The Benefits of Dental Surgery

I know what you're thinking. How could there possibly any benefits to having oral surgery, besides fixing the problem that requires surgery in the first place, right? Well, since I have to have just such a surgery next month, I have been thinking long and hard on it. Here is what I can come up with:

1. A 1 week liquid diet isn't so bad. I can't help but lose a few pounds, and what can be more fun than doing it while ingesting nothing but iced mochas?

2. One surgery equals no less than 3 trips to the surgeon. One for the actual surgery, and 2 follow ups. That equals 3 trips to Lewiston with no kids in the car, because not even I am crazy enough the take my kids to the periodontist. What's so big about 3 trips with no kids? Well, that means 6 blissful hours in the car without 2 movies players going simultaneously, without stopping at McDonalds, without having the child lock the windows, without the risk of a Spiderman Sandal hitting me in the back of the head, without the chaos of continual fighting, and without potty breaks. I might even make it home without any new messes in the car, such as the pb&j smeared into the back seat right now, or the smiley face on the window that only appears when it's foggy. I can even dare to drive all the way without the window lock on! Oh the thrill! What more can a mother ask for?

3. Surgery gives me a pity card to play with potential baby sitters. That should be good for at least a couple weeks or more!

So, that's all I can think of for now. At least there's some silver lining in an otherwise unpleasent experience, sort of.

Who Needs the Pattern Anyways?

Well, apparantly I do. I finished all of the flying geese for the Portugal quilt, so proud of myself for using a short cut method of making flying geese, only to discover that they are all the wrong size. Yep, that's right, every last one of them is 2 3/4" x 5", instead of 2.5" x 4.5".

How did that happen, you ask? Wouldn't I like to know the same thing. It might have something to do with the circumstances surrounding the last few weeks, including a broken sewing machine (since repaired) and about 10 trips back and forth between my house and the store with all the pieces stuffed in a bag, or thrown across the passenger seat of my car.

So, I'm going to spend the afternoon attempting to make a respectable quilt from the mess I've currently got going. Wish me luck!

Happy Monday........or not.

Hopefully you're having a happier Monday than I am. I spent the morning getting a wisdom tooth pulled, so I thought I would post before the numbing meds wear off and I have to resort to the happy pills.
First, I feel the need to brag, because yesterday I figured out how to stay up on the wake board for longer than 5 seconds. Current record: About 1 minute. Now I need to practice turning left, since I keep getting stuck on the right and can't get back.
This past weekend was the Crazy 8 Poker Shop Hop, which went well. This coming week is the online "back-to-school" sale for quiltshops.com. A lot of things in my store have been marked down for the sale, which is online only.
We hope to start hanging Sheetrock sometime this coming week, but nothing's for sure. Sept. 1st is coming up fast, which marks the day we get to start fixing up the church building that will soon house my quilt shop. We will be making a lot of cosmetic changes to the interior, hopefully moving quickly enough to be moved in by the end of September. My Mom came up with this new slogan for the shop: "We're Moving to a Better Place!"
Today I'm working on quilting a gi-mongous (translation: super huge 110x120) quilt. I hope to complete it, but it won't be easy! Also this week I will be:

Cleaning out the inside of the boat for next weekend, removing all pine needles, Doritos crumbs, and sand.
Attempting to set a new quilting record for number of quilts quilted so I can finish some of my own for the upcoming Labor Day quilt show in St. Maries.
Hoping, praying, and begging God not to give me dry socket again.
Thanking God for Hydro-Codone.
Making a run to Home Depot before my 10% coupon expires.
Mowing our yard, pending the sighting of any more snakes.
Trying to finish school shopping, without a certain whining 6-year-old in tow.

Happy Monday to everyone! Here's to a productive week.

How to Clean an Air Filter

Last night I finally remembered that I'd been meaning to check my car's air filter. My car has a reusable filter. Here's how it went:

Me: (in the garage, opening the hood, removing the clasps that enclose the air filter, reading the LARGE, EASILY SEEN sticker on top of the enclosure that clearly explains how to clean the filter.)

Monte: (previously minding his own business at an unknown location, suddenly appears over my shoulder) "What are you doing??"

Me: "Checking the air filter."

Monte: "I told you, I just cleaned it when you went to Portland."

Me: (Thinking that Portland was almost 6 months ago) "Yeah, but I'm getting bad gas mileage."

Monte: (annoyed) "Mindi, I just changed it! You're going to need a nut driver to get that......" (As I remove the cover, easily, WITHOUT a nut driver, and remove a VERY filthy, black filter.)

Monte: "Oh......., that is dirty......"

Me: "Where's the cleaner?"

