wow....

This morning I started to catch up blog reading I have ignored because of allergy attacks this week. All I can say is, "wow". Apparently there are some really nasty people using the blogs to vent at posters without any consideration of anything. I'm not a totally "if you can't say something nice...." person I'll admit, but why can't comments be written constructively? I actually feel sorry for people who vent at posters knowing their comments will hurt-what are they missing in their lives that they feel the need to wound?

Sometimes I am not a nice person. I miss deadlines, I say something without thinking, disappoint a friend. I don't set out to be "un-nice", it happens. And, I think it happens to all of us whether we admit it or not, whether we want it to happen or not.

We have a had a pretty horrendous couple years in this household: my cancer diagnosis, subsequent surgery and recovery. Lou's vascular problems, his stroke, his surgeries, rehab, near death last December. The continuing elder-care issues in Ohio. One of the things I have learned through all this is that "..in sickness and in health" can be really stressful. It can be numbing, it can be immobilizing. It can spill into all other areas of your life before you realize it. It forces the questions: "Why me? Haven't I had enough, G-d? What else can go wrong?"

And then I look at the good things in my life: our daughters have grown into interesting young women, Lill pushing the envelope into space as a planetary geologist doctoral student and Sarah in a masters' program exploring the past through asian paintings and porcelain. Lou and I both have jobs. Lou has the kind of friends at work who donated enough leave that through all the traumas we never had to worry about a paycheck. I have sisters-in-law that forget about the "in-law" part. I read blogs by young women trying to raise their families putting their children first, knowing that childhood is fleeting. I listen to Car Talk and Wait, Wait, don't Tell Me on Saturday mornings.

So, I guess I don't understand the need to wound. My friend Robin says I have always looked at the world through rose colored glasses. I'm aware of the nasty stuff- I suffered enough as a teenager to still carry the scars. I just try not to let the nastiness define my outlook. My heart goes out to those who have been wounded when it wasn't necessary. I guess it does come back to "if you can't say something nice..."--maybe some people need some lessons in civility.

Lou's fan pattern

We have always had a family joke about the fact that my husband has a PhD and went to an ivy league undergraduate school and I went to a state university. Well, once again he's proven why he went to graduate school; he took my fan idea and perfected it. This is his pattern:
So, this morning Miss Violet got me up at 7AM, and after a leisurely breakfast I got to work and created a new afikomen bag to send to my cousin for use at Seder with his grandson. Here we have "Fan Plagues":


I also gave one to my friend Amy for her two kids. She's not into sewing, she does beadwork. So, now I'll get started on some that can be sold for use next year.


It's a beautiful day with sun and a breeze and there's a ballgame on tonight. Life can't get much better for me!

Playing

The scrap bee block this month is a request for red created fabric with a white slash. I think I have the slash down, but I'm not sure about the created fabric-it's definitely a challenge for me.

Then I wanted to play a little bit with the scraps before cutting into the main plague fabric. I did three styles, trying to maximize use of my scraps. One is a fan design which Lou improved on for me, the others are stylized flying geese-actually I call them flying plagues....

The day was nice but not as sunny or warm as predicted, tomorrow will be nicer. After dinner I'll probably try a few more ideas, then it's scissors to the big stuff!

Squirrels and plagues

Last fall we decided to leave the cushions out on the deck because, honestly, we were too lazy to bring them in. Most of them had rips from wear, so I knew we would be replacing them this spring. The squirrels who frequent the railing feeder noticed the rips, too. They began to take the stuffing out, leaving the chairs looking like this:Then, last week when he was putting out seed, Lou noticed the squirrel nest up in the oak:So, the squirrels were obviously nice and comfy this past winter.

Yes-I have a new camera. Not a fancy one, just one I picked up at Costco yesterday because I didn't realize how much of my sewing I wanted to take pictures of. I hope CVS still develops film because I have been taking photos with a disposable camera and hope it can be developed.

Last week or so I was wandering around one of my favorite Jewish fabric websites, 1-800-Dreidel, and noticed a section labeled Passover fabric. Of course I had to go look, and there were various selections for the ten plagues. Of course I had to buy them, and fortunately they give a discount to Pomegranate Guild members which makes it easy to justify buying more fabric.

My main focus will be making afikomen bags. However, when I showed the fabric to KS on the webcam, she laughed and said wouldn't it be fun to have a skirt for Seder. So, being the kind of mom I am, and willing to do anything that helps remind my children of their heritage, I present, "The Plagues, the Plagues" (apologies to What Ever Happened on the Way to the Forum?)
Plagues One through Five:


Six through Ten:(well, number Five's peeking out a bit at the left...)

And please notice the tasteful waistband of matzoh printed fabric. I hope she has as much fun wearing it as I did making it today.