Not gone, but not necessarily here either.

 So, after watching some of this episode, I decided to search Google Images for my name. I scrolled and clicked until I came to Google's conclusion, "The rest of the results might not be what you're looking for." without seeing an image of me. I'm satisfied. Can't say exactly why, but it feels good.

I'm walking a fine line right now between extreme privacy and forcing myself to get out and interact with people. I rehearse every Monday night with my new chorus Women of Heartsong (that's me in the back row, looking at my hands instead of the camera). I play Rummikub every Tuesday with women at the facility where my mom lived her final years. I sing karaoke every 3rd Sunday at that same facility. I meet monthly with the Community First! Quilters (and just finished a 2-day "retreat" with several of them). And yet, on the way home from each interaction, I'm mentally checking off a "Done" box.

 I enjoy it while I'm in it, but I'm glad it's done when it's over. And that's where I'm at right now. Depression, or Existential Exhaustion? I'm rooting for what's behind Door #3.

Not gone

 Just waiting for the blog mojo to wander back from its walkabout.

Christmas is finished, the Goose is over-fat...

It's a weird juxtaposition when your brain tells you the Christmas projects--and therefore Christmas itself--are done, yet Hallowe'en hasn't yet arrived!

In my last post I'd listed the projects I'd hoped to get finished and donated at the final (for this calendar year) meeting of Community First! Quilters in October:

Advent Calendar

Bunny

Wallhanging

Garlands

Bunny didn't make it (he's still 'living' with me, with hopes of more relatives in the next 12 months) but everything else did!

Garlands

I did it! I made garlands as planned!! When I finally sandwiched, quilted, and trimmed all the strips and scraps, I had 367 strips (7.25"x1.5") to make into chains.

Why Can't Carolyn Count?

So, back to the Arkansas Cross Road blocks and project.

From this layout of all the pieces . . .

. . . I carefully sorted everything into two piles, making sure the blocks with the bright orange squares were equally split between the piles. It doesn't look like it here, but the bright orange really flashed out to me in person, and I didn't want them all grouped in one border or area.

Shattered

Another project took "cuts" in line and demanded my attention before I could get back to the Arkansas Cross Road borders. I've been reading the blog of hand quilter Gretchen, and while that will never be my sandbox, I really appreciate the beautiful work she does. The more I'd read, however, the more I wanted to get back to quilting the vintage top I'd been working on while visiting my mother (waiting for her to wake from her naps). I was hand quilting using a large but portable hoop, but had discovered another fabric that had shattered. I'd auditioned some fabrics and thought I had a plan for replacing at least one of the squares.

Reading Material

I'd mentioned an interesting brown fabric I found at clearance price at the Wisconsin quilt show, but had forgotten to post a picture of it then. Since it was hanging around waiting for the next load of laundry to accumulate (I hate to run the machine just to spin out rinsed fabrics), I took a photo.

Huh.