Halloween Parade

When I saw the American flag approaching in the parade, my first thoughts were that the parade was going to be a little more upscale this year. As you can see from the guy in white, I had been too quick with my assumptions. Anyway, Mark and I stood in the drizzle at Highland Avenue & Bardstown Road and enjoyed the parade, and it did seem to have more businesses involved this year. There was a good crowd- nothing to compete with the Zombie invasion, however. I love Bardstown Road. It's so...well, Bardstown Roadish. Sort of got that Derby feel all the time, but sometimes with a touch of zombie or Halloween or Christmas or Irish or whatever.

This afternoon we're going to the Halloween Party at the Zoo with Erin and Jill, Mark and Kim, so there's a chance we'll have pictures to post.

Quilt Progression

These are two pictures of six flower blocks that I have pieced together so far, and I may get the other six pieced onto it this weekend. Maybe...it's a slow process. The blocks are pieced together with nine different red fabrics cut on the diagonal, and a green fabric block that was used in the stems. So far, so good. And then I'll start appliqueing the flowers for the border. I'm beginning to think I'll live to see this quilt completed, and hopefully a few more. Each of these blocks is fourteen and a half by fourteen and a half. So plus the sashing and the border, it will be about 79 inches or so by 79 inches or so.

SATURDAY'S SLEEPOVER

Saturday night we had a sleepover. Erin took the picture of Jill sitting on the steps with the animals - good picture taking. And there is one each of them in their pj's, having a snack while watching a movie, and the last of Erin while they'd been playing in the basement. I was going to sleep downstair with them, and Bobby upstairs, but Jill requested Grampy stay in the room with them. He hated that, you can just imagine. And Sunday morning they witnessed me stomping a cricket to death. Erin asked what I was doing and I told her I was killing the cricket. She wanted to know, 'Why?' At their house insects get delivered safely to the outside. Not here, boy. I either stomp them or drown them in Raid. And I wasn't turning my back on that cricket while I went upstairs to find the Raid. Hopefully they've forgotten that little incident and I've not scarred them for life.

Another cute little story (I think???) Jill was working a puzzle on the floor; Erin was riding a little riding toy and wanted Jill to move the puzzle out of her way. Jill wouldn't move it. So here's the story I got from Erin. She came into the bathroom while I was brushing my teeth.

"Mimi...I asked Jill to move her puzzle out of the way for me. I was pretending my foot was broken and I needed to get through on my car and Jill wouldn't cooperate and I had to move her puzzle forcefully." So Erin and I had a little talk about moving Jill's things forcefully, and then I checked on Jill to see how she handled having her puzzle "forcefully" moved out of the way.

Anyway, as usual, they were lots of fun.

On another matter, I've joined a sit and sew group with four other ladies, taking turns going to each others' houses once a month and working on our quilts and it's really fun seeing the quilts other people are working on, and the ones they've made over the years. October is the third month for this group and they come here on the 30th. It's really enjoyable and I've already picked up some sewing and quilting tips.

Block Twelve

As you can see, I've also been working on another quilt, the one Erin and Jill helped combine the little colored dresses on. I've sewn the sleeves and bloomers on, but the dresses are still partly pinned. After I sew the dresses, I have to add the faces, cheeks, button eyes, hair ribbon, though they have no hair. Then the borders, and actually do the quilting. And on the applique quilt I'm ready to applique the border. While BBB has been stuck in his man cave, I've been quilting away. It's so dark in his man cave. Very depressing. Upstairs you can tell when the sun's out, or hear the rain. The windows are open with the breeze blowing in...brrrrr.... Oh well, to each his own.

Ike Anniversary

A year from tomorrow, the 14th, is when the remnants of hurricane ike went roaring through and we were without power for 8 1/2 days. I sure hope we don't have a repeat of that little event. I do wonder where that crazy woman is that Kim and I spoke to in Tyler Park, the one who thought we'd had a tornado and didn't know there had been damage throughout the city, state and across the country. I guess she's living contentedly in her little cave somewhere.

On another subject, Bobby and I bought out the city at yard sales yesterday. It's like Bobby said, sometimes we can go to 20 sales and not find a thing that interests us. Then yesterday, one sale after another had finds that we just couldn't let go. It was lots of fun. Lots of bargains. Then in the afternoon Mark, Kim, Erin and Jill came over. It's harder to find a time to have Erin and Jill over now that they have their school schedule and we miss having them over as often as we used to. Jill was her usual little chatter box self. They both seem to really enjoy playing the old maid card game. And I'd love for you to hear Kim tell about Erin yesterday at the Personal Opinion toy study she went to. Have you heard of Personal Opinion? They needed 5 and 6 year old girls for input about a toy, and would get to keep the toy plus $15.00. It would take an hour. Kim, of course, got to stay with her. Personal Opinion is a reputable group; I've answered their surveys and gone to their groups before, and Bobby did one a few weeks ago. But as it turned out Erin had to watch commercials, and apparently when asked about them, decided to become a little mute. It was so funny hearing Kim tell about it. She said Erin probably skewed their results big time. Funny, funny, funny. It's funny because Erin could probably repeat back verbatim every commercial she saw. But she still got her Polly Pockets toy and her $15.00. Good deal.

Erin and Jill helped me put together some dresses for a quilt I''m making. Now I can start sewing these dresses and then sew the dresses onto the quilt blocks.

Merry Ike Anniversary, Everybody.

Julie Queen of Golf

I tell you...that sister of mine. On Friday, she got another hole in one. Congratulations, Julie. She used to be the Golf Goddess, but I hear her friends are now crowning her the Queen of Golf. She now has holes in one on nos. 6 and 8 on the course. You know, Brother Ben aspires to be king of the universe (god help us all). I'll have to let him know Julie already has two titles, goddess and queen. Now I'm pulling for her to beat the guys in the fantasy football league. Go, Sis.

Painted Bathroom

Ta da....I've now painted that pesky bathroom. The two photos with white wall are before, and the lovely green shade is after. Mark's blog about having only two months to make his Halloween costume inspired me. I realized it would be time to decorate for Christmas before I knew it and that I wouldn't allow myself to put a Christmas decoration in the bathroom before it was painted. Of course, painting called for new towels, new shower curtain, new towel bars, and digging out different curtains from a trunk upstairs. I feel a sense of accomplishment. Maybe because I procrastinated for eight months.