Oh My Gosh !!!!

This is Harriett.... my wonderful kitty friend.... She is now 11 years old and may not see her next birthday! What a pill she has been. She escaped (we left the garage door up)outside (she's an indoor kitty) one morning (very early!!) and before I realized it - around 10:00 am .... it was too late. I could find her NO WHERE.

I was so worried about her.... she has no front claws and has NEVER been outside before. I don't even know if she would know what kind of critters she could catch and eat ... I called and called ... tried all kind of tricks to get her to come home.. no Harriett. Then one day (one week later) I decided to give up and put her kitty dishes away ... she wouldn't be using them again (sniffle). Well, wouldn't you know it.. Heather and Lexie were at the house in the afternoon and I could see a kitty on the patio (looking through louvered blinds) but it didn't look like her ... Heather ran to the patio door... and THERE SHE WAS! Very timid... almost didn't want to come in (what a silly girl... she must not have remembered this is where the food is...). Finally she let me pick her up and she felt like she weighed "like nothing"... so skinny!

Let me tell you something... she meowed for a long time. I don't know if she was "telling me off" because she got left outside or if she was telling me of her adventures. Whatever... she certainly had alot to say! Plus.. she didn't act hungry or thirsty... she wasn't dirty ... she had been outside for a week... I'm thinking she may have gotten locked in somewhere... oh who knows?
I sure wish we knew how to speak "kitty language"... I'm sure she had some stories to tell me.

MINNEAPOLIS QUILT MARKET - WOW.... what a great time I had. I was with Bonnie Blue Quilts and a little with Blue Hill Fabrics. They had tons of help and I felt more in the way than anything else. I did get to walk the floor, see my favorite vendors and was inspired and ready to begin more of my designs! I love market... if you're a quilt shop owner and you don't go to market... GO!!! It will make your heart dance with joy, inspire you, and give you tons of new ideas for your store and your customers. I often hear shop owners say "I can't afford to go"... well sister (and brothers) YOU CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO!! If you shop the market and attend classes, you will gain so much knowledge that you can implement in your store that will make it grow and be even more wonderful than it already is! There!!! That was my soap box for the day!

Since I've returned I'm a wild woman in my quilt studio... I already have ideas for new quilts - here are the names I've picked "Coming Home", "Flight of the Swallows", "Freedom Ring", "Pop Clyde's Bowties", "Pink Delight", "Town Square", "Good Morning!", and then I want to make new samples of Only A Few Hours and Pretty Pots A Plenty! Do you think I have enough to keep me busy! Egads!!! I'm a crazy woman! But LOVE IT!!

I'm off to run errands and have lunch with Cathy Peters!

Happy creating and remember "Celebrate Handmade" !!!

What a great day!!

Yesterday I took a little shopping trip with Vicky and Lynn Rogers. We went to our beautiful St. Johns Town Center. OMG!!! Was it ever HOT! Lynn's car registered the heat outside at 110 degrees!! No wonder I was all sticky and icky!!! That Town Center is something else...I felt like I was in another land ... it's been a long time since I've been shopping (window shopping as it turned out... didn't spend a dime! What's wrong with me?)

Now...Saturday...that was a different story!! I decided to begin working on the house...you know... closets, drawers, etc. (what was I thinking?) I started with my closet...now let me tell you... this was a major project... I don't think I had worked on it the entire time we have lived here!!! eeeekkkk! You know... it's simply amazing what you can find when things are all in order! 4 LARGE, BIG GARBAGE BAGS LATER... I was finished. I think this is the untapped way to help people loose weight! I've never bended or squatted so many times in my life.... and let me tell you... I can tell this morning!! It was a little challenging getting out of bed... I think every muscle from my waist down HURTS!! However.... My closet looks fantastic!

Then... on to the bathroom drawers and cabinets...eeeeekkkkk... do you know lots of things have expiration dates???? I think I win the contest on who has kept them the longest... I won't even begin to tell you the "year expriation" on many of them!

Then... on to the bedroom dresser drawers!!! I never realized I had so many pair of "matched" socks!!! Out with the old.... and in with the new.... that's my new motto!

Today I'm making sure I have everything I need for my Minneapolis trip!!! I leave on Weds. with the early birds!! Our flight is at 6:00 am!!! Faye (she's working with Marti Michell), Susan (she's working with Crabapple Hill) and me (I'm working with Blue Hill Fabrics) will all be on the same plane... and it's a little one too! However, it's a straight flight! Thank you Susan for finding the flight for us! Then we will help set up the booths and for 3 days, take orders from quilt shop owners! How fun this will be.... I can't wait!

