St Patrick's PC

A friend on HGTV message board, Jane, who hails from New Zealand, asked if any of us would be interested in sending a PC to a special woman in her life that still lives there. Molly Flanagan was important to her and since she is in her 90's, Jane wanted to have Molly get some pretty cool mail. I made this fabric for her from some St Patrick Day's stash. It was simple. It is presumably on a plane to NZ right now!

February 7th, my son, Michael, was sworn in to the U.S. Army. He left for Fort Sill, Oklahoma that afternoon. After layover in Atlanta and much waiting in Oklahoma City, he and some other recruits made it to the base after midnight Wednesday. He spent days in reception. Spoke to him a few times. He marched over the tracks this past Wednesday at 3 AM and boot camp began in earnest. He is ready to face the challenges ahead. He has made the right decision for him. I am proud of him.

His fiance Jenn, and Michael after the ceremony.

My HGTV Challenge #1 is finished! I will be able to show them as soon as Lori does whatever she is doing with them online. I don't think there is a voting. I guess I can say that I am very happy with it!

In my quest to throw something away every day (which continues to be successful) I plan to finish things in my stash. I pulled out a string block quilt I put together from a block swap. All pinks. I pieced a backing this afternoon, and after the dreaded machine quilting, it will be gifted to little Sophia. Sophia is Melissa's boyfriend, Dave's toddler daughter. She is adorable. Blond & blue eyed and plenty of attitude!

Next weekend I will be at Silver Lake on a Quilt Away with 21 other women from my guild. This is the one Tracy and I planned in the Fall. I am so excited! Friday morning to Sunday afternoon...all meals cooked for us...huge room with our own table to sew...gorgeous surroundings. I need to take a more than a few projects to work. I usually can't work on one thing for hours, let alone days! I have the F8 blocks, some OBW blocks and fabric to make more, a small Twister quilt, some awesome Japanese fabric in a kit, some handwork for the times I don't want to sit at the machine. What could be better than that?

I have learned:

1. Good movie. Fireflies in the Garden. 
2. People who don't do the things they criticize others for doing....should hold their tongue. Or volunteer!
3. I love my NOOK! (I didn't think I would.) 
4. Claiming 0 from claiming 3 on Federal tax is over $200 more out of my check a month. Ugh.
5. Now that Michael is covered by health insurance in the Army, I can go from family to single on my plan at work. To do this I had to fill out form upon form and get a letter from Army recruiter that he was in the Army. Now, how long will this take to actually show up in my paycheck? It won't even offset the tax increase. 
6. Bruce Springsteen...April 17th in Cleveland, Ohio! Me, Pam & Jim...road trip!
7. At the mall yesterday, Ian found this t-shirt at JCP. Two stick men are roasting hot dogs over a campfire,one hot dog has fallen in the fire...."It's all fun and games until someone loses their wiener" I laughed so hard. Hilarious!