Today I Will Sew

Yes, I will.  *nods confidently*  Once I get home from my annual check-up (are you due for yours? this is not something to neglect, ladies & gents), I'll be going down into my "studio" (aka the basement) to sew up the October quilt blocks for the block of the month class I've been taking all year.  Even if I have to take my laptop down there so I can watch the instructional video over and over, I will get them done so I'm all ready when November rolls around and it's time to join all the blocks into a quilt top, cut backing fabric and batting, and sandwich them together so that basting (ugh, basting) can take place.  I'm excited at the idea of having a quilt that I've made.  I hope I like making the rest of it as much as I've enjoyed making (some of) the blocks.

Today's Photo a Day theme is "something you wrote."  I have written a lot of somethings... see?  That's a bookcase my Grandpa Stephan made for Mom before I was born; the middle shelf is full of my writing books, the pile on the upper right is stories and poems that need work, and the row of binders and expanded files on the bottom shelf are the novel manuscripts.  What did I tell you?  Lots of somethings.  The next photo is of the novel manuscript I'm working to make it ready for publication.  That's something.  And the last photo is what I wrote last night.  That's something too.  I can't decide; take your pick.

I had a grand total of zero customers at work yesterday.  Zip.  Not even lookie-loos, only a little, happy family thinking we sold aquarium fish.  (sorry, dude)  Mr. Boss came in to pick up some parts that'd come in and get ideas about places other than Earl's Canvas to find a nickle plated, not brass, grommet to repair Ev's BCD (buoyancy control device).  I sent him off to an upholsterer (no luck) and then I checked the Yellow Pages (gasp! what a radical idea!) to find that there're two other listings under "Canvas" in the YP, plus there's always boat canvas places.  He said he'll check them out today.  *head slap*  Am I the only one left who uses the actual paper book?  Tell me why he didn't check online.  He's tech smart, not so creative smart, I guess.  It's a long boring eight hours without customers.  I knitted on an afghan block while listening to an audiobook and I surfed the web.  And nibbled.  No customers is bad for my waistline.

(aw, man, I need to get ready for my doc's appointment. I'll be back later.)

I'm back, poked and prodded and gooped and stuck, with a preliminary passing grade that I'll make it another year.  I've got an Rx for the shingles vaccine, since they don't carry it at my little clinic, which is the last independent clinic in the city of Green Bay.  !!!!!  All that's left is that one vaccine (that I want to look up the side effects of before zooming off to get it) and my mammo next week.  Then I'm good for the year.  *dusts hands off*  You're taking care of yourselves too, right?  I don't want to lose any of you.

October 16--Rufus Hathaway, Lady with Her Pets.  I never liked her.  She sat there staring at me, judging me, as far back as I can remember.  I know she insisted on wearing those feathers in her hair.  Hair which looks like a bad wig.  When I was really small I thought she was a man in a dress.  She looked like some of the paintings of George Washington I've seen in books.  Not friendly, that's for sure.  I've always liked her birds, neither of them are in a case, and I wonder why her black cat there behind her isn't stalking them.  She is not an appetizing sight to have to look at while I'm eating.  Maybe Gram will hang a different painting over the mantle.

Well, I'm off to sew those quilt blocks.  You all have a grand day.  I hope the sun's shining where you are.
--Barbara Sue