Sunday, October 29, 2006

Retreeeeat!!!! When I was a little girl, my sister and I used to go up on the mountain behind our house and pick blackberries. It was a pretty good hike and once we were there, we would head into the brambles... if you don't know about blackberries- well, they grow on briar canes. They are really quite vicious. They recommend that you wear long-sleeved shirts so that you don't get scratched, but then the briars snag you and you can barely move. My sister went down into a particularly thick patch of blackberry canes. Deeper she went, until I couldn't see her from up on the ridge behind her. Occasionally the brush would move, and then, eventually, one quivering hand came out from the green leaves, with one finger pointed into the air, a faint cry of, "Retreeeeat!" floated up the mountain. Sometimes you got to know when to get out of a sticky situation.

Well, I hollered my own little, "Run away!" chant yesterday! I had this huge mess in the quilting room. The tables were all covered and the shelves were all disheveled. Fabric had exploded and settled on every horizontal surface. Time to retreat and regroup. The power was out all day- high winds. And so I cleaned and organized and sorted and reclaimed. Ahh... now doesn't that feel good? Well, it should, anyway. Oh you guys know me, I am not one to need a clean slate in order to muddle through. If I waited until I cleared a space, I would rarely get the opportunity to create. And when everything is so clean and neat... well, I just don't feel at home. I am conditioned to mayhem and confusion! I took it as a challenge to make something after all that cleaning. I did find 2 of my favorite pieces of fabric in the process, you know! And I had this new 45* ruler... and there it is. It fills in a blank space on the wall that was buggin' me- I don't do "places to rest your eye." Close your eyes, if you want to rest them!

The following pix is of my bedside table- I didn't clear here, can ya tell? I just thought it was a funny sight. Maybe I have a problem. Well, water bottles on the bedside table are better than candybar wrappers, right? I look like I have that malady suffered by that girl in "Signs." (Remember her need to have water all around- hers was always contaminated.) I am reading this book about water- and our vital need for it and I guess, I am taking it all to heart. After every 10 bottles of water, I am allowing myself a sugar-free orange juice. I guess I really need a wastebasket by the bed. Or maybe a trash compactor.


PS Mom... Maybe you should
reconsider and give that picnic on Mars
another chance. I found that if I cut the
corner triangle considerably larger
than the pattern says and square up
after sewing- much much easier than
trying to find the center if those wedges
to place the center of the triangles.

8 comments:

YankeeQuilter said...

Love the colors in your quilt. I have one of those templates but haven't tried it yet.

I try and drink lots of water too. One problem is they don't pick up the plastic bottles here on recycling day so I have to drive to the tip/recycle center. I wonder if the use of gas to get there outweighs the benefit of recycling?
Sio

Tonya Ricucci said...

Great colors - looks zingy. Your table looks like mine when I'm trying to keep the cats off of it...

quiltpixie said...

Your quilt is great! The two colours don't leave a lot of a rest, but they work so very well together. :-)

I find myself with very few water bottles as I simply refill them with tap water -- I find it obscence to pay the prices they want for bottled water when its such a basic necessity that everyone in the world should have access to it....

Darcie said...

Glad you got your book!!! Pretty interesting? Todd refers to his constantly. And he's even got the kiddos saying "...you're dehydrated" or "...sounds like you need to drink more water." 'Course...sometimes I hear a little light, fun sarcasm in their voices. ;-)

Love the quilt. My colors! So warm...and lively too. Any ideas on the quilting?

Hedgehog said...

Just love your kalaedoscope. Hope you found your way out of the bushes eventually!

dot said...

Love your quilt. You are a girl after my own heart with the water bottles. I like organized choas and it drives my husband crazy. It things are too neat I can't find anything.

Cher said...

another water drinker here too-what a wonderful quilt..what fun to play with a new ruler...it just looks so warm

Pamela (Peni) Teel said...

You'd be proud of Papa - he's downing that water like he needs to. Says it's a chore, though.

The "retreat' tale is still one of my favorites. And that's my clarion call when overwhelmed.XOXOXO Mom