5 Things You Don't Know about this Quilter...

I'm thinking there are many things you could conclude from a diligent search of my posts, both here, and abroad on the wide wide wolrd of the internet, but today's request to post 5 "unknown" things abouto myself has prompted some soul searching. Here they are!:

1. Not totally hidden, but currently my day to day life work has been entirely taken up dealing with my Mom's care in a nursing home - she has Alzheimers, and is in "stage 5"... meaning, she sometimes knows me, and sometimes doesn't! She's mobile, but barely, and still is verbal... but her communication is often garbled. The challenge: enjoy her existence without judging, sadness, or fear... helping her to enjoy her own existence and feel as good as possible TODAY and in THIS MOMENT... She now lives in HER WORLD and the key is to try to enjoy that. Life continues.

2. Along with this, is helping my Dad to deal with this tragic circumstance, (he is five years older than Mom and NEVER expected this type of situation) and enjoy a newfound relationship with him.  I always felt closer to my Dad than my mom,we have a creative bent in common, and I hate to see him give up his life to try (in vain) to be a caregiver to her...

3. I have an exceptional addiction to speed, and a Red Miata which feeds my addiction. Up next:perhaps time to try my hand (foot?) at some amateur SCCA racing.... they PROMISED me a Jet Car... I wanted to learn to fly - but I'm stuck on the ground!

4. Today's visit to the "Common Threads" Quilt Shop in Waxahachie, Texas was one of the best "eye Candy" shopping experiences in many, many months... I HIGHLY recommend!

5. This really isn't so unknown, but, I can think of almost NO quilting projct that could possibly more rewarding than making a baby quilt for your local quilting charity... I try VERY hard to make a baby sized quilt EVERY month for the charity efforts of my home quilting guild: Austin Area Quilt Guild.Lately, I've been making "strip" quilts of my very vintage and NOT modern Kona colors!

6. (Who cares if I go one more it's MY BLOG!)... I really love the creative ethos of the "Modern Quilt Guild"... though I.  also really resist the urge to be cynical... after all, what could possibly be MORE modern than any quilt I made in 1969!?? Bring back Feminism I say.. and let's make it STICK this time. It's way past time for a Woman in the Oval Office!

7. I LOVE vintage sewing machines, and have been collecting, restoring, using and trading them for about 15+ years now. My favorite: the Model 15 Singers. Most often used: a pristing Singer Featherweight that is a joy to take to a workshop. And, my best find: my husband paid $5.00 for a Singer model 31-15, the "Tailors" machine - a professional 40 pound monster that eats through ANYTHING and is a joy to use for free motion work of any kind! It really needed a paint job, so now it is RED (of course) to match my car!