Finishing is over rated . . . or is it?

I am a quilter. Well, if truth be told, I am mostly a quilt STARTER and fabric collector. This last year, attempting to finish my sewing room, I have found SO many unfinished quilt projects! There must be 30! I love to take classes and learn new techniques and I seldom finish the project started. Why do I do that?

We draw names in our family for Christmas and I was making a quilt for the person I got. That was one finished quilt a year. Now everyone has a quilt . . . what do I do now! My nephew, Casey, says he got the first quilt so it is his "turn" again. LOL I like that. He liked the quilt I made for him and wants another.

Of course my grandson, Robert, thinks he needs a new quilt. Well, maybe he does. The quilt I made for him is "Buzz Lightyear" and I gave it to him when he was four. He's now 12 and four inches taller than me and he's worn out the quilt. In fact I have it here to fix . . . one of the fabrics, only the yellow in one block, has disintegrated. Literally disiningrated. I think I will put on a new binding too. The quilt has been loved to death over these last eight years. That makes me very happy.

One year at Road to California . . . my friend Pat and I LOVE to take classes there . . . I decided to make all the class quilts out of the same fabrics. That way I could combine them into one quilt and call it my Road to California Quilt. Great idea, huh? Is it done? Of course not. I just can't win.

I still don't have a quilt made for our bed! It seems that the only way I can finish a quilt is to give it away.

Last year at my guild we had a challenge to complete five UFOs (unfinished objects for those that don't know). I had my list and my good intentions. That's all. I didn't get one done. But, of course, I did start a few more.

I am still working on getting my quilt studio (doesn't that sound more fun than bedroom!) organized. I have 48 baskets with fabric all sorted by color, kind etc., it takes up a whole 10' wall. But, I am at a standstill . . . I have at least 10 more boxes of fabric! What to do, what to do? My sweet husband says buy more baskets! I think make more quilts.

Maybe the answer is . . . give away (or finish?) the ones I've started!

Another Jonas Brother’s concert ! ?

Yes, as I told the person that asked that question. My granddaughter loves Nick Jonas and I love her. As long as she still wants to go places with me, and I am able, we will go places and do things. We always have a good time and I do like to hear them. The music is loud, like all concerts, but at least you can understand the lyrics and they are clean.

Grandchildren and grandparents have a special bond. I know I don’t have to explain it to other grandparents. They already know it. When grandchildren are small, you get to hug and kiss on them all you want. Usually. As they grow older, not so much with the hugging and kissing but they are developing into real people. They have opinions. Many of them are very well thought out. If you are lucky, they like to talk to you and tell you things and ask questions. Some questions that don’t have answers are the most interesting. Sometimes they don’t want answers, they just want to know what you know, or don’t know, as the case may be. Many times I have thought, "you know that?" They can be full of surprises

Going places, having conversations, playing games, just hanging out, all good ways to keep in contact with your grandchildren. Let them know you love them and are there for them. All kids need others in their lives that they can depend on, that will love them unconditionally. I have that with my grandchildren.

Oh, and note to self . . . be sure to bring earplugs!

You're how old?

Yesterday was my birthday! I am happy with my age, 62, and can't believe I've made it this far. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy about it, very happy about it. But I feel like I'm still looking out of 20 year old eyes and I'm always surprised when I look in the mirror and see the older me (AND more of me). But I accept myself just the way I am. I learned a long time ago that you make your own happiness and as my mother always said "If you're not happy, it's your own fault." These are words I've always lived by.

My brother, Dewey, with our mother, Alice, at our sister,
Nina's recent wedding.

My mother is now 84 and still a kick-in-pants. She has dementia, remembers our names, sometimes can't remember which name actually goes with which person. But her sense of humor has not diminished. She loves all babies and will ask any parent "How much for the kid?" When we go out we have to watch her like a hawk. One time a hostess directed us to a table by saying "Take any seat you'd like." My mother reached over, grabbed her butt, and said "Is this seat taken?"  Luckily the young woman must have liked (and understood about) little old ladies because she brushed off my apology with a quick, "don't worry about it."

My daughter, her family and I, took her to lunch for her birthday. It was a great surprise party for her. She just kept being surprised every time we told her it was her birthday. I gave her a gift in a gift bag and she kept finding it, opening it, and being surprised what was inside. We had a great time and although she doesn't remember, her great-grand children do. They are making the memories for her. While somewhat dismayed about the repeated questions that they've just answered, they answer again and again with a smile.

And great-grandma Alice just keeps smiling.

A water leak!

We have had sooooo much fun here the last few days. Their was a pinhole leak in the pipe to the front bathroom shower. It was a small spray. We had it fixed. BUT, the wall board is WET. Capital letters WET. We had a company here that put dehumidifiers and an air filter in the bathroom and my closet. Oh yea, I had to empty my closet, it shares a common wall with the bathroom. The dehumidifiers and air filter had to be on for 72 hours straight. They make a lot of noise, and they are in our bedroom. The only bedroom with a bed. So we spent three nights at a nice Fairfield Inn. We are home now, the equipment is gone. The wall in the closet is dry but the bathroom still has two walls that are not dry and under the flooring is still wet.

Of course we have insurance and it will put it all right, but the time, worry and aggravation are the pits. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

I'll look on the bright side . . . tomorrow my sister, Nina, is getting married.

SewCalGal Pets on Quilt Show

I love this blog, Insights from SewCalGals. They are having an online quilt show, Pets on Quilts. This is the quilt I have entered.

To Some I am Aunt Bonnie, to others I am Lalo

Not coming from a large family, I have only one niece and one nephew. Neither were taught to call me Aunt before my given name. They both just call me Bonnie. My cousin David's children, which are my second cousins (I think), were taught to call me Aunt Bonnie, go figure. My grandchildren, of which I have two, a boy (12) and a girl (15) both call me Lalo. I know, strange. When my granddaughter was first learning to talk it seems I was always telling her "Grandma loves you." She would try to say love you and it came out la loo. When I would prompt her to say "Grandma" she would say "la loo" which morphed into "La Lo." So I am Lalo to my grand children. My grandson wants to call me Grandma now, but keeps forgetting. Oh well, I always wanted a nickname growing up . . . and not Bon Bon.