RT Gets a Start!

I quilted and bound both of Hazel's doll quilts.  They have unicorn fabric on the back.

                                                    

Reading a lot still.  I found this one annoying though I did want to know how it ended.  In its defense, it is a YA.  I do not plan to read book two!

We went to Hannah and Jeremy's for Thanksgiving.  I brought and made my turkey and wine gravy, and completed pumpkin pie and pumpkin roll.  My ex hubby and his sister (and her hubby) and one grown daughter (my goddaughter) and her boyfriend came too.  We played Bang! afterwards and Hannah won--if I remember right.  

My Secret Santa from my game group spoiled me with this!

                                                

My fabric color pull for Rhododendron Trail (hereby known as RT!).  I always wait til the clue comes out and pull the correct size strips in the colors and use those before I cut into the yardage.  Sometimes the yardage just gets put back on the shelf.

On Friday I made it this far with clue one.  I did get to sew with BJ and Barb on Facetime.  We had Hazel here and I had a killer headache/migraine that morning so was in slow motion all day. On Saturday I ripped the paper while watching a movie.

Ironed them all up while Facetiming Barb today.  She got her clue to the ironing stage too!

I read this book yesterday and today.  Was not what I thought it was and skim read some of the uninteresting stuff.  I also read an ARC from NetGalley "The House at the End of the Street" which was quite good.  Depressing subject matter (the south during the 60's for one timeline) but well told.

Currently reading and listening to this one.  It is a very strange version of Romeo and Juliet.  There are monsters (sea monster) and insects and lots of death from all that.  I am liking it though.

Today I also cut and sewed this little apron for Hazel for Christmas.  It is the ninth one I have made with my Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild buddy Jona's pattern.

 

Books, Games, and Pine Tree Point is a Flimsy!

I got a surprise package the other day!  You may remember I ordered a second blind date with a book from Book_Bestie's Etsy shop.  Well, it was lost in the mail so when I contacted her she immediately sent me a new book.  Weeks later the lost one arrived.  So I get a bonus Blind date!  I DNF'ed the replacement book "Wolf Hall" as it just was not doing it for me by the half way point.  Excited to try the original second one!

I did the Booktube spin #1 and so my chosen book was Jurassic Park.  I love the movie but had never read the book.  Lots of good dinosaur info and it is a bit different from the movie.  I enjoyed it.

Read this one about the plague from 200 ish years ago.  Sounds worse than current times.  At least dead folks are not piling up in the streets.

I got another book box and read this one too.  It was good.  I thought it was going in one direction but it did not.

Currently reading and listening to "Wives and Daughters" which I really am enjoying.  I am so happy to find another classic author I like.  Taking my time and savoring this one, and I already ordered another one by Gaskell.  

I decided to type up all the books I have on my Nook, Kindle, Audible, Chirp and shelf to see what all I had and how many.  My total was 578!  I was shocked.  So since I want all the books and cannot afford all the books (still waiting on disability) I am trying to commit myself to getting through some of those on the TBR this year.  I decided that the booktube readalongs and such can help me pick from the list.  Might make it more fun.  If I do not care for a book, I am going to DNF it and put it on another shelf electronically or get rid of it if a physical book.  I had an empty journal type book so I am going to add and subtract books as I go.  LOL, I ordered a copy of a book about reading your TBR someone wrote which I happened to see on Booktube right after I made this decision.  Luckily I am finding these books on abebooks or ebay, etc.  Not paying full price.

We watched Hazel at her house last weekend while they car shopped for a larger car.  They picked out a Forester I think it was and will get it in January (along with their long ordered couch!).  After they came home we played Cobra Paw.  Hazel really enjoyed rolling the dice for us!  Next we played Bucket of Doom and halfway through Hazel was ready for bed.  Not long after that, I was too!  She is still learning signs like crazy (OPEN, GORILLA, BEANS, CEREAL, ORANGE and so many more).  So fun to see her ask me to open her pouch of fruits/veges, the gate, etc.  She understands the concept clearly!  

I spent some of last weekend working on the borders for Pine Tree Point.

Got out the strings. I pulled all the neutrals from my mixed bag and added them to the neutral bag.  I sewed and sewed.  Thought I needed far more than I did!