Monte: "What? You don't need cleaner, just use soap and water."

Me: "It says right here (on the EASILY SEEN sticker) to use K&N cleaner."

Monte: "Just use dish soap and water."

Me: (annoyed) "It says to only use filter cleaner, right here, see???"

Monte: (walks over to the shelf, removes a box) "Soap and water works the same, then you have to re-oil.....Oh, here's some cleaner right here."

Me: "See?"

Monte: (Exits garage, finally leaving me to clean my filter in peace)

Moda University Civil War Quilt

I've been number crunching all morning, trying to figure out how to make the new Moda University project as affordable as possible. Here's what I'm coming up with so far:

Monthly cost for 12 months will be $10.00/month.

This will include patterns and fabrics for that month's featured block, an alternate nine-patch block each month, and setting triangles and borders to finish the quilt to 76x89. Month 12 will include finishing instructions.

I would suggest purchasing binding and backing at the beginning of the year, you make sure the yardage is still available. Also, this quilt would look great with another border, so if you would like yours larger you should plan ahead for that as well.

I would love to have as many people as possible making this quilt. It's a great opportunity to incorporate something a little different that most projects today into your quilting repertoires! History lessons, reproduction fabrics, and a variety of skills to practice your piecing.

For each completed Moda-U quilt, you will receive an entry into a drawing. One Moda U member will win Barbara Brackman's newest book, Making History: Quilts and Fabrics from 1890-1970!

This program starts at September's meeting. I will asking for everyone to sign up prior to September 15th in order to allow time to prepare kits to be handed out at the September meeting.

Weekly Update & What I Learned at the Beach

Here it is, the post you've all been waiting for, the one where I resort to giving a report of all the boring things I've been up to lately, because I can't think of anything exciting to write about. Here goes, pop a "No-Doz" and read on!

I recently finished installing the zipper into my Cabo Halter, only to realize that despite measuring before choosing my (supposed) size from the pattern, it doesn't fit! The experience was so demoralizing that I have yet to finish hemming the shirt. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure if I give it to my sister, me being the loving, caring, generous person that I am, even if I do hate her a little for being skinnier, it will fit her. The worst part is that it's super cute, because I used this Kaffe Fassett fabric. By the time I manage to find motivation to make another, slightly larger, halter, Summer will likely be over.

This coming weekend is the Crazy 8 Poker Shop Hop. It promises to be seriously confusing, since I don't play poker. Hopefully quilters are having more luck getting motivated for this hop than I am!

My Bernina is back in new condition again after a trip to the Bernina doctor. I didn't even get a lecture about proper machine care! Now if I could only find my 1/4" foot, I might actually get something made! (besides one slightly too small shirt)

The kids and I made another trip to the beach yesterday, which was crowded since the temperature hovered around the 100 degree mark. Here is a recap of our beach experience:

Those really annoying kids who keep throwing sand on your things and splashing you? Sometimes they're mine.

Creepy old man at the picnic table, there is no possible way you have a good explanation for using those binoculars at the beach.

Why is the one person smoking on the beach always upwind?

Some people just aren't smart enough to figure out a crowded beach IS NOT a prime fishing locale.

A monokini, while helpful for camouflaging some body flaws, is NOT meant to transform 100 extra pounds. (My eyes, ahhhhhhhh, my eyes!)

Smooching teens is one thing, but if you're 40ish years old surely you can find a better place to make out than the beach full of young children. If you don't own a house, don't you at least have a car?

I mentioned in an earlier post that the beach is free, but maybe now I know why?

Deary Day Highlights

This past Saturday was Deary's Community Day, and being the unimaginative business owner that I am, I didn't prepare a parade float. Our friends that just took over the local saw shop did, however, and it featured a group of kids, including my own. That bug eyed creature in the middle? That would be my son. It seems that for the promise of his very own Stihl chain saw, complete with sound effects, he will do (or wear) anything!
Later that afternoon, the town held a "burn off" contest, right up the highway through town, of course right in front of the bar. It was a classic hillbilly, small town scene, with everything from show cars to mini-vans squealing their tires up the street. I must admit, I totally don't get it. As an observer, once you've seen one you've seen them all, and who wants to breath exhaust fumes and burning rubber that long anyways? As a driver, who wants to use up half the life or more of your tires in a few minutes. Have you seen the price of tires lately? I almost never like "silly" things, and this looks like the very definition of "silly" to me. I know, I'm a spoil sport and a party pooper, but nothing about this looks fun to me.

Will asked me,"Mom, what are they doing?"

"They're spinning their tires," I replied.

"Can we go home, now?" was his response to that, and I have to say, I think a tear of pride rolled down my cheek as we headed home.