Trumped

It's been a while since I sat down to put pen to paper.  My last quilt was the graduation quilt for my niece Caroline.  Since that time she has gone to college, graduated, gotten engaged to a young man who owns a cattle ranch and is basically living her dream.  Her little sister graduated and I put together a colorful quilt for her.  This quilt I secretly named, "Trumped".  You see it was during the time before the election, and the Donald was campaigning.  I was busy putting together this lovely lap quilt.  My son stopped by and I proudly held up the completed quilt top for him to look at.  He said, "is that a swastika?".   I looked down and my quilt and back at my son and uttered a 4-letter word.  Several times.  I don't know that it was a true swastika but it certainly resembled one.   My son snapped a photo and texted it to his wife and she responded with, "is that a swastika?"   He responded with, "my mom is saying a lot of really bad words" to which she replied, "it's a very nice swastika".
Again, my most used tool, the seam ripper, came out of the drawer and we went to work.  The quilt was finished in record time and presented to a very happy graduate. 

If I would just slow down and pay attention.

These pretzels are making me thirsty!

Seinfeld fans will immediately recognize the quote, "these pretzels are making me thirsty!"  This has nothing to do with quilting or crafting, but I guess it does refer to my tv habit. I have not finished the big 8" square quilt.  I did take the pieces from another quilt, a block of the month, that I did not finish, and assembled a table runner.  I need to back and bind this piece.  The big news is that I did complete a small photo quilt as a graduation gift for my great-niece.  I designed it myself.  Simple blocks, with centers fussy cut out of some fabric with crazy farm animals at a party.  She is going to major in agriculture and wants to own a cattle farm.  She raises pigs, sheep and goats.  I had a hard time finding the farm animal fabric I imagined in my mind, so I found this whimsical fabric and fussy cut the critters out.  After those blocks were assembled I moved on to the photo squares.  I gathered pictures of her with her family, as Citrus Fair queen at the local fair, with her farm animals, and wearing her prom dress.  Once those blocks were assembled I put the quilt together using 4-H print fabric to make borders.  I wanted to back the quilt with pink camo fabric, which I was unable to find.  My daughter was able to find some pink fabric that had a similar look, and I was able to finally assemble the quilt and bind it before graduation. Of course I did some quilting on the piece and decided I did not like the way it looked.  So out came the seam ripper.  I spent one Saturday sewing and one Sunday tearin gout everything I had sewn.  Then came the binding.  I made the binding from fabric my creative daughter found, and sewed it on, realized it was not wide enough and spent the next hour or so with my friend the seam ripper taking it off.  New binding and I was back in business.   Not only did Caroline love it, her sister squealed with delight, and I relaized I have 3 years before I have to make one for her, too. 
It's amazing how wonderful it feels to complete a project.      

And this weekend I pulled out one of my dog earred magazines and started making a purse/bag that I have been thinking about making for months.  I have it nearly done.  I already know I need to redo the strap and make it longer. 
One of the most useful things I learned when I took my first quilt class so many years ago was how to properly use a seam ripper.  That is currently my favorite tool of choice.
Sew on friends.  Sew on.

2013 - the year to finish big

I've decided there are several things that keep me from finishing my projects. The computer (Facebook is evil) and TV (TV is evil). I first of all must say I am not a prolific FB poster, but I am a stalker. One of those quiet people who just views what other people post, and then makes my silent judgements. I do not like FB. I don't like the drama (those people get blocked), the games (those apps get blocked), the political fear mongering posts (deleted), and the bad grammar and spelling are enough to make me cry. I find that I get easily annoyed when I am on FB and yet I can't turn it off. I have excuses for not quitting. "but I have my relatives and how will I ever find them again (whinny sounding voice)" And TV - I turn on the TV and sit and stare at the screen. I watch the same movies over and over. I love to watch Jurassic Park, Anaconda, Arachnophobia,.....those kinds of movies that I can really not pay attention to because I have seen them so many times. Or Monk marathons. Those days are the best. So this year I thought it was time to finish some of those projects I have piled up around. First of all I have decided my little craft area is just too small. When I need to sew I have to go to the kitchen. Yesterday I pulled out the sewing machine and the strip quilt that I cut out several years ago. I decided it was time to put together a quilt top. I managed to sew it all together and lay it across my bed and I did not like it. So off to the kitchen counter I went where I cut the strips into completed square strips. After assembly I had a queen sized quilt top that is 8" squares and very pretty, although I wish I had used Hydrangea and bird fabric instead of the green and butterflies. But it will do. Now I measured it and my next stop will be for backing and batting. BTW I used a pattern out of a magazine for the strip quilt when I started the project (it's long gone - probably one I passed on to someone else) and as usual it called for a lot more fabric than I actually needed. Do I hoard the left overs or pass them on? I think I am going to give them to the senior center for their little craft store. Someone else might want the larger pieces I have left over. With the quilt top finished and being the largest quilt I have ever assembled, I can't imagine how I am going to quilt the piece. I will have to do some research. I have a regular sewing machine. It's going to be a chore, unless I were to pay someone else to do it. But I won't do that, I will figure a way to do it myself. My son just moved out and my daughter is planning to leave. This will leave us with two bedrooms! One will be a guest room, which I will set up for guests. The other will be a work area for my husband and I. We shall share this room. He can have his arrow making gear and whatever else he needs in there, and I can have a sewing area. I have big plans for this year, lets see if I can get them done. So for all of you out there ready to finish a project let's get busy! 2013 will be a productive year!