I trimmed them to size and then sewed them to strips and removed the paper on Thursday.

And added them to the top!  This flimsy is done. I need to choose a backing and get it longarmed. I would like to give it to Hannah for Christmas if we can swing it.  Linking up with SoScrappy for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  What a fun year of trees I had sewing along with her and all the participants.  I need to pick a block for next year!

Bonnie's Quiltville Mystery this year is Rhododendron Trail and the first cutting and sewing clue comes out next Friday on her blog.  The paint chips are her colors.

I am pretty sure the flowers and paint chips will be my colors. I have not pulled fabric yet.  

Kathy is not planning to do it this year.  She stopped on Frolic and since we moved has not sewn much at all so she wants to finish that one before doing another.  If she did do it, she would maybe do the strawberries' colors.

 Are you doing the mystery?  What colors did you pick?  Such a fun time of year to be sewing!

H is for Happy and Pine Tree Point Progress

Lots more reading going on.  I do not even think I took pictures of a few of them.  Enjoyed this one, though really weird it kept me turning the pages.  This first half was almost normal and then it took a turn which I expected.

I read this one for a facebook book club I am in.  Have not read John Saul since I was a teen.  Used to love him, but outgrew him.  This one was awful!  Other people in the group seem to have loved it.  I am a snob reader--seriously!

This one was really good!  Will need to read more by Collins.

This quilt top is my inspiration for the one I am making.  Mari is the one who sewed it and though I do not know her, I LOVE her quilt!

Two weekends ago I spent Saturday sewing with BJ (it had been a long while) and Ros joined us for a bit!  Super fun to get caught up with her and BJ both.  Then Sunday I was sewing with Barb but BJ's sewing partner was unable to sew with her so she joined us on cameral too.  During all of that I managed to finally get my trees into a top!  It already has another thin border on it and one cut and ready to go on.  Last I need to make the outer border.

Linking up with SoScrappy!

On Halloween we went over to Hannah and Jeremy's to see Hazel in her costume.  Cutest little ladybug ever.  This kiddo is signing and talking more everyday!  Yesterday new signs I saw were CEREAL, BLESS-YOU, HUSH, BALL, and HELP!  Today so far I saw ORANGE.  So much fun!

I read this LONG (over 800 pages) book a few chapters a day for the most part.  It was good but did not live up to the hype for me.  

Super fast true story I read in a day.

This one was another all day read.  I really liked it.

This one turned out to be really good and made me think afterward.  I had a hard time finding an author with the last name that starts with N (as mine does) for my cross off challenge.  I only have one left--one about a world leader.

                                                 

I finally go to working on Hazel's "H is for Happy" pair of doll quilts.  This is a Quiltville pattern and really fun to make the H's.  I wish I was better at getting the corners on so things came to size.  If I did it again, I would go ahead and oversize my triangles since I had to trim them all anyway.

See?  WONKY!  Oh well, Hazel with love them anyway.

Had the first one sewn up last weekend.

And yesterday during Hazel's nap I trimmed the second set and today during her nape I sewed them together (and am blogging this). Nice I do not need my own nap today like many days!

Currently reading this two books.  One is serious and older language and one is fun.

Jay(my youngest) sold one of his cars today (yay, parking is a hot mess especially in the winter) and it was stolen a few weeks ago and parts were taken...it was half painted, etc.  Not worth keeping.  He planned to sell it anyway so he just got less for it than he was hoping. He also finally found an apartment close to his work.  He has been staying with us and we do not have room so he has literally been sleeping on our oversize chair.  He works nights so this is super fun for him with me and Hazel in the living room.  He also has two cats.  This house is not really big enough for all that but we made do.

I finally saw a naturopath about my health.  She did a bunch of bloodwork and plans to do more.  She is treating me for Lyme (so she can test it after six weeks).  I have had headaches and neckaches and chills from the meds that are meant to show if I have it or not.  Really do not think I do, but I should not be reacting if I don't.  So we shall see.  Meanwhile turns out my thyroid finally shows signs of being jacked up so going on meds for that.  My liver enzymes are up so starting some natural stuff to help with that.  As always (since I have been sick) my white blood cell count is high.  Have not heard back yet on cortisol test but Celiac and Autoimmune testing was normal.  I am still super fatigued but have learned to pace so coping better.