Really Random Thursday, 2/14/19

Happy Valentine's Day!

Original design by Gabriel Wiens

I have followed mrprintables for years. If you have some card stock paper, there are so many cute things for kids. A few years ago I saw the cutest pompon maker (question: is it pompon or pompom??) They now come in three sizes. Yes, I have all three. No, until yesterday I had never made anything with them.

On Instagam (@pom.maker) they showed the cutest little Valentine's project. So I got out the middle size and experimented with several different kinds of  yarn I had on hand. I decided my favorite is by Stylecraft dk (the gold and the blue), which I happen to have in lots of colors!

Aren't they cute?? I put them in a little bag with some Hershey's kisses and a handful of conversation heart candy. Happy Valentine's Day indeed.

Things have been quiet around here. Every morning (Monday through Friday) I get a radiation treatment. This license plate belongs to someone who works at the cancer center...

After this morning's treatment, I only have two more left! Side effects have been minimal so far--a little sunburned feeling and a general lack of energy.

Christa preached in church on Sunday. She continues to be an educational coordinator for Central Valley Justice Coalition, an organization that partners with churches and the community to prevent human trafficking. She often teaches a 10-week class aimed at prevention--one will be starting for girls in juvenile hall. We are so proud of her passion for this difficult problem and her gifts as a communicator.

A year ago, Mark and I decided to have our DNA tested through Ancestry DNA. I was surprised to find out I had a rather high percentage of Great Britain, which thrilled me so much. However, they have updated my profile. *sigh* Decreased by 38 percent!

Speaking of DNA...
Haha, Number 1:

When Janice and I went to DIsneyland in November, we each fell in love with the Disneyland rose.

Janice did some research and found that it was available through Jackson and Perkins. She bought each of us a rose bush (!) and Mark planted it Tuesday.

He also stopped at Trader Joe's and came home with a gorgeous bouquet of tulips.

We are planning on doing a reclaimed wood project in our laundry room. And by "we," I actually mean Mark. He is also helping Stacie with a project at church, so Tuesday afternoon the two of them gathered a stack of barn wood. Looks like there is a lot of work to be done. It is being stored in the patio so it can stay dry during this rainy season.

The mailman has brought some completely unexpected treats this week. First, a pin and magnet arrived from my friend, Lauren. I don't know about super powers, but I sure like having red hair. :)

And Tuesday, this hand embroidered  bag arrived from Rene', along with some enamel pins she has been custom designing (you can find them here). I had seen her posts on Instagram about this bag and could not believe it when it showed up! The support I have gotten from friends after my diagnosis has been mind blowing and humbling.

About all the energy I have lately is to sit on the couch and crochet an afghan in a very simple pattern. It's the Sweet Pea crochet-along by Attic 24, and the colors definitely bring to mind my favorite flowers (more Stylecraft dk yarn).

We are scheduled to have more rain--above our yearly average, while unusual amounts of snow are falling in other parts of the country. You gotta love Bob Ross...

We finally were able to go to one of Charlotte's basketball games yesterday.

And we got to see her play for at least four minutes, which is a lot of time in a 7th grade girls game!

I'll end with these words of wisdom.

Really Random Thursday, 2/7/19

I'm not sure where the week has gone. Other than I go to the cancer center five days a week for a radiation treatment. As of yesterday, I'm halfway through!!

Tuesday the sky was full of huge fluffy clouds. If you are from the Midwest, you are probably used to skies that look like this. We mostly see icky grey smog so these skies were a treat.

The clouds turned the prettiest pink-peach when the sun was going down. However, there was too much stuff in the way to get a good picture. And this picture does not do the beauty of the clouds justice at all.

Our neighbor down the street had snow in his front yard, obviously from someone who had been up in the mountains. It didn't last long. And you do see all the blooming flowers in the background, right?

Yesterday the Sierra mountains (which we rarely see because of poor air quality) were showing off all the snow on their peaks, but again, I couldn't get a decent picture without telephone lines and street signs all over the place. :(

I entered these five quilts into the Best of the Valley show, held in April. Fingers crossed...

Kaleidoskop

The Prayer

Friendship Circles

Big Purple Machine

Finding the Way to My Heart

If you need a chuckle, you should follow @letterfolk on Instagram. Highly recommended...

