Last Birthday Quilt

Tonight is the unveiling of this year's last birthday quilt. None of the quilt group has seen it, per the rules of the birthday quilt challenge. Last year, each quilter gave Carol 3 fat quarters of thirties fabrics on her birthday for a total of 27 fat quarters. During the year, we were not to talk about the pattern, block or quilting of our birthday quilt until it is revealed on the birthday this year. It is a huge secret--what suspense! For our quilt group, it truly is difficult because we share and discuss the making of all our quilting ideas. So tonight, it's a little sad to celebrate a quilter's birthday and end our first birthday quilt challenge.

Last year, I requested Amish colored fabric, but tone-on-tone, not solid colors. For my birthday quilt, I made "Birthday Baskets", a wall hanging sized quilt, using each of the 27 different fabrics I received. Look closely--you'll notice a slight variation of colors in the baskets. I chose a black background, also an Amish quilt characteristic. The quilting is done with a variegated thread--not easily done on black fabric! One of the rules is that your quilt has to be completed by your birthday (ok, some of us didn't quite get that) but sometimes life gets in the way of quilting. My quilt was only the second to be revealed this year, even though I have a May birthday.

Tonight's meeting is full of excitement and suspense as we look forward to ending our first quilt group challenge. I think it was quite successful and fun. FYI, this year's quilt birthday challenge is to "pay if forward" and donate a quilt of your own to a charity! Also, not only do you bring your quilt on your birthday, but you get to provide the goodie!

Congrats Dr. Sara!

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August 20, 2010

Dear Sara,

I am so proud of you to have finally achieved your goal of completing your doctor’s degree. This moment has been your dream for so long. From when you graduated in the top of your class at Coventry High School, through your biology degree with honors from Milligan College and onto the University of Cincinnati, School of Allied Health Sciences, you have always been driven with a set goal in mind. This is not something that just happened—you went out and made it happen!

“None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Congratulations for listening to your “whisper”, or what I believe to be your God given talent and to achieve his plan for you.

When you informed me that you were accepted as one of only 24 students in the DPT program, I knew that you would arrive at your goal. You have always been driven to accomplish what you set out to do. It reminds me of one day, when you were in Kindergarten. You came home and announced you were going to learn to ride your bike today, without training wheels, all by yourself. And you did. As I watched you from the kitchen window, you fell many times in the driveway, skinned your knees, never complained or gave up, but eventually, you mastered the 2-wheel bike….all by yourself. So I knew, without a doubt, that you would persevere and achieve your goal to be a DPT.

Not many people could handle the demands and pressures of the program as you have: classes, presentations, papers, labs, research, late night and sometimes all-night studying, clinicals, and of course, tests, tests and more tests, in addition to the Cincinnati traffic and the crutches (!). But you survived it all amiably, graciously and with great integrity. We are so proud of you!

Last, but not least, I can’t write this letter without giving kudos to Josh for his love and support through this time. I’m sure it was a struggle for him most days, surviving late dinners, pizza takeouts, mac and cheese or hot dogs, but he was there to give you hugs when you needed it.

Congratulations, Sara, on your doctor of physical therapy degree! What a terrific accomplishment.

Love,

Mom

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Bevan Adventure Quilt

I have added a profile picture of myself with one of my quilts in the background. It was used for a display for my quilter/friend, Joyce, at the NQA show in June 2009. Bevan Adventure, so called because of the adventure we had when we bought an ugly house on a beautiful piece of property. The property also housed buildings for my husband's business, which is the reason we decided to purchase it. The hideous house was completely gutted, turned into our dream home and we love living here! After two years of blood, sweat and tears, we have absolutely no regrets!

Back to the quilt: It is paper pieced in a variation of the Hunter's Star pattern. Our house took 2 years to complete; so did this quilt. After we moved into our new home, I finished the quilt to fit our new king sized bed. Using dark blues, light, medium and dark aquas with a touch of lime green for the background blocks, the stars are purple, black and white. The center of the quilt fits the top of the bed and the borders hang down to the bed frame. It really helps when I make the bed (yes, I make the bed most days). I wanted a calming, ocean effect, so Joyce quilted it in a wavy pattern in aqua thread.

Bevan Adventure is for now, one of my quilt masterpieces. It was a lot of work, took a long time to make, but I love this quilt! It is the centerpiece of my room.

Christmas Quilting

The leaves are falling, but it's time to start my Christmas sewing. I pulled some fabric that I purchased previously, used a charm pack (also purchased previously), and added some fabric that was on sale on an on-line store. Popped a Christmas CD into the player and got started! I'm using the new colors of Christmas, lime green, aqua, and red, which are really quite cute. It's a very different look, but I started decorating my Christmas tree with these color, so I can use the table runner next to the tree.

Next, I'm thinking about a Christmas quilt for my king size bed, but haven't found a pattern yet. Also, several years ago, I purchased a fabric with a Santa face from the '60's with a black background. I'd like to fussy cut the Santa into about a 6 inch square, but don't have a pattern in mind for that either. If you have any ideas, let me know!

Getting In Shape (otherwise known as trying to lose weight)

So I've been "laid off" for over six months now. After being at a desk job for over ten years, earning my master's degree, etc. I decided that one of my goals while I am off work is to get into shape. Easier said than done.

Not that you can tell by looking at me, but I have had a gym membership for 8 years now. Truly only using it maybe several times a month. Now that has changed. I go every day, Monday through Friday, come hail or high water. Seriously going for over two months now, sweating every day on the treadmill or elliptical machine for 30 - 45 minutes and working out on the weight machines. And I have lost only 5 pounds! Seriously! I have decided that it is really hard work to lose weight.

Don't know if it is worth the work or not. Except that I really feel great and don't have the aches and pains that I had before when I was just sitting around. And I have soooo much more endurance than before. I'm going for blood work later this week and am interested in comparing to one year ago. It better have changed, or the doctor's are all lying to us!

Several weeks ago while on vacation, I used the fitness facilities at the resort for about 30 minutes each day. I watched what I ate, no fried food or red meat, and I gained three pounds! It is really frustrating!

So I have decided to stop weighing in each day, but to weigh myself once a week, probably on Fridays because the weekends are really hard to diet! (Darn, did I use the "d" word?) Hopefully, that will be a better monitor of weight loss. And I have to remember that it all about "being healthy" and "getting into shape". It doesn't happen overnight...I don't get this overweight in six months, so it will take some time.