New Year and New Goals ?

I love the new year. I like the thought of a clean slate. I find myself busier than ever - tidying things up, organizing, cleaning, and making resolutions and goals that I will never achieve. Then comes the reality that I have failed. This year was no different. It started with the removal of all things Christmas - except for the tree - the day after Christmas. The tree came down New Years Day. However I did make a resolution to not make any resolutions. So with that I am ready to take on the new year. I will be 50 in 6 days. I need to do something BIG while I am still in my 40's.
I had wanted to take a birthday trip to Monterey to see the Monarch Butterflies, go whale watching and visit the aquarium. However with my husband's shoulder recovering from surgery, and the lack of spare cash as a result of the injury, I have decided to let that plan go for a while. I don't even know what I want.

So with my almost clean house, and my clean slate I begin the new year with a clear conscience. I am going to let go of some of my unfinished projects and relax more this year. We will see where it takes me.

The Bucket List

While all of my friends are making their "bucket lists" I have created a list of instructions for my family.
Things you CAN NOT do if I die
1. If I die suddenly, say in a car accident, you CAN NOT put flowers and a cross on the side of the road.
2. You can not advertise my memorial service on the electronic marquee at the Citrus Fair
3. Please do not list my cats as survivors in my obituary (especially by name)
4. If you don't want my craft stuff please burn it. Don't donate it to Goodwill.

#4 came about when we started collecting Owl "stuff" to hand out at our Soroptimist meetings. There was a needle punch owl in a frame. Debbie gave it to one of the members, and she in turn donated it to our end of year auction. During the auction she said some old woman had made this and when she died her kids just donated it to goodwill (very likely). We all laughed at her description and her comments about if she dies and her kids don't want her stuff.....and I thought OH NO! This could be so true. I have so much crap that only means something to me. I am a collector.
I Can Make That! and so there are the piles. Pin cushions, jewelry, greeting cards, quilts, hats, all in various states of progress or planning, and if I were to fall off the face of the earth tomorrow I am pretty sure there is nothing there that anyone else would care to have!

So I started thining it out. I cleaned and organized and packaged up some of it and sold it, and donated some of it to goodwill (it's okay if I do it...but not if someone else does it for me) and then I have the rest of the piles left. There is for example that bag of 50 ties to make hats with. I am not yet ready to part with those. My son needed a tie the other day and I drug that out and he looked at me like I had lost my mind. Maybe I have.

My sister had my dads jewelry making kits and she went through them and then asked me did I want them and I said yes please. I came home one day and here on the porch were 3 boxes. One of them was a large fishing tackle box. I spent a lot of time sorting through his stuff. I bagged some of it up and sold it. I kept some. The fun part was when I got this brilliant idea to share all of his rocks. His grandkids called him Pop. So I purchased some small bottles and sorted rocks and filled the jars with them. Then I made labels - "Pop's Rocks" and each grandchild got a jar of Pop's rocks for Christmas in 2009.
Maybe I should make my own jars for my stuff - Mom's Marbles......buttons, threads, glitter, rocks, odd pieces of jewelry.....:)

I have to go finish some of my projects now.....

