Monday miscellanies

Without my dad here every week,

spurring us on,

work on the house has slowed drastically.

Of course, 

it doesn't

help things any

that we have had a nasty bug running rampant

for the better part of the month.

~

It's also really really hot.

~

After waiting for the backing,

and then realizing I was out of batting,

and waiting for that, too,

I finally got started on the quilting of Faith and Freedom

on Friday.

I tried trapunto for the first time,

thanks to Lynnet putting the idea in my head,

and my not being able to get it out of there.

Can I just share a little tip I learned??

If you use disappearing

(aka: water soluble) thread,

if you snip a hole in your fabric

while you are cutting away the batting,

and, 

according to the experts,

 you will snip a hole somewhere in your fabric,

do not,

I repeat: do not

use steam

to adhere a piece of interfacing reinforcement.

You also may want to take care to not melt your batting

with direct heat from your (not steamy) iron.

(I am really hoping it isn't melted, so much as *compacted*,

and will resume it's fluffiness once washed and dried.

I mean,

that's what I would be hoping,

if I had done such a stupid thing...)

~

I have always preferred to wash my floors on my hands and knees,

and have, of course,

 taught the kids to wash floors that way too.

The other day, Jeremiah and Lexi needed some work

(if ya know what I mean...)

so I had them wash the kitchen floor.

As they were scrubbing, 

one of them said,

"It would be really great if they had something like a broom,

only instead of sweeping your floors,

it'd be for washing them."

I felt it was only right that I tell them about mops.

~

I read a book last week.

It was lovely.

I've missed reading.

~

Josiah and I were both quite desperate for tennis shoes,

so we went shopping after church yesterday,

just the two of us.

It took a few hours,

and more money than I'd have preferred to spend,

but we each found a suitably comfortable pair.

So now, when I'm especially short on time,

maybe I'll be able to actually take a quick mile run (or rather walk / jog)

instead of logging a mile's worth of steps on the trampoline.

(I am convinced I only get credit for 75% or so)

~

The computer,

without anyone's permission,

updated to Windows10 a few months ago.

Ever since, 

it has grown increasingly more difficult 

to get pictures from the camera

on to the computer.

It doesn't inspire me to take many photos, 

I can tell you that.

I ordered a new SD card, 

on the off chance that that's the problem,

but I really don't think it is. 

~

Wednesday was my day with Gramma.

It's nice to be able to surprise her multiple times

(when I tell her the night before that I'm coming,

then again when I call and tell her I'm heading her way,

and then again,

when I show up at her door)

but I admit it's a little discouraging when she calls me later the same day,

and doesn't remember I've been there.

She sure loves it when I'm there, though,

and I do treasure my Gramma!

~

Speaking of Gramma,

she has always carried around lots of pictures

and will share them with anyone she can.

On her counter Wednesday,

there was a computer printed photo of my sister 

from one of her body-building competitions.

On the top of the photo was Alicia's name,

but on the bottom

was mine.

I got a pretty good laugh out of that one.

Of course, I didn't correct it ;-)

Plus, 

I can see how she'd get us confused,

our bodies being so similar and all.

bwahaha

~

I surprised the kids 

with a big package of modeling clay earlier today.

I knew they'd be thrilled,

but I hadn't considered that they'd take up the whole table

playing with their clay,

and I wouldn't be able to quilt....

They're finally done, though,
so I best get at it.
(They've moved on to a (loud) nerf gun war)
(Girls scream so much more then boys.)