Winter River

Not my normal palette, is it? There's a lot of reasons I'm working on it but still too hard to write about.

I'm thinking of quilting this with "be still and know that I am God."

Still trying to decide if I will add the outer border. BTW, this was another "free" pattern from the fabric manufacturer. The fir trees in this pic and the one on the pattern all show the trees in their usual vertical orientation. However, if you follow the pattern directions, those trees point in all different directions. I was seriously irritated as I had cut out all my fabric and did not discover this until I began to sew the pieces together. It really bugs me when free patterns do this. I believe the designers are working from proofsheets and are not actually test sewing the patterns before release. Andover does this as well. Most infuriating.

I do, however, love the panel. I can just hear the water trickling beneath the ice and snow.

Things to Remember

1. As an INFP, I need to remember that I need to find instrinsic motivation in a task. Procrastination has been my enemy since last April. As I'm not motivated by extrinsic motivation, I need to find what does motivate me.
2. I will spend this semester in FTCM learning. If I continue to be interested then I can apply to UD for the Fall.
3. I chatted with the FTCM instructor briefly last night. I told her I thought the program would be more academically rigorous. She said that this first portion isn't meant to be-it's to ease us into our study. So I'll give this a go.
4. My DH is totally awesome for supporting me. I'm currently teaching on Mondays, taking a class on Tuesday, and will be teaching on Thursday evenings beginning in February. He's totally cool with it.
5. Last night I made cards with Red's spelling words on them. He was NOT pleased at all. Even chocolate failed to bribe him. DH said he did work on the sight words with him but Red was not pleased.
6. We took the boyos to Seawolf Park on Monday. We had a great time but I didn't take any pics! Can't believe that. But I did journal it in my moleskin.
7. Am about to leave for a meeting. What's a nice girl like me doing in a job like this? LOL

7 Quick Takes - January 14, 2011

1. I am so tired today and don't know why. It's been a long, hard week meeting-wise. Next week our students come back so I better eat my Wheaties.
2. My FTCM class was wonderful! Our instructor for Ministry is this brilliant, intelligent, and Spirit-filled woman. I came out of class aware of just how ignorant I am. It's going to be great. I kind of wonder if this program is mostly sit n' git kind of instruction? I know we have to write papers for each topic but I wonder what the academic rigor will be. I'm still considering the Online Catholic Biblical School at UD for next year.
3. Did very little sewing this week although the boatload of fabric I ordered last week showed up. I finished Red's fingerless gloves (except for sewing in the ends) and started mine. I actually finished one hand (nearly all in one meeting!) but I think I will make the second hand slightly smaller and see which I prefer. No matter-it's a quick knit.
4. I want to finish Winter Whispers this weekend. It's cold outside and I will appreciate it. And I want to do something else.
5. Paid holiday on Monday! The boyos are very excited to have the day off. Tig (aged 3) started off Monday of this week complaining of the inequalities of five days at school and only two "home-days". I told him to stop talking to Red (aged 5) who is on a campaign to reverse it to five homedays and two school days. Or "at the very least, Mama, three homedays and four school days." Right on honey. I'm still working on that one.
6. I was able to get back to praying the Rosary this week. I found that recently I have not been able to focus when praying. I have a much better day when I do two things each morning: Rosary and treadmill. Next week I must do better.
7. I was asked to teach an online HTML class. Unless I can be handed a complete Bb course and lesson plans I am not going to do it. I'm teaching my other class on Thursday nights and, with CCE and FTCM, I have no time to do another prep. Particularly for HTML which I haven't done in years. HTML 4.0 anyone?

7 Quick Takes Friday - January 7th, 2011

This is my first time to do a 7 Quick Takes Friday. I wonder if I'll keep it up?

1. I am beginning Semester one of FTCM next Tuesday. I am extremely excited. In Semester One we cover ministry, Old Testament and New Testament. I'm looking forward to learning so much more about my faith.

2. Contrary to the official pronouncement, I am going to pick up another adjunct course this semester. This time it will be one night a week. DH is happy because it will pay for my fiber habit. LOL. Actually, I was thinking that this summer I've got swim lessons for both boys and a reading workshop for Red to pay for and this will more than cover it.

3. Finally ordered the fabric for a table runner I've been wanting to do since last summer. N.B.: order the darn kit next time. Have another winter wallhanging I'm working on and hope to finish it up this weekend.

4. Extremely gorgeous weather here today-crisp, cool, sunny. Must take time to enjoy it instead of sitting in my office fretting.

5. Went to a Catechist inservice on Wednesday evening. One of the nice things about belonging to a huge parish is that you always get to meet someone new. I met this lady, Donna, who is just so sweet. Plus they gave us a wonderful soup and salad dinner followed by a very insightful scripture study. Why, oh why, did I wait so long to get involved in Catechesis? I should have done this twenty years ago.

6. Sadly, Epiphany is over and it's time for the Christmas decorations to come down. Advent was so wonderful this year-I felt like we really were preparing for the Lord's coming and Christmas was equally great. I loved having so much time with DH and the kids.

7. On tap for the weekend: Coffee with Dad and Mass. I love these kinds of weekends.

First finish of 2011

My first UFO finish of 2011:

I sewed this table runner last summer after a trip to Kerrville. It is a kit from Creations, a lovely and very friendly quilt shop there. I had finished sewing the runner and had halfway quilted it when I decided I wanted to quilt it differently. So I put it away and never got back to it-who wants to rip out quilting? So on New Year's Day I pulled it out, decided against ripping out the quilting and finished quilting it. I began the binding (thankfully I had already made it) on New Year's Day and finished it on January 2! I've got it in my office at work. The little pig bowl is a gift from a friend.

Uh oh

I was "leafing" through my blog when I found last year's To do list.

Ah.

Well.

Guess I should have checked it more often?

Use up the mexican wave yarn-currently one shawl in production. Finished that green shawl and am nearly done with a blue one.
Finish the Duck, Duck, Goose Quilt. Done!
Make Gma's apron. Done!
Make Happy Campers quilt Ready to go to Karen the Quilter.
Make Gmas bluebird quilt. I got nuthin'
Make my Lecien Paris quilt. Whistles innocently.
Make kittens quilt. Still need to finish stitching the kittens.
Make funky Christmas quilt. I looked at it.
Make Sheri Berry quilt kit. Ditto
PA Dutch BOM-one each month and I'm already two behind. Have made four blocks and got stuck on fifth one.
Raggedy Happy Campers quilt. Have acquired a second charm pack.
Make cushion covers for travel trailer. DH made some out of sheets using my serger.
Make Psalm 23 Panel. Have cut strips out
Make 4th of July wall hanging. Ummm.
Make amish pilgrims wall hanging. In timeout for bad behaviour over checkerboard border.
make Santa waldorf doll. nope.
make St. Lucia waldorf doll. nope
Make Christmas placemats. nope
Christmas Penny Rug. worked on it over Thanksgiving, haven't touched it since.

I need to make a realistic list for this year.

How about this:

SEW.