In the midst of boxes

I held a workshop for five ladies in my all bu bare studio space in the house.
I haven't done much in the way of quilting since I returned from Florida the first of August so it felt good to talk for an extended period of time with folks who understand the language and the passion.
In truth Sunday was one of two of the best days I've had in a long time. On Saturday I went to the club house in my subdivision where my local art quilt group meets on occasion. This would be the last time I will see most of them unless I have an opportunity to do so the next time I'm back in Columbia visiting Lyn and the two grandsons who will remain here.

The art group, knowing how I love flowers presented with these and also I was given a gift card by the group as a going off to a new adventure present. The gift card is for one of my favorite places too....Barnes and Nobles. Since I will be in walking distance of a B & S in Florida I know the gift card will be used soon.

The movers arrived at 8:30 this morning and very professionally wrapped all of my wooden furniture securely and carted off all of the packed boxes. In less than 3 hours they were out of here and on there way to their next stop which they said was Chicago. According to them, I should see them and my belongings about the 8th of next month as my stuff and their truck will be making it way from Chicago to Detroit to someplace in Pennsylvania, then on to Connecticut and down to Georgia before winding up with me being the last of two stops in Florida.
When I booked the movers I was given a delivery date of the third of October, so a delivery date of the eighth and knowing my stuff is talking a long way around trip is not setting to well with me at the moment. The eight means I will be sleeping on an air mattress and having a lot of salads served up on paper plates and me having to drink from plastic cups. Believe me, one of my first purchases behind toilet paper :) will be a George Foreman.

This time next week

I will be on a plane, in the air somewhere between St Louis and Orlando and what am I doing. Sitting here blogging when I should be doing several things that are on my to-do list for today and oh yes, one that was left from yesterday. For some reason yesterday was a dah day. For one my home health nurse arrived late and that threw me off schedule and I did not sleep well the night before and was fighting going back to bed which I finally did twice.
Have you looked in your bathroom vanity drawers lately? Or are you a clean them out once in a while kind of person. I must admit, I am not. So on my to- do list yesterday was minimizing the stuff I plan to take from my bathroom vanity drawers. This I got done late last evening. In doing so, I discovered several dozen small bottles of hotel shampoo, conditioner and lotions I was holding onto. My question to myself was, if I have not used them in the time I have been here, will I use them if I take them with me. More than likely NOT. So in the trash bag they went along with other odds and ends of nearly used up cleansers moisturizers, old make-up and etc.
Today, I need to get started with dyeing some fabric for my class on Sunday and then go to the kitchen and make some decisions about what I am taking from there. And make a list of to buy stuff that I will need once I get there.... stuff like an electric can opener. So I am going now to get started on my day.

Yesterday I went to the movies

It was one of my marathon viewing sessions. I sat through three flicks and cannot recommend anyone of the three to anyone. Not at full price. Again it pays to be older. I pay senior rates.
I saw "Informer" all I can say is throughout the movie I kept hearing myself say "gee" as in I can not believe there was someone like the guy being portrayed. But since the story was based on a true event, I just have to shake my head.
The second movie was Tyler Perry's newest and while there was a few places with humor for the most part I needed a Kleenex. I wasn't in the mood for a Kleenex kind of movie day, but there I was.
The last movie was "Love Happens" a chick flick, again with tear potential, except I had run out of the wet stuff in the previous movie.
My yard sale went well and there were very few books left and they are boxed up and will make their way to the library for their shelves or for their next book sale. we loaded up the Jeep with stuff for the recycling bins and Josh, (the older grandson) carted it away. What was left of the quilt and knitting notions will be donated to the Senior Center for their craft room. Although I am old enough to be a member of the center in age, my mind is not there yet so Lyn will take that stuff to them for me because I have no idea where in the city they are located and do not plan to find out at this late hour.
NINE DAYS AND COUNTING

12 days and counting

This afternoon, two friends who brought two other friends for a total of four; all members of the Missouri Fiber Artists group, stopped by... stayed for an hour or so and took away with them lots of stuff. Yeah!!!
For a time it seems that the end of the month would never come, but here I am less than two weeks from living in another state, a much different city and under a different roof.
I want to thank all of you who have visited my quilt stash and stuff blog and brought books and quilts. Just knowing someone else wanted them has made me very happy.
Everything remaining that is not getting put on the moving van I have gathered up for my garage sale. I am looking forward to this Saturday morning coming and when it over at noon I'll have one less thing on my "get it done" list before organizing for the movers. But on the list of gotta dos is making kits for a class I am teaching on Sunday the 27th. That means on Monday next I need to dye about three yards of fabric a medium value turquoise to go in the kits. Yes... I remembered not to pack the dyeing stuff.
Will keep you posted on my doings.

By the time I went to bed

last night I had sorted through all of the quilts and up loaded the images of those I am willing to part with to the blog. The ones rolled at the foot of the bed are those that will go with me. Lyn and I stuffed a really large suit case with those I will keep no matter what. Remember Lyn's retrospective theory. Again ha!. The case was so full and heavy when we were done, we called for the oldest grandson to move it despite the attached wheels.
Did I say heavy and large, it's one of those suitcases that you take on a cruise or use when traveling by car. Even empty for a plane you are over weight before the you add your first pair of panties. Not good. The quilts stacked in my rocker are those listed for sale on the blog. The ones that have been spoken for are boxed up, stacked in the foyer, waiting for payment.

