Man vs. Deer

Paul:  {{whispering loudly from the bedroom window}} Amy! There are four bucks in the garden!

I grabbed the camera and follow him outside.  He proceeds to give me the "shooshing" hand signal.  Shortly after snapping a few pictures, he then proceeds to SHOUT:  "HEY!  Get outta there!"

I'm not sure what to giggle more at.... 

a) the fact that he needed to whisper to me while INSIDE the house... 

b) or that he was so cautious and quiet, ONLY to bellar for them to scatter....

c) OR that Shadow (our labrador retriever) slept through the whole thing (that's his house in this picture).

Happy Monday morning

Planting; American Classic quilted; Stash reports April 19-May 2

The mid-morning hours were spent planting seeds...
the whole family was involved....
Caitlyn and Cassie filling containers with dirt...

Candace checking to see if the hole was there...

Even I had my pic taken. DH thought he was being so sneaky. Hmpf--I knew he was there the whole time!

Yeah---this'd be DH

In the end, oh gosh---I don't even know how many of each we planted: tomatoes, watermelon, peppers, cucumbers, beans... Those of us who live in the cold north don't even THINK about putting plants outdoors until Memorial Weekend (end of May). In fact, last year on June 19 we had frost!!!! I remember this well because we lost LOTS of plants!!! We're ready this year though---have been saving up the milk cartons for mini-greenhouses and frost protectant once we get to the outdoor stage.

This is a cute lil' indoor greenhouse my parents bought for us two years ago; I can't remember what the occasion was. It's fun to watch the little seedlings sprout, and well.....we live in a cold climate! The only way we'd ever had veggies at a decent harvest time is to start them indoors.

On the quilting front...
I finished up Deer Camp last night, binding, hanging sleeve and label all complete. I still need to hand stitch the label and hanging sleeve down, so ALMOST done....

American Classic was just pulled off the frame and I hope to get binding made up and put on yet this evening. I also am working on the label to attach right away too. It would be nice to ship out some of these quilts that have been just sitting around. I have three ready for Quilts 4 Kids and now the American Classic for Alycia's Warrior Games or No Solider Forgotten.

Happy Sunday...
hopefully one more post to come tonight. I haven't done a stash report in two weeks!

8:45 update
Yeah---I've parked my butt and haven't done anything downstairs other than turn everything off. I'm tired and am enjoying putting my feet up.

So...here's the weekly stash report:
Stash Report: April 19 - April 25
Used this week: 1.778 yards
Purchased this week: 18 yards
Used-to-date 2010: 105.05 yards
Purchased-to-date 2010: 131.75 yards
Net used: -26.7 yards
{{uh-oh! Even MORE in the red}}

Stash Report: April 26 - May 2
Used this week: 7.264 yards
Purchased this week: 0 yards
Used-to-date 2010: 112.314 yards
Purchased-to-date 2010: 131.75 yards
Net used: -19.436 yards

Excited, confused, frustration, excited, disappointed, satisfied, frustrated, excited again

In that exact order

{{Excited}}
All day yesterday, waiting for that lovely brown UPS truck to arrive. At 5:34 p.m., it rolled into the driveway, and I couldn't contain myself. "Honey, honey, honey--go see if he needs help--I don't know how many boxes there will be; I don't know how heavy they will be--go help, okay?"


{{Confused}}
DH was back in the house in seconds, carrying ONE box---"so, is this it?" he asks.
My look was probably priceless-----
WHAT!??!!?!?!?!?!? One box?!?!?!!?!??
Me: "Are you kidding?!?!? You're kidding, right? You just left the other boxes outside, right???"
Him: "No honey, really...this is the only box....see, the slip says '1 of 1'"

{{Frustration}}
Cell phone lines AND internet were in chaos, so there was no way to try to sort things out and check online to see 'what happened.'

{{Excited--for the time being}}
The box that DID arrive was the Juki, so I started unpacking it, setting it up, reading the manual cover-to-cover...
...and tried her out. She makes a GREAT FMQ stitch!!!!!!

{{Disappointed}}
An hour later, internet was working again, so I dug a little bit to find out "what happened."
I will admit to being impulsive at times. When I logged into the sewingmachinesplus.com site (for the first time) and saw "GMQ Pro frame - drop shipment ordered"----I panicked!!!!
WHAT?!?!?! THe shipment was dropped!!??!!?!? What......now what...?!?!?!
And I emailed the company.....

