Motorcycles and Tornadoes

Let me tell you, they do not mix! A group of eight motorcycles with an SUV in the lead and a pickup towing a camper/toy hauler driving "sweep" (as in sweeping up the stragglers) left home after breakfast headed to Mt. View, Arkansas. We knew the weather, but also knew that we would not/should not be caught in the big middle of it. However, we were caught in the tail-end of it. North of New Boston, just over the Texas/Arkansas State line, we started running into sprinkles. Our fearless leader pulled over at a roadside park and we donned rain gear. "I" wanted to turn around to seek shelter. Did anyone listen to me? Nope.

The wind and rain was pretty ferocious there for several miles, but we made it to DeQueen in sunshine. My legs were dry, my left foot was not due to a leaking zipper in my motorcycle boot. (Make note: Purchase slip-on boots with no zipper next time.) My raincoat failed. I don't know why?! When we got "back into the motorcycle business," I pulled out my old raingear. The pants were too small, but the jacket fit fine. Who woulda thought that the jacket would fail? It was only 25-30 years old. ;o)

We picked up two more bikes and a pickup in Hot Springs from those who went up Thursday night.

North of Morrilton, AR, we found the tornado damage that those in vehicles heard about on their radios. Let me tell you...pictures on the news do not convey the amount of devastation. I've seen them before, and I saw them Friday night on the news. Seeing the foundation where a home once stood and the debris from the home piled against trees, brush, and a fence row as if the foundation had been cleared by a leaf blower... In that community of Center Ridge, a man and his son lost their lives. Every trailer house on the road they lived on was destroyed...they were in one of them. Two lives were lost there, but so many more could have been. I've been praying for God's grace for them all.

Oh, almost forgot, on Thursday, my mother and a couple of her friends drove to Mt. View in her Gran Caravan - not on bikes. After we checked in to our lodges/cabins at Mt. View, another couple arrived bringing our totals to 9 bikes, 2 trikes, and 25 people.

My brother (oh, our fearless leader) and I have been going with our family to Mt. View for over 40 years. We told everyone what was available in the area and groups went their own way. Some shopped, some went to the Folk Center, others toured the Cavern. We all ate! After lunch, most of us went to see where the spring comes out of the cave. I finally pulled my camera out. Once again, we parted with some going shopping and the rest of us taking a ride to see the beautiful scenery.

Our group did have one injury. One of the ladies missed the first step from the loft and fell the remaining 10-steps. She had surgery on her wrist in Batesville on Sunday. Since this is just Monday, I haven't heard anything else.

Silk Jacket

Ta-da! Remember the three brown jackets? I ate up 8+ yards of my stash trying to find just 'the' right pattern for my silk. Here it is. I wore this to Sam's 50th Texas A&M reunion - Class of '58. I received several compliments. Sam overheard one of them. When I said, "Thank you," with a big smile on my face, he said, "She made it."

We headed out from northeast Texas to College Station without the frogs. We stopped in Longview on the way so that I could buy them. I initially thought gold frogs would be what this jacket needed, but they just didn't look good at all. I didn't like the white ones either; so, decided on black. I wore a pair of ecru slacks with a white knit top. I think it will look snazzy in the winter with a pair of black slacks.

Look at this photo of a small portion of the Texas A&M Class of 1958. This is all who attended the reunion - at least those who were there for Muster on Monday, April 21, 2008. In 1958, the college enrollment was about 8,000...now it is well over 40,000. If I remember correctly, this class had around 1,500 students. Only 270 preregistered for the events with a unknown number registering during the weekend.
If you are not a Texas Aggie, you may not know what Muster is. I have attended small local Musters, but this one on campus at Reed Arena was so emotionally moving that I can not adequately describe it. The Aggies gather and "Quietly call the Muster," by calling out the name of each Aggie who died during the past year. As each name is called out, someone - friend, family, fellow student - answers, "Here." When each name of a Class of '58 member's name was called, each and every one of the men from that class answered, "Here." I sat among those men wishing I were somewhere else in the arena to hear them. As it was, from where I sat, it was such still such an emotionally moving event.

The following two links can explain it better than I can.
http://aggietraditions.tamu.edu/muster.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muster_(Texas_A&M_University

The Class of '58 raised money (over $580,000) to give to Texas A&M for a special project. I made a lap quilt and some quilted postcards which were raffled off at the Fifth Group's reunion last spring.

The Anthology is Here!

Yeah!!!! You can order your copy here:



http://www.netwo.org/



Just scroll down.



Here's what the cover looks like.

Slip sliding away

That is exactly what is happening to my time! Slip sliding away! Where has it gone? With UIL competitions at the high school, I have been working nearly every day as a substitute. With so few willing to sub, I very rarely turn the secretary down when she calls me. But it is definitely cutting into my ME time!



I did get some more work done on my crazy quilt blocks. I made spider webs using metallic thread complete with beaded spiders! This first one is one of the two original blocks I've been working on.






This is going to be the evening clutch. I've had fun with it! I love the dark colors and hope it will be "elegant."

I just realized that I never posted my blocks after the beading! Here are the beaded blocks before the spiders and webs. I added a bit of lace and buttons topped with large beads. I also added beads to the green a orange near the center.

Using metallic thread, I did a chain stitch on the fan. That stuff is hard to work with! I found out that if I used a shorter piece of metallic embroidery thread it would not fray as bad. Then I added beads within the curves.

Here's my husband, Sam and the Heritage Softail Classic his son gave him for Father's Day June 2007! We've since added a passenger seat that fits my seat better. In horse terms, it has a 14" saddle. I don't know what it is in bike terminology.



We've had a lot of fun with it!



When the weather is nice, a group of local bikers meet in the local grocery store parking lot and ride to a restaurant to eat. One of the women said that their motto should be "Ride to Eat." This is what I've come up with to advance the cause!

