit is. I'm just driving at what seems like a reasonable speed. Apparently the county sheriff disagreed with me yesterday because I got pulled over and received a speeding ticket that I most assuredly deserved. Oops. It was a pleasant enough exchange, and I thanked him as he handed me the citation. Oy. Certainly I didn't need that, even if I earned it fair and square. Oh well. That'll teach me. Not.

In better news, I managed once again to make Creme Brulee for Two for dessert tonight. When I make this "for two" version, I can do it in my toaster oven, and the whole getting it in and out of the oven without getting water into the custard is easier. They needed a little extra time in the toaster oven, but they turned out beautifully.

After that, I made a meatloaf for dinner and then there was time to get back to my quilting. For Block 6, I pretty much followed what they did on the pattern picture. I quilted looping vertical lines up and down all the way across and some drifting snow at the bottom. I used a sort of "braid" motif in the right rectangle, and I outlined all the applique.

It might be a little easier to see on the back. Maybe.

As long as I was looking at the back, I took a picture of Block 5...

And Block 4.

And then I left it needle down in Block 7. That's where I'll start today.

I've adjusted my goal for this project. The blocks are large, and one block takes quite a while to quilt. So my goal now is to quilt one per day. If there's time, I might attempt two. In no case, can I quilt for more than an hour. I've learned to protect my wrists and shoulders by limiting my time. (Too bad that doesn't work for speed limits.)

When I was home from PT, I spent some time on my slow stitching. The first Santa is nearly stitched. I'll probably finish this section today, but I'll also need to move my hoop down to get his boots.

Already this morning, we've had our Eggs Benedict. It's traditional for Mike's birthday. 

Today's activities will be a little more routine despite his birthday. I'm making him his favorite Enchiladas Suizas for dinner, but there's nothing special required for that. As for the rest of the day, I'll do some quilting and some slow-stitching. I'm hoping to get time in the sewing room to make May's orange inverted star for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Also, I'll probably spend some time in the greenhouse today. I want to start my sunflower seeds. Probably I'll also start the pickling cucumbers and the zucchini. We're planting a smaller garden this year. The rest of the seeds will get planted later...probably during the last week of May.

So that's it from me. Regarding the speeding ticket, my court date happens to fall on a day when Mike has a second cataract surgery scheduled. (The first is next week.) I called the court yesterday to request a different court date. (If I go to court, rather than mailing it in, I can get a reduced fine.) The woman I spoke with was very helpful. She told me they only hold court once per month...small rural town...and so it'll probably get pushed out to July at this point. Okay by me. It'll give me time to think about what I've done. 

And talking about all this court business has me longing to get to my slow-stitching. It's always a good distraction. I hope y'all have a good day planned for yourselves. If you're out in traffic, keep an eye in that rearview mirror. If you see flashing lights, pull over.