Apologies to Mama, New Year's Resolutions

I hate the telephone! I spend so much time with one stuck to the side of my head at work, I DO NOT pick one up at home. We went totally cellular about 4 years ago, and I only have to answer mine, and everyone knows I hate the phone, so the only time it rings is when it's work or a kid. Occasionally, my older brother, John.

Mama knew that if she wanted to talk to me, she had to call me. The only time I called her was to get a recipe (how do you make cornbread dressing - right in the middle of a delivery!!!) We had wonderful visits on the phone. Precious times, but ALWAYS initiated by Mama.

Now that I am the Mama, and experiencing empty nest syndrome, I have to say, "Mama, I am so sorry I didn't call." You see, my baby is no longer a baby and no longer needs her mother to hold her hand daily. I know this is part of life, but there is an empty place in my heart waiting for her to refill it. It is days like today, I loved to walk in Mama's back door and tell her "mother me". I hope that as she grows and matures, she and I will become the great friends Mama and I did as adults.

So, if it is not too late in the year, I resolve to pick up the phone and call my siblings, just to chat. No itineraries, no favors to ask, just a call for the sheer pleasure of hearing their voices. Nancy, I love communicating via our blogs, private and public, but it is not the same as the phone. When you get ready to change your cell number, post on our private site so I can save it for calls. Expect to hear from me this weekend - I may need a friendly voice after completing our part of preparations for the pageant next week!

I am taking my wholecloth with me and the calendar pattern with me next week. Got to have something to keep my hands and mind busy during the times I cannot participate and just have to hurry up and wait. So hopefully by next weekend I will have quilty pictures and pageant pictures (maybe even a new crown) to post.

This is the crown we are going after. This is the current queen the night she was crowned last year. Wish us luck. I may not get to post again until after the pageant. I will have the laptop and camera with me next weekend, so who knows I may post from the hotel between events.

Bed time now. I have to go the that place tomorrow. Gotta make the bacon.

Help

I decided to play with my template. I haven't touched it since I updated Blogger and when I updated to template to start playing, I have lost my Stash Quilts link. How do I get it back?

Not much quilty going on here, although I am still working on a 18x18 inch Wholecloth wall hanging. Currently watching the Saints game. Not looking good right now for Super Bowl. Hope things turn around. Sorry, Bears fans, it really is our turn. But, really, may the best team win.


We are 10 days from Queen of Queens. Told the princess, she either had to come home every night this week to get ready, or she could give up her weekend next weekend - oh no, not TWO weekends in a row without the boyfriend - to get ready. I will really be glad when this one is over. This is what her "Queen Cards" look like. I'm not wild about the border, but this is what she designed this time. These are her business cards that she swaps with other queens when she travels. We choose not to have her demographic information printed on the fronts - she also uses them with friends. So I purchase clear address labels, and print her address, phone numbers and email address on them. We only stick them on the ones she uses for the queens. I also had an 11"x14" print made of this picture - no borders or wording - to frame and hand in her room. We will also use it on her scrapbook table next year when she gives up her crown.

This pageant has really been an eye-opener for me. I have had to scrap and beg for any information about what we needed to do, what our financial responsibilities were, etc. She is representing the Lions Club, but we have all the financial responsibility other than the cost of her hotel room for 3 days - but we have to pay for that and get reimbursed. We do ALL the work trying to get THEM a Queen of Queens and they even wanted us to pay for the tickets to watch her compete at $50 each! Her director has answers for nothing. I have to say we were warned the night she won her crown by the previous queen. But if I were the director, I would have all the answers the queen and her mom needed. If I didn't, I'd be getting the answers. I have lost a lot of respect for her director. Guess I am having pre-pageant nerves. Ashley is cool as a cucumber!

Gotta get back to laundry. I anyone can help me fix my page, please comment or email me.

Thanks, ladies.

I'm Still Here

I really do still exist. I have even picked up a needle lately. I finished the redwork pattern I was working on, except for adding on the borders and quilting it. I was not in the mood to get the sewing machine out this weekend, so I moved on. Nancy gave me a calendar pattern at Daddy's funeral she had bought for me which is a combination of embroidered squares and patchwork setting blocks. The only muslin I had on hand was white, so I spent last Thursday coffee dying it. I then cut out my 6x8 inch blocks and have traced the 12 patterns ready to embroider. But then I had to go buy a small embroidery hoop, because the only two I had we 6 and 8 inches 0 much too large.

I have been fascinated with the look of whole cloth quilts for a few months. I found a free pattern for a 18" block on the internet. I cut it out and traced it about 10 pm Friday night. I have got the center quilted, and am in the process of drawing the "rays" in the inner and outer areas to stitch. I can't wait to finish this one.

I would post pictures of the works in process, but the princess has BOTH digital cameras. I probably won't see her until the weekend, so will post pictures when I can.

It is going to be a busy month. The princess is 30 days from competing in the "Queen of Queen's" Pageant. I have to get the zipper replaced in her pageant gown (I DO NOT do alterations and refuse to do zippers. I usually insert by hand, I hate doing zippers so badly!), we need to find the perfect interview suit, make appointment for hair and make up for Friday interview, Saturday morning evening gown prelims and Saturday night finals. The challenge will be finding someone to do hair Saturday morning early. Makeup is possible - we have a great relationship with the local Merle Norman store - they have come in and opened the store on Sunday to do her makeup for pageants before - but to find a salon to come in at the crack of dawn to do "pageant" hair will be a challenge. I will start working on that Friday when I am off. Any great hairdressers out there in Baton Rouge, LA??????

Well, I have to go back to work. Am at home, kicked back in the lounge chair, but have about 3 more hours of work to get payroll ready for tomorrow's deadline.