The power of a phone call

Today I called a friend I serve with about "business." She said to me at the end of the call that I am the only person from church who regularly calls her. I felt instantly guilty because I usually call her when "business" needs to be attended to. Shouldn't I be calling because she is my friend?

It made me think of another friend I haven't really talked to in a while and I decided to call. We talked for only 8 minutes. (Cell phones details....) As we were saying goodbye, she said thank you too. She expressed that she doesn't feel like she has many friends, which surprised me. She is kind, generous and loved by many people. How does she not feel it?

How often do I assume those I care about know it, focus on my own problems, or think a small little thing like an 8 min. phone call is insignificant? All the time, to tell the truth. Tonight reminded me that showing it, in small ways, is how people know I care about them. Its how they feel it. And it is how I know I care about them, too.

It feels good.

The Janome 6600

What shall I call her? Wanda the Workhorse? Jean the Machine? Ooh, I like that one. Any other ideas?


Name or not, she is being broken in. I love her! I get more and more excited to do the next project...and the next...and the next! The first thing I worked on was this top in progress:



I pulled one of the "block of the month" blocks I won at the guild meeting and just started improvising. (Thanks V for sharing your improvising.) Decided to throw in the white rose blocks I had in my stash and whatever else struck my fancy. Then, hubby and house guests came home, so it was set aside. I think I need some more structured blocks to connect that BOM block and I don't know what else. We'll see.

Sewed the binding on my little table runner this morning. Note to self: If you decide to try sewing on the binding before something is squared up/trimmed down (which someone suggested, but I can't remember why...stability?), please don't cut off the edge of the corner binding when you do trim it up.


Sigh. Oh well. Repairs have been made and she's all ready to have her binding stitched down during my commute today. She'll be out in my entryway just in time for the 24th of July!

Have a lovely day, y'all! (Yep. Y'all. When you stitch Americana and anticipate a pioneer holiday, your inner Westerner just slips out!)

Home Report

Recently, I've been struck by the beauty I took for granted when I was growing up. It was just the way it was. Once I moved away, I saw that the "way it was" is not the way it is everywhere.

When I'd go back home, I noticed the way it had been all along. (I really DID grow up in a dry state. There really aren't TREES outside of mountains or parks or yards.) And I started to regard that little part of the world as unremarkable. "It's brown! It's dry! It's ugly!", I'd whine. "It's just suburban yuckiness for miles!"...etc...etc...etc.

Lately though, I am amazed at how beautiful it can be. Yes, the mountains may look dusty by August. Yes, there is suburban sprawl. And yes, you can see it all exposed as you whiz by on the freeway (unlike the towns tucked behind the East Coast curtain of forest), but wow, Utah can be beautiful! Wanna see?

I love the land where I grew up.
It is part of me.

Traveling, traveling...

I'm heading off to a wedding. Be back in a week or so, but look what I have waiting for me at home....

HOORAY!!!

Visiting V: Quilting Report

Earlier this week, I got to go to V's house. Wow, I think every city dweller needs a house away from all the chaos. There were trees and greens in the garden and quiet nights (and mornings and afternoons) and sandy shores not too far away and grassy design walls.

I took these three blocks I won in the block of the month raffle at the guild meeting last month. I thought they'd be great in a summery/4th of July/Americana table runner for my entryway. But we also played with V's fun stash. This was my favorite:


Isn't it great??? In the end, I decided the traditional look would fit my entryway better, but oh . . . I still question giving up on all that lovely color!

Here's a close up of the pearl cotton quilting I've started, also inspired by V.


We tossed my scrap blocks on a bunch of different fabrics.

What fun! Good to just play around. Good to start the juices flowing with possibility. Good to get away for a day. Thanks V!

p.s. Check out her project for the day here.

Wordless Wednesday: Visiting V . . .