{{Satisfied}}
Knowing that I had contacted the company, I didn't want the night to completely be a wash, so I sadly sat in front of the Bernina, WISHING I actually had a frame to put together, but......decided to at least finish up a few things hanging over my head...
Carolina Christmas blocks that have been leader-ender projects were moved to the main project and were completed....

tidied up the 4-patch leader-ender box that had been collecting over the past year or so (130 of them)...

And whipped together (yes, WHIPPPED) together another Quilts 4 Kids (disappearing Nine-patch). I wanted a small project as the first project to be accomplished on the quilting frame. I figured having one to donate at the same time was a great use of fabric ;0)
A close up of the orange fabric----I emptied the bolt from the shop back in January; I just LOVE it.
SO---quilt name????? "Leapin' Lizards" "Chameleon Colors" ???? What do you have in mind?

{{frustrated}}


I

HATE

DEER!!!!!!!!

Remember back in December??? (hubby hitting deer).....
**sigh**
We seriously have only had the car back for a couple of months--------the insurance company is going to wonder if we have a salt-lick mounted on our grill!!!!

Thankfully, DH was home today and was able to call insurance and get that ball rolling again. Gosh---I wonder if alligators cause the same damage??? Angela, maybe we'll move to Florida!!!

{{Excited again}}
The day ended on a some-what positive note.
I heard back from Sewingmachinesplus.com...

Dear Amy,

No worries girl! The GMQ Pro, Quilt Cad and Grace Speed Control all come from the manufacturer to you. These are referred to as ‘Drop Shipped’, and I think that is your confusion. We should receive tracking information in the next day or so, and you will expect the items delivered right to you!

So, whew!!!!! It's SOMEWHERE, I just don't know where nor know when it'll be delivered :0(
So, I am NOT-so-patiently awaiting the delivery of the frame...

**sigh**

At least tomorrow is Friday...

It's almost here...

C'mas vacation, that is.

Some of you fellow teachers around the nation have already started rubbin' it in that you're on break----we have school through Wednesday yet.

I have only been putzing with some sewing a couple of hours here, a couple of hours there. I have really missed the obsession of needing to sew nearly 24/7...but soon! Soon! The time will return!

Two main quilt tops I've been working on simultaneously, toggling between each of them, acting as leaders-n-enders to each other.....
Lucidity...

and Chunky Churndash (for my parents).
Chunky Churndash is going to have to take the front burner now, since it will be a C'mas gift to my parents; but thankfully we won't be celebrating with them for another couple of weeks. Therefore, I'll have all of break to work on it. (NOT that I'm going to----take all break, that is).

Actually, I have some ambitious goals set over my vacation...
1) Finish Chunky Churndash
2) Finish Lucidity
3) Finish Christmas Lights (it's been in "wait-mode" for a couple of months; all sandwiched and basted already, so once I really get motivated on it, it shouldn't take much more than a day...)
4) Start crackin' away on Bonnie's Carolina Christmas mystery. I needed a new leader-n-ender today as I neared the end of sewing Chunky Churndash rows, so I start strip sewing Step 1... (see below)

Christmas Lights awaiting quilting...

The start of Carolina Christmas... Colors chosen are greens, purples, white and black. I have yet to miss one of Bonnie's mysteries, so... time (SOON!) to start cracking away at it.


Christmas is right around the corner---holy buckets! Where has this year gone? The girls went to the library last Monday for the annual reading of "T'was the Night Before Christmas" by Santa.

Snow finally hit last week, too, so it actually feels like Christmas now.

Cass had her Winter Program Tuesday evening. DH drove on the way home and picked a fight with a big doe. Sadly, no one really won the fight; the car is sitting dead in the driveway (still), and the deer didn't fare too well either. However, we all walked away without a single scratch. We're still waiting to hear from the insurance company to see what the game-plan will be... until then, I've been bumming rides with DH and coworkers.

Finally, has your family turned into a "tech family?" Pictured: Cassie playing on her DS, Candace playing on the ipod touch, Me on the laptop, and Caitlyn on the other laptop. DH couldn't resist taking the pic when he saw this; it's not QUITE the norm, but pretty close....
(anyone recognize the book on the floor????) ;0)

Happy Sunday!