Sewing the Dog Days Away...

I thought I'd write eloquently about the difficulty of getting through those last hot days of the summer..but someone else has beaten me to it quite well. Almost no one (IMHO) writes of American life these days as well as Garrison Keillor. heres a GREAT Link for you: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2010/08/12.shtml

I love that beginning - "the heat rising up like a wild creature"... it does almost seem alive, and it certainly gets your attention. Causes me to step faster getting through a hot parking lot to the workplace. Makes me turn on the fan in the sewing room - even though I'm in the relative cool of the air conditioning. Don't know what's worse, trying to stay cool enough, but not so cool as to feel the angst generated by worry about that every higher electric bill that comes at the end of August!

Unlike Garrison's thunderstorms in Minnesota, we are past the unusually wet and somewhat milder weather we enjoyed in June and early July and are into the throws of  the great Texas summer "bake off". Unrelenting sun and heat - 100 degrees or highter with no relief in sight. An afternoon shower is now pretty rare - generally the result of some tropical activity at the Gulf shore that really never quite get's to us. And any rain just magnifies the oppression with stifling humidity. Thought processes slow. Cooking no longer has any appeal. Clothing is indeed pretty optional... the less the better!

Like Garrison, we await with impatience that first hint that a break in the heat will arrive... At least we do have the benefit of air conditioning!
I really have machines to work on, and a quilt to finish up in time for the Austin Show... but staying on target is just so difficult. I've cut back on my hours at work by stepping out of the Manager position to try to refocus on my quilting and vintage machine work... but focus seems illusive at this time of year.

I think just getting in front of the machine and doing ANYTHING is a creative and productive strategy that I'll try to stick with.

On a lighter and more quilty note... I am still continuing my first time ever membership in a Block of the Month activity... Gyleen Fitzgerald's "Canal Street Tiles" group project. I finished blocks three and four this week:

I think they came out nicely, and will continue with these, although 5 and 6 won't get tackled until my Show quilt is finished... I have one month to finish it up! Come on cool weather!

- Karen