While I'm there I hope to gain even more inspiration for designs. I have so many in my head and sketched out now I doubt that I would ever get them all completed! Now... I'm off to the shower and on to the hair dresser...gotta get these locks trimmed and the roots covered up!

Chow... Gloria

p.s. Yippee!!! It's raining today... do we ever need it!

Breakfast Sausage Apple Pie

Wow...that's all I have to say about this recipe!! My friend, Lynn made this... I just found it while looking through mounds of "stuff" in my sewing studio! I just had to share it with all of you!


Breakfast Sausage apple Pie - (makes 2 pies)

1 lb Oscar Mayer Pork Sausage Links (you may want more sausage - this only gives you about 6 links per pie)
1 - 11-oz package (box) pie crust mix
1 - package Deep Dish Pie Crust (2 per pk)
2 - 1 lb 4 oz cans apple pie filling
2 - cups (4 oz) shredded processed American cheese (you can use slices - 3 to 4 per pie)
1 - cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Cook pork sausage links; drain on paper towel. Meanwhile, bake deep dish pie crusts for 10 minutes at 375. Pour apple pie filling into each baked crust. Arrange cooked sausage, spoke fashion on pie filing, sprinkle with shredded cheese (or slices).

Topping: combine brown sugar and box of pie crust mix. Sprinkle evenly over two pies. Return pies to oven and bake 25-35 minues or until crust is golden brown. Makes 6 servings.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Look at this!!!

I finished working with Katie on my color selection for my BOM wool rug pattern. What a job!! There are so many colors to choose from...it's overwhelming! I'm okay at picking out fabric...but wool colors is a whole new ball game.

It was wonderfully fun! We've decided to have the first month be the sheep and the watermelon. She's dyed the wool already and will begin hooking it TODAY! We have a full day of hooking with the guild today! I can't wait..my pile is ready to pack into the car.

Although... I have a strong suspicion that I am now alergic to wool. When I am around it for some time... I cough my bloody brains out. I might have to begin wearing one of the little masks they use when they are doing your nails. Won't that be a lovely site to see? I don't care!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not giving up my wool!!

I'll take some pictures so you can see the progress!!

Hey...look here... I didn't want any of you to feel bad because your sewing room is a mess!!! Now honey's... this is a mess!!!

I can't even tell I have a cutting counter.... is that my ironing board?... Hey...where is the keyboard to my computer? Heck....who cares....I'm on my way to hook!!!

Chat with you soon!!! Gloria

Yippee!!!!

I'm so excited...I'm heading over to Katie's house to color plan my wool rug block of the month. This is the part I love...love that color!! I'll take pictures while I'm there !! You must see this studio...she has an entire wall of wool and patterns. It's "hooker's heaven"!

Then Saturday - the rug hooking guild here in Jacksonville - well we are all getting together to hook all day! I'll take my pattern with me and try to drum up some gals to sign up! They are such a wonderful group of gals.

Hey... if you live in the Jacksonville area and have always wanted to learn how to hook... now is the time. Katie Puckett is our instructor (she's helping me with my BOM) and she's awesome!

I'll fill you in on more this evening....ta ta... I'm off....

Gloria

Crackle...crackle...tinkle...tinkle....CRASH!!!!! Oh yes... did we ever get a surprise this morning when we pulled up to the store! One of the HUGE windows in the center of our store front was lying on the sidewalk in a kazillion (is that a word?...sounds good..) pieces. I went crazy screaming... NO NO NO NO NO NO!!! You see... we just had our auction the evening before and many of the customers items were still in the store... waiting to be picked up today! I just knew when I walked through the door it was going to be completely empty! Then I really freaked out when I thought of the auctioneers computer equipment that he left so we could finish today... I knew it would be history!! However, not one single thing was missing! We examined the broken glass area... nothing suspicious - no rocks, no bricks... you could tell the glass fell straight down and hit both the sidewalk and the inside floor. What a mess to clean up! Wow were there a bunch of pieces.

The place is down to it's empty bones. Today we had the kitchen cabinets leave the building along with all of our pegboard. Tables, silks, beds, cabinets...they all made their exit. Soon I'll make mine... I know.. it's only a building but when I think of all the fun times we had in there it's a real tear jerker for me. However... I will not dwell on this sadness... I will make everyone happy again by planning events, designing, sewing and .... gosh... I can actually go shopping now! What's that?

Hugs to all....!

Gloria