Dan's Ramblings

Dan here ~

Thursday evening. The weather has been a bit chilly the last few nights. I haven’t done much outside lately~too cold, too lazy. 

I have been doing more clean up in the quilting loft and making, what I call “building materials”. These are the 4-patches I make in various sizes, half square triangles and currently various versions of 6” finished blocks using them. Then once I have decided on a design for a top I just paw through the pile for the colors and combinations needed and get started.

Two nights ago I decided on the layout for top #4 for 2024. A quick count showed I needed a few more of a the two style of blocks I had chosen to use. Very quickly, I was making whatever else was needed to create the larger block I was planning to use. The next night I was on to the sashing strips etc. Hopefully, by tomorrow night the top will be complete. Then the process will begin again. The whole process happens much quicker when I have the building materials on hand.

Blah

Carol here ~ 

I had a rough week last week, felt crappy most of the week.  Dan drove me to my oncology appointment Wednesday where they swabbed me to test for the viruses. Didn't think I had any of them but they figured I was there so they might as well test.  All were negative.

Don't know what what going on but started to feel better on Thursday.  Managed to get started on the quilting on 2023-36 finishing it up on Friday.

2023-36

Dan's Ramblings

Dan here ~

Monday evening. Carol experienced a very nice sunrise this morning. 

I very seldom see them. I do enjoy sunsets. Here is Sunday’s evenings sunset. 

I do not get up very early in the morning as it is technically morning when I go to bed. Most nights the only reason I go to bed when I do, is because I like to be finished with breakfast by 10:00. Most mornings I almost make it. I am a believer that if you eat a big enough breakfast, late enough, there is no need to eat again until supper. Maybe why I need to put rocks in my pockets to hold me down when the wind is blowing. 

What I've Been Doing

Carol here ~ 

BRRR!  We're finally getting January weather.  That's OK, would rather have the cold than the mess we had last week.

I'm getting to be a wimpy winter driver, I had Dan drive me to my oncology appointment in Topsham last week.  It was the day after all the rain/flooding and I was a bit leery on how the roads would be.  They were fine, I could have handled it on my own.

I have been getting my walks in most days.  See that red button on my jacket?

That means my heated jacket is on HIGH.  Best invention ever!

Dan's Ramblings

Dan here on the MLK holiday ~

Today is nice and clear but what a roller coaster the weather has been this year. 

We were lucky not to have received the brunt of the force of Mother Nature during the last two storms. The forecast was for six or more inches of snow before turning to rain during both events. On the first storm we did get about 6” and I went out at 1:00 AM to blow driveway. When I got up later the rain had made a nasty mess. Very heavy snow to clean up. 

On the second we received almost no snow, mostly rain. This was even harder to clean up. That’s ok, everything is froze solid now, well except maybe the pond. I really have no real idea if the pond is frozen or not and have no real desire to find out. The water level is higher now than it has been after ice out the last few years. I guess spring could be interesting here on the pond.

Dan's Ramblings

Dan here ~

I’m still around. I survived yesterday's (Sunday) snowstorm, it was a nice gentle light snow. It was the first time clearing the whole driveway all the way up to the mailbox. I estimate the distance to be about 300 yards. Would hate to have to shovel it.

The rest of the tree that fell across the driveway is gone as well as a couple from a neighbor’s place up the road. All have been split and stacked. I finished the square stack that I started when I began cleaning up the storms bounty and obtained a good start on another round stack. I prefer the round stacks, I only stack the outer circle and the inside is just tossed in as tightly as I can without really working at it. I think they look much more dignified.

A Quilt-y Weekend

Carol here ~

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

We spent most of the weekend in the quilting studio.

Dan ended up with a total of 45 quilts pieced in 2023.  Lena and I have quilted 32 of them.  We organized the 13 left and made sure we had bindings cut and numbered for all of them.

To be quilted

Bindings cut