Odd Pieces of Fabric

I am working on a quilt right now using different size blocks and am trying to get them all to 13 inches.  I am also trying to use fabric that I haven't used before.  I hate to admit it but the majority of my fabric has been forgotten.  So, while I am sorting through trying to find matches to my already made blocks I have come across some interestingly cut out fabric.

This looks like I was thinking of making an apron (possibly while drinking).  Note the pattern is upside down. I think I'll blame it on one of the kids.

Really don't know what I was thinking here.  The one looks like maybe I cut out leaves?  And the thing is: I can't even find a quilt with these fabrics in it let alone these shapes. 

I really need to use my stash up.

Survival of the Fittest will not be Me

I can still see my husband's face as he slapped down his book in his lap, looked at me and said, "Why do YOU want to go to Cabela's?" (sporting goods store)

"I'm working on my next book -- you know -- the feel good book for the end of the world?  I need to know how to make a fire from flint, or sticks and stones or whatever people use out in the woods."

Cabela's had a collection of fire making tools, in two places.  I asked several questions.  The teeny, tiny picture on the packaging left something to be desired.  "You just scrape some of this stuff off, strike this part really hard, you get a spark, you're good to go."  Okay, I can do that.

No.  I can't.  I scraped.  I got a spark.  Several sparks in fact.  Even some really big sparks.  No fire. "We're dead when we run out of matches," I said to my husband.

He comes over and strikes the stick several times.  He feels the paper I've got sitting there.  "What?" I asked.

"I wondered if it was wet."

"Right, because water would be an accelerant!"  I yelled.

"Try dried leaves," he offered walking away.

"Don't you know people in the military you could talk to?" my niece asked.

"Yes!  Your uncle, my husband the former Marine!"  We looked at each other, looked at him and then back at each other.

"That's not gonna work," she said.

"Yeah, I already found that out," I mumbled.

Yes, I know others in the military, boy scouts, eagle scouts, Scout Masters but I'm still going to be dead once the matches run out.

I'm hoping the chocolate holds out 'til then.

Missent Letter, story line prompt

Recently I received a letter in the mail with a purple stamp on it saying: Missent to Mauritius.  I have to admit, I had to look this up.  It's an island in the Indian Ocean.  The letter originated in Missouri and was being sent to Michigan, roughly 700 miles apart.  It took the scenic route, being sent across the ocean and Africa (a flight takes a day and 4 hours).

This happens so often the island  post office needs a stamp?

But it did get me to wondering: for people who are stuck in their writing and need a writing prompt I give you this: write a story from the letter's point of view.


A few examples of my own:  'I didn't like the devilish grin of the mail carrier as he looked at me and then stuffed me back in his bag instead of the mailbox.  What did he have in mind?'

'S.O.S.!  See Our Stamp!  Somebody, please!  I can't go overseas!  I'm scared of flying!'

'I landed on the island of my dreams and was sent right back!  I didn't even get opened.'

Have fun writing.

Wrong Sentence

Don't you love when you read something and you do a double-take?  What did that say? 

Today in my writers group the sentence that we were supposed to write about said: You have been given the opportunity to atone for one sin. 

That is not what I read. 

Instead my brain picked up: You have been given the opportunity to be stoned for one sin. 

On reflection I guess that could be taken a couple of ways.

Reading Coaster

                                                      My new coasters have arrived !

Turning Right to go Left

I am not a person who enjoys driving a car however, I am grateful that I can get myself around to various places.  My friends have always teased me though on the fact that I do not like to make left hand turns and I do them rarely. 

I decided that my character DeMaris in my latest book Beg(ga)(he)r (www.jrarmstrong.net) needed a few quirks of her own so -- she also does not make left hand turns when driving.  Instead she makes 3 right hand turns.  It works just fine.

Imagine my surprise when I read a short article on the merits of skipping left turns and going to the right.  You save time, gas and money by not sitting idling in the left turn lane.  And it's also proven to cause less accidents. 

Lost for something to say?

Recently my husband and I were invited to a family gathering.  I told my husband I had RSVP'd to his cousin saying that we would not be able to attend. 

"I can't imagine what we would have talked about to a group of people that we didn't know.  I'd last twenty minutes talking to each one and then what?  Nothing," he said and then added, "You'd last thirty."

"Why would I last ten more minutes?" I asked perplexed.

"Because you quilt."  I had to laugh although he was probably right.  The people that were attending were either our age or older and the probability was that several people in the group quilted.  Still I hadn't thought of quilting, outside of my quilt group, as riveting conversation.  I must drag this topic out the next time I am stuck for something to say.

"So, do you quilt much?"
"What is the newest quilt tool you've bought?"
"Seen any good rulers lately?"
"Do you know the proper way to say F-I-S-K-A-R?"
"Have you seen the latest fabric line of ______?"

New t-shirt slogans

Recently my husband and I were at a craft show doing a book signing.  Looking around I saw several people wearing t-shirts with an athletes name on the back.  I turned to my husband and said, "With all the trouble athletes seem to be getting into I don't think that's someone to look up to.  One should wear a t-shirt with more moral fiber."  And being the writer that I am added, "Like authors."
      My husband looked at me, "Hemingway?"
      "Okay, so not authors.  What group of people have morals?  People from the Bible." 
     So with that being said, here are three t-shirt slogans:
     Moses -- the First Speaker of the House
     Jonah -- Do what you're told the first time
     Daniel -- Learned to get along with those who roar

Anybody want to add?

Unicorn

The date on this stamped piece is 1998.  It is supposed to be an embroidery piece which as you can see I started.  Got bored and put it away.  Later I got interested in beading and decided to add that dimension on here.  I laid them down in rows.  Got bored with that and put it away.  A few years ago I took 2 on-line classes for beaded bracelets which were done in stacks and layers of beading and decided to get this piece out again.  It is not moving quickly and I do put it away for long periods of time.  I have tried in the past to do at least 15 minutes a day on it. 

Am hoping by putting this 'out there' I will feel inclined to have to work on it.  Will start today's 15 minutes right now.

Summer time and my thoughts always turn to classics.  When I was in high school one of our assignments was to read a classic. Wanting to be able to choose from a large selection I was one of the first in the library to pick a book from the list that the teacher had handed out.  Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd sounded really good.  I hated it.  Hurried back to the library only to find that all the books on her list were checked out. I was stuck with Hardy.  And I am so glad.  It took me almost to the middle of the book for me to get into it but what a ride.  It was great and today I have almost the entire collection of Thomas Hardy books. 

From there I decided that every summer I would read at least one classic and except for a few summers when my children were little I have done just that.

First Day

 

Here is my first day as a blogger!  I'm excited to start this blog having just learned that my second book here just won it's third national award.  As I get this up and running click here for my website.