Today I got an early start. With a market basket on my arm I walked through the Farmer's market buying tomatoes, green beans, corn, new potatoes and candy onions. I was told they are really sweet. I brought cucumbers from my favorite vendor and some delicious Jonathan apples. We'll see how sweet the onions are tomorrow. Dinner will consist greens beans with new potatoes, a summer salad which is a chopped mix of tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, onion and cucumbers drizzled with olive oil and vinegar, corn on cob and some kind of meat, what meat, I'm not sure about right now. With a nice pile of the above on my plate the meat doesn't matter as far as I'm concerned, but there are definitely two meat eaters in this house and an all veggie meal with a little dairy is not their cup of tea.

From the market I drove to the post office for more priority boxes, and then doubled back and stopped at the Teacher's store hoping to pick up a large bundle of newsprint so I can sort and pack the dishes and glass ware I am taking with me. I was able to buy packs of newsprint a similar store in Louisville, but stuck out here.

Then it was on to Macy's for their buy 2 bra's get 2 free sale and there I made out very well. Found 7 styles to choose from, but brought only four. There's still pounds to lose so I do not want to have too many on hand that will be too big I am hoping sooner rather than to far in the future.

From there I climbed back in the jeep and drove to Target, I was looking for a lampshade for the lamp that sits on the vanity in the bathroom. When it was brought, I realized I was tired so I stopped for a carry-out salad, black bean soup and lemonade and make my way home, totally forgetting that I wanted to stop for several long boxes at the UPS store.

After lunch and a period of rest, I tackled the wet studio in the garage and filled six banker boxes with "yes I really do need that", stuff. I stopped as the sun was going down with maybe two more box to fill when the mosquitoes began to bite.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

While I have been away

from my blog, I have not been sitting on my duff and stuffing my face with Bon-Bons. Oh no. I've been quite busy. You know, it takes some planning and a bit of work to not only move, but to downsize as well.
Well it's all coming together very nicely, thank you. My apartment will be ready for me on October 1st. While I thought I would get a unit on the fourth floor, facing the street I am happy to report that I will be on the ground floor facing in to the Meditation Garden where I went on many days to sit and knit and read. Ah, and now all I have to do is walk out my bedroom door or through the slide from the living room.
My last post surgery doctor's appointment is the 29th of September. My next to the last one was today. I am doing very well he said.
The mover are scheduled for the 28th of September if on schedule and if not, no later than the 29th. My plane ticket has been brought and I will be leaving on the 30th and will arrive in Orlando at 1PM. I've found a Internal Medicine Doc and schedule an appointment for a week after I arrive as a matter of just getting all of my ducks in a row.
All that done, with no more effort than using the keys on the computer or number pads on the telephone. The hardest part has been getting rid of stuff I have held onto for years. Why, hasn't it got gone before now. I guess mainly because it was not presenting a problem by just being. But now that I have to pay to move it or leave it for Lyn (which I am not going to do) with the exception of some of my quilts that she and the boys like and want to continue to live with, I've had a change of heart as to what really matters and what doesn't.
I've sorted through my sewing notions, assorted rulers, paints, markers, fabric crayons, etc and set them aside for my studio/yard sale on the 19th.
So today I began going through all of my quilts that have lived in what Lyn dubbed "my side of her closet" since I've been here, with me adding more and more over time. Some of them I want to keep and some not. So I began weeding out those that need to be gone and separating out those that will be part of an exhibit in Ann Arbor in February of 2010 along with some new work that I am looking forward to getting started on once my studio is back up and running in my new place. I think I have two or three more days of this chore before I am done.
If anything looks like something you can live with, go visit my Quilt Stuff & Stash blog for prices. You might be surprised at how inexpensive some of them are.

You never know what you

have until you start to weed out stuff. I couldn't believe I had over 4 dozen books about knitting. Have I knitted 48 plus things as a result of having purchased the books, NO. I must admit, some are more reference than "here's a pattern, now follow it". And some are more pamphlet than what can be truly considered a book.
Until today I'd never counted them. There was no reason for me to know exactly what i had. Unlike my quilting books that were always visible in my work space, my knitting books were sequestered away in the cabinet I use to house my yarns, needles and other stuff needed for knitting.

After I counted them, I called my favorite knit shop and asked if they knew where I could sell all these books and Becky offered to take them on consignment which was okay with me. , In my head as we talked I'd nixed the idea of joining Revelry an on-line group for knitters just to see if I could move them out of my house through that venue.
So I went through them. Priced them according to Amazon Books. I just finished creating the list in a spread sheet.
Of them, I am keeping only three. The Knitters Book of finishing techniques, 2-at a time socks, and Jamieson's Shetland Knitting Book that I brought as a wishing book, for the longest time I was too large to wear any of the sweaters in the book, but now. Ha! I can and by the time I finish knitting one, (very complex) cables etc. I will be in good shape. Down another 5 pounds which brings my total to 70 pound now. My oldest grandson commented today on my skinny legs. I don't think they are; it's only because I am wearing a pair of pants that fit instead of droopy, baggy ones.
I had an 8:00 A.M. appointment with the Nurse Practitioner at the Surgeons office this morning. Sutures are dissolving as they should. All is well. From there I stopped at the market for a few items. It's really chilly here. Long pants and a light sweater weather. A bowl of Tomato Basil soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan sounded good to me. I will have it for Super since this is another evening I will be home alone. Josh the oldest Grandson is out and John and Lyn both have evening classes.
Another day gone.