Long Time

I've been busy! I had to take a break from crazy quilting to make a jacket. I purchased a beautiful piece of embroidered silk to make a jacket to wear to my husband's Texas A&M 50th reunion in April. I am working on my third pattern. I dug around in my stash and found ten yards of brown fabric I purchased at Wal-Mart several years ago. I will have three jackets from the same fabric before this is over.

The first has princess seaming. Even while I was cutting the first jacket, I thought it was the wrong pattern for the fabric. The embroidery on the silk is large roses...I would really have to 'play' with the pattern to keep from having the seam run through the design.

The second is an 'unconstructed' jacket. I decided it was way too plain.

I found a third pattern that I think will work much, much better. When I get through, I'll post photos of all three...and the silk jacket too.

I still have enough of the brown fabric to make a pair of slacks. Now, isn't that a switch?! Three jackets and one pair of slacks! (Edited to add the photo and I was 1/4 yard shy of enough fabric to make a pair of matching slacks. LOL One jacket too many!)

Today, I went on a shopping trip with my sister-in-law, her daughter, and her grand-daughters. We went to Jefferson Texas antiquing/junking. The girls (hmmm...let's see, they are 6 and 8 I think) were really good and could be so hilarious! Katie purchased a Mardi Gras mask. Poor Maddie, the little one, broke a small item in one of the shops. The clerk let her pay half-price. But she was still able to buy a 'pretty.' She and her sister pooled their remaining money when they found Webkins at a buy one get one free sale.

I found a set of small crystal ashtrays. No, we do not smoke...I purchased them to use for ice teaspoon rests. I drink unsweet tea while my husband likes sweet tea. He prefers to sweeten his tea at the table. He was sugar starching and staining my placemats. In a second-hand store, I saw two really cute ashtrays with a violet design. I thought 'how cute,' and walked on by. Then, the lightbulb clicked. I picked up the two ashtrays. My mother then gave me a couple of Johann Haviland butterpats. Now, with these new 'spoon rests,' I have enough to set my table for guests.

Crazy Quilt Stitches

I'd rather be doing this on my sewing machine! However, the Crazy Quilt Challenge includes hand stitching. Lesson 3 entailed combining stitches. So, here are my attempts:

CQ Supply Storage

It's been a long two weeks. I've subbed at the high school nearly every school day. I haven't done any sewing, quilting, or crazy quilting to amount to anything. I did buy this yesterday at Fred's (a dollar store). It took all evening to assemble it. Oh, sitting on top is some recycled Australian wool. I purchased the sweater at a thrift store for $3. This is my first try and it worked pretty good. I want to go back for more!

Worked This Week

Whew! What a week! The last three days, I was in the same high school class. It was a trip...let me tell you.

First, let me back-track. We moved back "home" in March 2004. I am a home-body and am working on a quilt everytime I sit down, but since all my friends are still working, I wasn't having the contact with them that I wanted. I started subbing at our public library and also signed up to sub for the school district. I see quite a few people I know in both places. One of the fringe benefits is that one of my high school classmates now teaches at our old high school. We knew each other "back in the day," but weren't friends. We have developed a friendship. Isn't "growing up" grand?! She's teaching me to knit. This summer I will help her start making a quilt out of her deceased husband's bluejeans.

When I started subbing, my initial thought was - NOT high school...no way...no how! That changed after I had the same fourth grade class two days in a row. LITTLE ANIMALS! I decided I would try high school and if it didn't work out...I would just go home.

I enjoy high school! Believe me when I say that the kids are not like we were back when our parents told us if we got paddled at school we would get another when we got home. Back when we said, "Yes, ma'am" or "Yes, sir" and did exactly what we were told when we were told. We didn't pout and make comments about our "rights." We, ahem, also weren't so blatant about the copying and cheating that I see now.

Which brings me to what happened... the teacher left me a copy of the principal's memo about students and their internet usage. She also taped a copy of the memo to each and every computer monitor in the classroom. The students can use the internet for class work only - no personal business, e-mails, games, music, videos. One young lady told me that they couldn't do that. She had rights. I advised her that the only right a student had was the right to a decent education IF the student put in the effort. A few minutes later as I walked around the room monitoring the computer activity, this young lady's neighbor was looking at prom dresses! I told her to get off the internet. She looks up innocently, "But this is for school." I asked her which class required that she do research on the cost of prom dresses. When she tried to argue and her neighbor once again brought up the rights issue, I offered to let both of them go discuss this with the principal. The rights girl hushed and the prom girl got off the internet.

If I talked like that to any adult at school my parents would have killed me!

Starting the Stitching

I asked if points were going to be counted off for using the fancy stitches on my sewing machine. ;0) On the two "class" blocks, I will try very hard to use a few more hand stitches than machine stitches, and perhaps the evening bag will be all hand stitched. I make no such promises on the other seven blocks! When a person has invested good hard-earned money in an expensive computerized sewing machine, it just makes good sense to utilize the machine.

These first blocks are the "class" blocks. See the nice hand stitches?! NO? I can't either! On the first block, squint at the pink and you'll see a long and short blanket stitch. Then check out apricot and green blades on the fan.

I did a close up of the second block so you can see the stitches better.

The first embroidery work I did was as a teenager. Mama taught me a few stitches so I could make dresser scarves and pillowcases. It's just not my "thing." I did counted cross stitch back in the early 1980s. I did several pieces for my son's nursery. After that...that's all I wanted.

When I have a threaded needle in my hand, I want to spend time at my quilt frame.

Just a few of the machine embroidery stitches...

I sewed the corner of a cutwork napkin on this block. I also decided to "audition" my mother-in-law's cameo brooch.