Saturday, March 20, 2010

Interests, Hobbies, Fads, Obsessions...

So, I don't know what I am developing, but I am gaining great interest in a few things: quilt-making, cooking, breadmaking to name a few. These are things I enjoyed in my previous life BW (before work). In my new life PW (post-work, of course--keep up, please), I am returning to things I have always loved. I have taken the opportunity to ponder cooking and my relationship to it. For a reason I think I understand, I have always been reluctant to admit that I enjoyed--maybe even loved--preparing food. The reason, I think, is that my mother hated to cook--and she was really verbal about that, as I'm sure you all remember. Somehow it seemed as though I was not permitted to love something that my own mother hated. I realize that's wrong-thinking and maybe a little stupid, but there it is. Since living a few months PW I realize that since I have the time, I really love watching cooking shows, poring through cookbooks and www.foodnetwork.com recipes as well as others. I have chosen to do this. Bobby says between me and the food network he'll soon lose his feet--there could be worse things I guess--I could have studied famous bank robberies and formed a gang; I could have decided to do "street work"; I could have taken up interior decorating (he would have REALLY hated that, because it's a very expensive hobby). But, no, I was drawn to cooking, breadmaking and quilts. My grandmother Amy Brown made Bobby (my little brother, not my husband, of course--please keep up!) a quilt pieced of 1" squares!! I remember this quilt, and he wouldn't allow me to put it on my bed. I loved that quilt, too. Her sister (what was her name?) made a quilt top for me--hand-pieced it, too--that I quilted many years ago and it has long since worn out. I remember going to Relief Society work meetings and watching the sisters sitting at the quilt frames working. When I was really small, we played under the quilts--it was like playing in a fort--but after I got a little bigger--maybe around 10--they began to teach me how to quilt, too. I really loved that. So, I guess I have been doing this for many years. As my children were growing up, I made a few quilts, but they were utilitarian and made because we were living in the Rocky Mountains, and it was COLD. Although, I have to say, I enjoyed the process. Some of those quilts are still living, I think. So, that's what I'm doing now. Amy encouraged me to join my local quilting groups, and I did that. I have enrolled in a few groups, including the Norman Area Quilters' Guild. I am loving this. Have a great day, all. We have blowing snow outside today the first day of Spring!! I'm hibernating, making bread, preparing a supper dish for a neighbor who had surgery yesterday, and cutting out pieces for my Mystery Quilt group in two weeks. So, I'm having a good, quiet and productive day.

Monday, March 15, 2010

The PJs

Allie's PJs consist of the tops, bottoms and a headband--I think they figured that every princess needs a tiara--even while she's sleeping...

Thursday, March 11, 2010

OK That's Done!

Good to have it completed! Now I can start on the PJs for the Princess of Arizona...

Friday, March 5, 2010

Skype

We got a webcam that Bobby uses with his Echolink (Internet-based Ham Radio application) and has a lot of fun with. I have used it on my PC, too, and talked to Allie and Eric. If anyone else has a webcam available to them, you can go to skype.com and download it. I'd love to talk to AND SEE any of my family. Soon I'm going to get my own webcam to go on my monitor--it's fat at the top and Bobby's doesn't clip to it--I have to hold it or try to clip it to something at the precisely correct angle--it's very awkward. Is anybody else interested? Bob, I think we might be able to do a conference call that way.