All done with the books

and I must admit I did good. This is the box of what will go with me to Florida. Did you notice that it is just one box and still there is room to put some small quilt notions at one end. The second box will hold my many sketch books and journals and one or two book(s) I might have second thoughts about.

Go visit to see the newest additions.

Books, Books, Books

Today I tackled one shelf of books in my studio. Because I plan to down size a lot, I have allowed myself only 2 banker's boxes worth of both books and magazine. As you can see I have lots of books that need new homes. So far I looked up the prices for 35 books on Amazon Books.Com and I have priced each book listed on my Quiltstashandstuff2 blog at the lowest price I found there.

In doing my research, an Oh My Gosh moment happened. I discovered that one book in my collection is a rare find. The price listed for it on Amazon ranged from $195 to $405.00. Can you believe that? So if any of you love photographs of flowers and want the book, its on the list at the lowest price (: Click here to see what's I've pulled from the shelf.

When I'm under the weather

what cheers me most is the sight of flowers.

 

 

 

These images are of my friend Marti's garden that I photographed when I was in Louisville last. You remember my brief stay long enough to see my granddaughter Olivia home.

Since arriving home I haven't done much in the way of art quilting. As I said, sewing on a sleeve doesn't count. I've been knitting fast and furiously.

 

and the shawl is growing what I plan to wear wrapped about me in the fashion of a very long scarf.

My under the weather episode began with a trip to the hospital last Wednesday for some exploratory surgery that left me relieved. Nothing deadly was found. However with any surgery you do find yourself in hospital and at home abed and a house with brief walks to the end of the block. I am so impatient and must remind myself to allow myself time to heal.So no lifting or straining for the next six weeks.

While abed or sitting in my rocking chair I have been making a list of what furniture is going with me to Florida. The list hasn't been put in stone yet which at this moment is making comparing estimates I am getting from different moves a little hard to compare.

Starting today I began to go through my stuff in my effort to get it on the I'm moving blog" Go visit if you are interested in PFD fabric and dyes. I have packaged kits that includes various lengths of pre-measured 60" wide Kona PFD, and pre-measured dyes and the other stuff plus direction that are easy enough for a beginner to do. These packages are left-overs from my Dyeing Workshops.

On or about June Fifthteenth

I put the creative part of me aside to prepare for the classes I was scheduled to teach and for the remainder of June, all of July and for the first eleven days of August I have not picked up a piece of cloth with thoughts of doing something daring, bold, creative, interesting, inventive and wonderful with it. Putting sleeves on one of the last quilts I finished way back when does not count. This I did on Sunday just so I could find out if my thimble still fit and if I remembered how to thread a needle and to see if I still knew how to turn on my sewing machine.

Color is everywhere I look, the house, the garden, the stores but I didn't realize it was going to be this hard to get back in the groove.

Despite me telling my creative self that the vacation is over, my Muse keeps saying it isn't.

Today as I walked past my studio space. I wasn't inclined to enter. There was nothing there that beckoned me. No pieces of fabric scattered around. No composition in any stage of completion was pinned to the design wall. The lights were out and I realized I missed being in the space and in the place within myself that finds joy in cloth and color and creating.

So I walked in and picked up and put away some of the stuff I left laying around and some stuff that the other people in my house left laying around. I unfolded and pinned a dye painted piece of silk to the design wall. When I finished it a couple of months ago (or longer) I liked it, but it had been so long, I couldn't remember how it was suppose to be oriented. ( vertical or horizontal. So I turned it several times until I was pleased with the way it looked. But I found, I no longer REALLY like the piece.

What was I thinking when I thought it was done back then. Maybe it needs something added.....

Nah!!!

Maybe I should just start something new....

HUMMMM!

What?

I went into the garage and cleared some of the clutter from my wet work space, but despite the mid 70's temperature with no idea of what to do, I felt no desire to linger and just putter.

Maybe I should just sit in my favorite chair and finish the shawl I have been knitting for the last two weeks and bask in the fact that despite having had ice cream more times than I can count and want to admit to having consumed while I was away I still lost weight and I am now down 63 pounds from where I started.

More jeans and shirts for the Goodwill.

Yesterday and Saturday was tax free days here in Missouri and with that knowledge I thought I would go in search of bras. I hate buying bras. I hate trying them on. I hate that you have to try them on because there is no uniformity in sizes from one brand ans style to the next. I hate the fact that most of the ones on sale were padded when God knows I don't need any more padding. I hate that I did not find, not one that fit like I thought it should. Was there anyone in the three stores I went into that asked, "Can I help you." NO. Did I buy any. NO!

Are you getting the feeling that this is a duh day for me, its cloudy, I woke to rain, flashes of lightening and distant thunder.

Duh day or not, I'm going to suck it up and go knit.

I got home on Sunday

What a treat to sleep in my own bed once again.

Of course no one weeded the gardens while I was gone. Because the site of such neglect did not set well with me, I spend about 10 minutes immediately after getting out of the shuttle van that brought me home from the St Louis airport, pulling the most obvious weeds from the front garden. Even at noon, the weather here on Sunday was pleasant. (very low humidity and temperature in the mid 70's) But I didn't push the bending over too much least I wind up back where I was several weeks ago.

The oldest grandson (Josh) and the middle grand son (Justin) arrived from Kentucky around 6:30. The older one is staying for awhile, the middle one after hugging his Mom and me headed back to Kentucky.

The oldest grandson on Monday spent several hours weeding the front and the back gardens for me.:) Can we say happiness is a de-weeded garden.

On Monday and today I was back at the gym, but walked on the treadmill for just 2 miles each time. I'm taking less pain medication and have a Doctor's appointment tomorrow. Wondering what he will say or do.

When once I thought that going to the gym here was convenient and no hassle at all; being in Florida has spoiled me.
It was just a walk around the hall to the elevator that sped me to the 7Th floor for the treadmill and/or it was less than a 2 block walk after exiting the apartment building before I was in the park and walking around the lake. I miss the lake and as I listened to my I-pod yesterday and today on the treadmill I was visualizing the lake ahhh.

I told Lyn that I am planning my move to Florida and hope to do so by the 1st of October or whenever a unit is available in the Loft Apartment complex. For now, it is a matter of weeding through all the stuff and deciding what goes with me and what stays and what I need and want to get rid of.

I've often said of late, "All I need is a bed, my own bathroom and a place to work." Lets see how close I adhere to that statement.

Follow along with my move on this blog and here if you are interested in what I am getting rid which will include some of my quilts at greatly reduced prices.