Book Truck Drill Team

In a reprise of our July 4th triumph, the Cobb County Library's Precision Book Truck Drill Team will march in this Saturday's Children's Healthcare Christmas Parade.

If you are in the Atlanta area, don't forget to watch. You won't regret it!

Winter's Bone

Not quilting related but here's a wonderful movie you need to see.

Winter's Bone, based on the book by Daniel Woodrell, is a remarkable independent film. Ree tries to find her father who has put the family home up for his bail, then disappears. Ree is an incredible, strong young woman who has assumed tremendous responsibilities. Apparently she has dropped out of school in order to take care of the younger siblings due to the absence of her father and her mother's mental illness. She is determined and relentless, in spite of encountering dangerous and frightening characters who would not hesitate to kill a young girl such as she.

This is not a feel good movie, but the character of Ree is worth knowing and worth sitting through the the very grimm reality you will find in this film. And the young actor who plays Ree,Jennifer Lawrence, is so true, geniune, and honest, she is a wonder to watch.

Ree will go down in cinematic history as a darker Mattie Rosscharacter - and Ree does not have the benefit of a Rooster Cogburn on her journey.

See this movie.

(And by the way, I can't WAIT for the new Coen Brothers version of True Grit. I read the book as a teenager, saw the John Wayne/Glen Campbell film. Also I recently listened to the audiobook read by Donna Tartt. I will be first in line on December 22.)

Free Stuff

Have you visited Freebies for Crafters? There's great stuff over there, likethis terrific little bag and this wonderful Panda amigurumi (boy that word gets me every time!)

What a generous web site, sharing fantastic free projects! Go give them some love!

Last week we took a brief road trip to Ellijay. The leaves were just peaking, and I took these photos which don't really to them justice.

The yellows and golds and reds were so vivid -- just gorgeous.

We drove through a tiny town called Talking Rock, and saw this little fellow. He was one of a litter of kittens born to a stray cat. If I didn't already have four kitties at home....

A Farewell

Well it's a rainy, cold, windy day here and I'm about ready to go do some retail theapy since I'm pretty sure all the Black Friday crowd is back at home, snug in front of the fire with a hot cup of something to soothe their shattered nerves. I did not go near the stores today - had no intention of doing so, but on top of that, I had to attend the funeral of a dear lady who died this week. Yes she was elderly but she was such a very vital, intelligent force of nature that it's hard to believe she's no longer on this earth.

There's a reason we have funerals and today reminded me why. We get to review the person's life and remember all the good things we knew about them; we learn many things we did not know (I, for example did not know that in the course of her long, full life, Ruth had been a dance instructor. I knew she had supported her family in a number of jobs after the death of her first husband but - dance instructor!)

She married Ed about 20 years ago. It must have been about 5 years ago that we were invited to Ed's 80th birthday party cum vows renewal celebration. It was quite a to-do. The rabbi asked Ed the usual question "Do you Ed, take this woman..." and at the end said, "Now think about this, Ed. Now's your chance!"

Ed replied, "Oh, okay. I will if she will!"

They found each other at a JCC Singles event. They were so well suited to each other, and as the rabbi said, Ed gave Ruth opportunities in life that she could only dream of: trips to London, Paris and eventually, an African Safari.

I remarked at how fortunate they were to have found each other, both after having lost their first spouse to illness.

Now Ed is alone again but with a large extended family - many step children and grand children, and such good memories of the last 20 or so years with his true soul mate, Ruth.

Whither Noah?

I found a wonderful embroidered Noah's Ark quilt - very quirky & cute - somewhere on the Internet but now can't remember where. I am about half finished with it...

Also I have four days off but unfortunately have to attend the funeral of a good friend tomorrow. Her health had been failing for some time.

After that I hope to attack some UFOs in my stash. I would post pictures - and will - but it is such a hassle since the desktop died. I have to hook up DD's laptop to the printer, upload, download, etc. etc.

But will get it done....

I need your input!

Happy thanksgiving

Not Thanksgiving Related Post

Enjoy. Happy Turkey Day.

If You Write It, They Will Come

If I start posting again, will you come back?

Facebook took over my life for awhile. I realized that I had not blogged anything for months, nor could I find the time or inclination to do so. That's how powerful the Facebook thing is.

So I deactivated - and wish I could DELETE Facebook entirely.

While it's a good way to keep up with friends, it really became a time-sucker. Not only did it kill my blogging habits but it intruded on other areas of life. That is just not good.

I made a number of good friends I suppose you'd say over the years of posting my quilting and sewing ups and downs and I've lost touch with folks out there I never would have come in contact with, except for this remarkable and infuriating thing - the Internet.

I've had some great ideas I wanted to put into words and just never got around to it because there's only so many hours in a day and many of them are used up with my day job, sleeping, and connectin with real, live people.

I'm sure nobody has suffered because of my absence from the ethers, and ya'll would get along just fine without me but here I am, indulging in this vanity again.

Stay tuned, it just might get interesting.