Another HOT day today – 32 deg C and not a cloud in the sky…..there was a slight breeze, so that helped when you were outside.

Michael is here for little while before going off to heaven only knows ……he helped clean off the driveway – found out its wider than we thought!!  He did the sidewalk that goes thru the backyard to the back alley…..lots of damaged areas so we will have to decide whether we want to pull them up (they could be very thick as they are the poured ones) or?????

I finished the valance in my studio – I measured the valance holder and it was just an inch wider than some 4.5 inch blocks that I had sitting in a tote waiting for something to happen to them……and they happened to be all in the blue range so that worked out OK.  I pieced 12 of them together with an inch sashing between them and then cut a 6 inch strip to go around the back….about half an inch shows at the top and bottom of the blocks.  Fits perfectly onto the valance!!  I like it.  Now, to do something with the white sheers that happened to be in the closet…..don’t know whether I want white or wait to buy something else.  There are some blinds on the windows now so I may just leave that for awhile – you know, live with it for awhile and see if something comes to me.

I found a few little projects for Christmas gifts that just needed an hour or two to finish them up……haven’t a clue why I stopped when I did but they are done now!  I will have to set one of the totes that I unpacked aside for Christmas gifts and start adding to it.

I finished my Pink, Black & White challenge quilt – Will have to see about scanning it.  I like the finished look now.  I lived with it on the design wall for awhile before finally sewing the cording on the edge…..walking by it for a few days helped.

I have pulled out some fabrics to start on the idea I have for the Myths & Legends challenge quilt that is due August 31st.  I am doing it on “Sedna” – an Inuit legend and have fussed & fussed with different fabrics to look like the Northern Lights.  This will be my first ever attempt at doing a human form & I’m scared to death!!  Sedna will be only part human so I think that helps some…..and I LOVE the idea that she will have long straight black hair.

Still haven’t found the UFOs that I want to finish for others….will keep going thru the boxes one at a time.

Found a box of books – ones that I had bought ages ago and still hadn’t read…..pulled out a Maya Angelou one “Even the Stars Look Lonesome” and “The Sacred Hoop” by Paula Gunn Allen (which is about Recovering the feminine in American Indian Traditions).  Good bedtime reading!!

11 more sleeps until we move…..WAHOO!!!

It was pretty cool last nite here – tho I don’t think we got frost but other places in the province did. Summer is supposed to here!

I don’t mind the cooler temps. and look forward to the heat of the summer once we move into our air conditioned house.

Well, we seem to have stopped the skunk visits – just by closing the gate at the front of the yard. Good thing as it was not a pretty smell to wake up to at 4 am! Even DH smelt it so it was bad…..

Worked on some birthday cards for the rest of the month and early July. Even quilted one – a little landscape and I totally forgot to scan it before putting it in the envelope. Oh well, I hope she likes it.

Heard from the ladies from the retreat list – they all seemed to have a great time. They had perfect weather – not too hot and not too cool for the US ladies. I thought of them all, but am glad I decided not to go this year as I probably would have ended up in the hospital.

I visited the Doctor last week as I felt my left kidney was acting up yet again and after the tests – YES. So, back onto penicillin for 10 days and I needed to go back on Monday of this week as my Doctor wasn’t available last week – she had gotten the test results from the specialist and I needed to talk to her about what to do next. Well, this Monday – I told her that I still felt the twitching in my left kidney, even with the week of penicillin….so she decided to give it the one/two punch and I am on 14 days of Cipro again. Yesterday, the twitching in my left kidney finally stopped so I am hoping its the trick!

I have to go back on the morning of the move and see if its all gone. She’s talking about maybe having to be on a low dosage of cipro for awhile – until my kidney repairs itself. We will see!

I WANT TO START FEELING BETTER and WITHOUT DRUGS!!!

I’ve been doing alot of sleeping with these two drugs….which I guess is a good thing and I don’t have any rush to finish anything.

Today, I am thinking of pulling out my thread bits and fabric scraps to make some fabric beads…..found my little bag of ones already done and the straws which is the base to wrap the fabric around.

I haven’t worked on my Pink Challenge for a few days – been waiting for it to talk to me about what it needs. Maybe today something will happen.

I drew out the template for cutting the hole in the solid door for my sewing machine. I am so looking forward to being able to sew without shoulder and neck aches!

While everyone is away enjoying themselves (& getting NO sleep) at the Western Retreat…..I am trying to finish up my Pink Challenge Art Quilt.

I have taken apart, added stuff and am re-quilting it now. Still have to put beads, etc. back on it and tidy up on one area…..but I think its going to be OK. I will be very happy to have it finished and posted on the Quilt Art website as part of the challenge. My first official “Art Quilt”!!

Biff (DH) was telling someone that all the packing we have left is our daily stuff so less than 24 hours then it will be done. I actually think it would take me less than that…..but won’t worry about it now until Sunday July 4th. Just over 2 weeks to go now…..the days seem to be plugging along.

Received my Bag of stuff in the “Bag Challenge” on Quilt Art list……I think I already have an idea for it, something that I had sketch last fall and everything in the bag is perfect for it. The person who filled the bag added some pretty slinky fabrics, so will have to find my stabilizers for those. Most of the fabrics are co-ordinated which works for my design and I will only add one more fabric I think…..it is sure going to be interesting to see what people come up with all 130 bags that were exchanged. I didn’t try to co-ordinate the fabrics in mine…. I just took the ziploc and started stuffing it.

In my sorting in the past few days, I’ve come across a shoebox full of goodies…..so will do a contest on the Retreat list for the ones who stayed home. Then, I can mail it off before we move.

Woke up this morning thinking it was Sunday……somehow I lost a day in my sleep. I didn’t have a nap yesterday and slept very sound, so am thinking that’s the reason.

Talked to Michael (DS) yesterday, from northern BC…. they are off for a couple of days before heading into bush camp where they’ll be staying for awhile. Sounds like he’s still enjoying it – tho its been HOT the last week and they’ve been working from 3 am to 1pm as its just too HOT after that…..and besides its daylight there at 2:30 am.

Reminds me of being up in Taloyoak (Nunavut) – it would be 24 hours of daylight right now and I found that harder to deal with than the dark hours of winter.

Talked to Carrie (DD) also yesterday. She’s been reading “Eating for your Blood Type” book lately. We will have to start eating that way and see if it helps our sinus problems, etc. I’ve really noticed the difference in how I feel the day after eating pork and potatoes for supper. She’s getting back into beading again. Mummmmmm – wonder how her bead collection looks. Will have to ask her to bring it when she comes for a visit and she can raid mine – tho it’s probably not as exciting as its mostly recycled.

We’ve enjoyed watching the CFL (Cdn. Football) games this week – opening week!! So, only a week & half since hockey was over.