And that's it for this week.

Really Random Thursday, 1/31/19

I thought 2018 zipped by. Is 2019 going to come and go in the same way?

Last Thursday and Friday, Janice and I went to the Road2California quilt show. We had such a good time checking out all the vendors (I was amazingly restrained in my purchases, although I confess to now being obsessed with zip pouches and other items made with thick industrial wool felt). We were able to spend a few minutes with Elizabeth (not nearly enough time...).

We saw her quilts up close and personal, and they are stunning. Photographs do not do them justice!

Annularity

Northern Lights Medallion

I didn't take very many quilt pictures. This quilt by Christine Perrigo has always been one of my favorites. I have seen it at QuiltCon, and again this year at Road2CA, where it deservedly won a ribbon (isn't it nice that the ribbon color coordinates with the quilt?)

Ohio Snowball

This is an idea I would like to explore with my many scraps: Spin Cycle, by Janette Kirby.

Per usual, the men's bathrooms were turned into women's bathrooms.

Another higlight was getting a few minutes to chat with Carrie Hanson, who quilted my red and white quilt a couple of months ago.

She was demonstrating in one of the booths, and was really busy so we didn't get to spend as much time together as we had hoped.

 Carrie is also a breast cancer survivor, and she has been an incredibly supportive friend. At least we had a few minutes to chat.

All the entries from the yearly challenge by Cherrywood Fabrics were on display. Last year the theme was Prince.

This year the theme is Bob Ross. I really wanted to buy the challenge fabric bundle for Amanda Jean, who is a huge Bob Ross fan. But it's so NOT her color palette, and it was kind of pricey. So I just snapped a picture to send her.

A new addition to my sewing table, a mug with images of vintage patterns from the 1960s.

The evolution of my iPhone cases. Now I have a rather boring black case that I need to attach my extra camera lenses. I liked these quilty cases SO much more.

My dear friend, Julia, told her grandmother about my breast cancer diagnosis. I have never met her grandmother, but she took the time to crochet this afghan for me. As a maker, I love giving away things I've made. To be on the receiving end feels amazing.

Do you choose a "word" every year? I have done this sporadically. I can't even remember what my word was last year. This year I have chosen "focus."

Earlier this week, my radiation treatments began. One of the many things I never knew before is that you are tattoooed with tiny, permanent dots so that the machine delivering the radiation can be aligned precisely each and every day. It's a very "focused" procedure. I'm glad for that precision. In a broader spectrum, I want to focus on finishing some old projects and sewing/quilting for the pure joy of creating.

When I turned over my first appointment card from the Fresno Cancer Center, I was treated to this very quilty design. It confirms that I'm in the right place for my care.

A few years ago, I started meeting our son, Aaron, for lunch about once a month. One time I thought it would be interesting for each of us to answer a series of questions I came up with. I was going through some paperwork in my office (yes, I'm in the midst of Kon Marie-ing the house). I found those questions, from March 5, 2012. Here are a few of them. (A = Aaron, C = me).

Favorite color: A - blue, C - orange

An award you are particularly proud of:
A - Valedictorian at Fresno Pacific University, service award at Pacific University (note--this is where Aaron attended optometry school)
C - typing awards

What other profession would you enjoy: A - Cal Fire, C - cruise ship

If you could live somewhere else for three months, where would it be?
In the United States: A - Alaska, C - Boston

International: A - Sweden, C - Great Britian

If you could own stock in any company, what would it be? A - Apple, C - Apple, Disney

If you could be famous for something, what would it be? A - some invention, C - quilting

If you could change one thing physically, what would it be? A - taller., C - straight teeth

I'm really glad I found these. It's a fun and easy way to learn some things about people you are close to--you might get some surprises!

These two--pretty cute.

Charlotte made the 7th grade basketball team. She seems quite focused. Maybe she chose that word this year too. :)

Aaron had a little conversation with 5-year-old Ella when he was tucking her into bed the other night. I'm so glad he shared it with me. My heart might have melted just a little...

Speaking of bedtime...

And remember this book from last week?

This cartoon was in the paper this morning.Haha...

I saw this on Facebook yesterday. A record-breaking arctic blast is occurring in a lot of places. The high in Fresno was 67 degrees. So yeah. This is pretty much us here in California...