Merry Mayhem Mystery Prep and More!

Hannah (and Jeremy) loved the Pine Tree Point RSC quilt they got for Christmas.  Hannah gave me some fun stuff too.  A book and a mug that were on my list--I have read all but four or five of the books on this mug so I plan to read the rest this year.  I just need to get my hands on them.

Yesterday I finished clue four of R Trail.  Lots of counting and recounting happened in order to get to this point, but done!

I completed my book challenge scratch off for the year.

Hannah and Jeremy got me Parks!  So excited to have this game as I accidently bought a different National Park game (which I have sent on to Coleman and family) because it was not what I was thinking!  

Kathy and I played this one last night.  It was fun, though we do not have it all down yet.  We plan to watch more videos and play again soon.  Have not been gaming as much since I am reading and sewing.  I miss it!

This last picture is sideways, but today Barb and I prepped for the Merry Mayhem New Year's Day mystery quilt.  It only took a few hours so if you want to join in you have plenty of time to catch up!  Free clues until after the mystery then you have to purchase the pattern.  I found a layer cake to use for this one (Kathy had me get myself fabric for Christmas) and the one I liked that was not an arm and a leg was a Christmas one, so someone else will be getting a Christmas quilt next year.

This was last year's Merry Mayhem mystery...still not quilted.
 

This was from the year before.  

Are you doing any mysteries for the new year?  I LOVE mysteries!

Three Quilt Finishes, a Clue and some Reading!

Pine Tree Point made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge made its way to Arizona to Melissa who quilted it (and the B2 quilt) in a jif and mailed it back to me!  I love how both quilts came out.  This one is for my daughter and her hubby.  It is quilted with stars.  Linking up!

We got our little tree up last weekend and so far the cats and Hazel are leaving it be.

I managed to get clue 3 done for R Trail.  Pretty happy with it so far.  Clue four is out and I just made one test block which turned out great, but no energy to cut all the parts for it...we have over a week for this clue though so no worries.

I finally finished up my Mourning Crosses quilt with my Dad's shirt pieces.  I made three others for family and just never got to mine.  Luckily I quilt better now than I did then, so this one has baptist fans all over it.

I stuffed and sewed up both Hazel's H is for Happy pillows for her baby dolls, but tucked one away before getting a picture.

My book secret Santa sent me this book and I have read the first couple stories.  Strange!

Here is the BQ2 quilt I made for Rachel and Bryan.  It is quilted with flames.  They will love it!

Had a doctor's appointment for bloodwork (they are testing me for Lyme) on Thursday so since Kathy took the day off to use up her PTO, we stopped at a Goodwill nearby.  I found these books, yay!

Finished this one this morning.  I enjoyed it, but will not plan to read the sequel.  

This was the latest Once Upon a Book Club selection.  I did not really like it.  It is about a cop shooting a black boy and tried to get to you see both sides I guess.  Just too close to home and not at all "entertaining" though an important topic.  I cancelled my membership since it is expensive and I mostly resell the boxes after (though several have not sold).  I am still getting the Halloween box (shipping issues) and the special Christmas box that I ordered, but after that will only get a few here and there or used.

I listened to this book and really enjoyed it!  
 Hazel is signing and saying words like crazy now!  She is starting to put two together.  Her latest signs were TIGER, STAR, COW...she also is waving at me for attention which is super cute!

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.