Weekend Fun and Garden Party Comes Out to Play!

Last weekend Kathy and I went to the Winefest in Sedona.  It was fun and we found a few sweet wines that we liked and a winery that is in Scottsdale that we want to visit.  We were not so impressed that we will go again, but it was fun to get away.  Coleman is back home and that has added to our stress as always.  He is my adult child with many labels.  The older he gets the more difficult he seems.  He thinks he knows it all and we cannot tell him anything.  He has changed alot in the past year or so he was away.  Partly due to his wife's influence (he has left her) and partly due to not being on all his medication.  He is working and wants to work which is one positive change.  He works for a temp service which seems to work out well since he is really smart and is a hard worker (when he wants to be) but due to his communication difficulties people often tire of dealing with him. He is high functioning autistic, though I believe he has an organic brain disorder from when he stopped breathing during a nap at 18 months old.  He has never been right or typical since.  Raising him has shaped my life but the last month finds me wondering how I can keep at it.  To add to the fun he is diabetic.  (I have two uncles, my mom, and two cousins who are also diabetic--runs very strongly in our family.  My great grandma Myrt had a sister who died from diabetes at age nine back before insulin).  

So getting away to Winefest was necessary.  We even did a little exploring/hiking after.My knee is not back to normal so I am not hiking seriously. I think I am afraid to try and discover I can't with this knee.  I had gained a few pounds after hurting my knee six weeks ago or so. I just cannot do the elliptical or even walk alot.  The only exercise I am getting is Pilates and since I had a cold (and Patty does not like germs at her house) I had to skip it for about ten days.  ACK!  Anyways now I have written down a lofty smart goal (lose a pound a week every week until Christmas) and I am really trying to go after it again.  I lost one pound two weeks ago and 1.4 last week.  I am still up around three pounds but it is going in the right direction again.  My eating is great, I just need more exercise!

We stayed at Suli and Diegos' last weekend and hung out with Ollie and the twins (Blake and Alice).  Ben was with his dad so he was not there.  We gave the twins baths and tried to be helpful. I do not know how Suli does it, but she does.

 

This past weekend I pulled out Garden Party from a year ago!  This one was from the Quiltville Cruise a year ago this week.  I have not sewed a stitch on it since I packed it up on the cruise.  It has been such a busy year and I have always had this thing or that thing to finish first.  Now that I am all caught up on the must do items I can get back to it.

 So this past Saturday I made a few blocks and cut for more.

And Sunday I did yet more. 

I decided to have a little wine on Sunday and the next thing you know I had sewed a whole stack of little squares incorrectly! I skipped the step where I am supposed to mach the fabric and went right to the contrasting fabric. I then unsewed them and and the await me.

In total I have 53 blocks like this made, and 47 to go. 

I enjoyed cutting up some of the two be put away bin of fabric to get more variety in my strips.  I have missed sewing and cannot wait to get back in there!