Red Face and Rain

It started raining last night around midnight, and it's still coming down. Less than eight hours before the rain started, I was out in the yard dragging around heavy hose pipes and watering thirsty plants. I should have checked the weather first. I could have saved myself some misery. My neighbor stopped in front of the house and expressed alarm at my appearance.

"Miss Suzie, your face is red as a beet," she declared. "Are you all right."

I told her I was almost finished and was going inside in a few minutes. She drove away with a troubled look on her

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Wear Purple, Please

May is Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month. If you or a loved one or friend suffers from this life-changing, often debilitating condition (they won't let us call it a disease), please wear purple this month to call attention to the need for research and treatment.

I don't own any purple clothes. I've never been fond of the color purple (which is appropriate, because I'm not fond of fibromyalgia either). So I'm going to make me a big old

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May Day! May Day!

I'm having a freak out here. Whenever I'm in the throes of a full-blown fibro flare, I have to resist panic. Maybe that goes along with the condition, I'm not sure. Ever since I've been dealing with this thing, whenever I have a severe flare, I feel this absolute acertainty that it will always be this way and I'll never feel better.

I know, of course, that isn't true. I know I'll have good days again. My brain knows that from experience. But that emotional uncertainty still locks in and I have to fight hard. It even makes me afraid to

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Sisters Gone South

Beautimous sisters, Ramey and Joanne

This past weekend, sisters Ramey and Joanne and handsome nephew Jed traveled down to Fairhope, Alabama for the spring awards meeting of the Alabama State Poetry Society. I didn't go for several reasons: 1) I wasn't asked, 2) I didn't feel like going (massive fibro flare), and 3) I'm not a poet (and I know it) and not a member of the society.

As it turned out, I sort of wish I had

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I Take This Quilt

A long-time good friend has asked me to make a quilted banner to be displayed at her granddaughter's wedding in August. The only guideline she gave me was the color scheme: black, silver, and pink. For some reason, I've had a difficult time figuring out just what kind of quilt I'm going to make. For a long time I was stuck on a plan to make a four-ring wedding ring quilt with machine embroidered centers, but I was having

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UFO Progress Report: Week 17

Thank goodness for Patti J., one of our blogless UFO busters. Patti sent me a good UFO Progress Report this week. Now I've made progress myself, continuing the big-stitch quilting on my "Mama in the Mirror" challenge quilt. But I've shown that quilt nineteen ways from sundown here, and I'm really out of ideas for photographing it until it's at least finished.

So here is Patti's progress:

I love Patti's quilting on this baby quilt. Wish my machine

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Let Us Drink Wine Together on Our Knees

Thanks so much to everyone for your support and comments on the Walmart withdrawal. I was surprised that so many people agree. I was afraid I might hurt some feelings with me rant, but apparently a lot of people are fed up the that retail giant.

At right is my sister Ramey and her Drunkard's Path quilt. Please note that while she is drinking wine, she is not on her knees. I know

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Is There Life After Walmart?

 

This is Day One of the rest of my life without Walmart. I'm taking the cure. I've had it. The company is distinctly unethical, unAmerican, and uncaring, and unshopper-friendly. 

There are so many reasons why I'm fed up to here with Walmart, I just don't know where to start--or even if I want to start.

I remember Sam Walton's Buy American campaign. What happened to that? Do me a favor;

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Weekend Treasures

On Saturday, on the way to the grocery store, I stopped off at a local yard sale. I found a few things I might use in upcoming Circle Journals--the little Language of Flowers book and the repro vintage Christmas postcards in the photo. I never really know until I sit down to work what will turn up in journal pages, but these are possiblities, and surely inspiration.

Yesterday afternoon, Ramey and I made a late run

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UFO Progress Report: Week 16

Here's a peek at my big-stitch quilting on the "Mama in the Mirror" quilt. My blister is almost well, so I'm going to try to get back to it today. Just couldn't stand the pressure while the blister was new.

Blog reader Wanda D. gave me a bit of valuable information re. big-stitch quilting. If I ever do it again, and I might, Wanda says BIllie Lauder recommends using #8 perle cotton, not number 5. The #8 goes

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