Hot Hot Hot

We went right from winter to summer. whatever happened to spring? It was 105 yesterday. When Debbie and I went for our walk, it was still nearly 90. Too hot for walking in the sun. As we were tooling along I realized Debbie was at least a step or two behind me. So I slowed down. Everytime I slowed down, she did too. We were dragging in the heat.
I reread my posts, pledged to write daily, and wondered if I ever finished those Halloween projects. I think I did, but I am not sure. The Block of the Month sits unfinished, too. And it's been 9 months since I decided to make a hat and bought a bag of ties. I sold several of them in my booth.
I've been thinking about giving my booth up completely. While Debbie is expanding to 2 booths, I am thinking about packing it in! I enjoy it, but think of all the free time I would have if I wasn't hauling crap around - buying it, cleaning it, pricing it, hauling it to the store, arranging it, rearranging it. And I'm barely breaking even! I could go back to just selling my greeting cards on commission and making the same amount of money. So I thought about this and decided perhaps I would wait until after the holidays. Or at least the end of February, because December through February are usually good months. Then I could give it all up. Have a big sale - keep the stuff I like, and move on to finishing my quilting projects.

It's the toilet paper!

I was reading a recent issue of Good Housekeeping and came across a consumer test they did for toilet paper. The toilet paper I have been using was tested and the results were interesting. The paper does not break down very well. It now occurs to me this could be contributing to our ongoing septic issues. At this writing I have switched from Charmin Ultra soft to Kirkland (from Costco) and things are working very well.

Debbie, my business partner, and I have divorced. We were sharing a booth at Antiques and Uniques and we decided due to space issues (I think she was taking up too much space, and she thinks I was taking up too much space) we decided to strike out on our own. Debbie got a space on the isle. Prime real estate! Antiques and Uniques is not really just an antique store as the name might indicate. The business owner has a variety of mechandise, new and used - glasswares, jewelry, furnitue - a little bit of everything. It's a great place to find a gift. Part of the store is stocked by mall vendors - we rent "booths" and we stock them with our merchandise. You might find antiques, hand made items, clothing - a wide variety of merchcandise. In my booth you will find my hand made jewelry, my hand made greeting cards featuring my Trailer Trash line, and various second hand items - glass wares, stuffed animals, craft items, men's ties - whatever happens to catch my eye when I am out shopping for merchandise. Right now I have a variety of Easter decorations, along with a beautiful punch bowl, a selection of gravy boats, glassware, and beannie babies just to name a few of my items.

My Easter cards are on display in the front of the store. Soon my Mother's Day cards will be in stock, and I am hoping to create some new and unusual jewelry.
Stop by Antiques and Uniques in Cloverdale and check it out! There's something for everyone.

PS - I haven't finished the Block of the Month Quilt - although I did make a bit more progress since my last posting.

Rainy Days & Mondays

When it rains non-stop our septic gets saturated. The house begins to smell. Like a butt. The only one who doesn't mind the odor is the dog. I think he actually enjoys it.
Of course it's fair time. For Cloverdale that means rain. The forecast changes moment to moment. Right now it appears there may be some decent weather Saturday. The weather is actually changing moment to moment too. It's cold - and it's snowing just north of us. I went to the store, and I could see the moon and stars. I came out of the store and it was raining. Karl came home from the gym and said you could see the moon again. As I sit here writing this I can hear the rain beating on the roof.
I am afraid to wash any laundry. With everything so saturated, the toilet begins to gurgle when you are in the shower. It's rather disconcerting.

So hoping that we have some good weather for fair, and so I can wash the laundry and flush the toilet without fear.

I did it!

I pulled out those unifinished Halloween projects and yesterday I sat down and finished them! Well.....almost. I just have to finish the binding on them. I got one completed. I will have them finished this week. What a feeling of satisfaction and pride. I will be keeping at least one of them to use as a table runner. The others I will sell. Or maybe use as a gift. I am not sure yet. But the satisfaction of completeing a UFO certainly feels good.

I have a few more of those projects. I cut out 7" squares from every pair of discarded jeans in sight and my intention is to make a jean quilt for Erik. I have strips of fabric I cut out (several years ago) for a quilt for myself. I am going to complete these projects! Soon.

As I sat in the back room hand sewing the binding on the little table mat yesterday, I watched the leaves falling from the trees and realized that fall is really just a blink away. Our next big adventure will be our Disneyland trip in October and our Fall Pumpkin Harvest Party.

I guess it's time to start that To-Do list!

Skunk!

Our dog provides us with hours of joy and entertainment every day. Every day is a new adventure, every thing a game for him. He digs, barks, runs and plays all day. He will bring home sticks (some of them are really tree branches) and pile them up on the lawn. Of course the gophers are already doing damage to the lawn, but Loki wants to "get them" so he digs. He barks at squirrels in trees and he won't let a bird's talons touch the soil - not on his watch. He is on duty.
And tonight when he disappeared I said to my daughter, "where is your dog?"
Her reply, with a shrug, "I don't know".
When he came in the back door, happier than hell, he just pranced on by me and suddenly I got a good whiff of him. SKUNK!
So off to the bath he went. I don't think he was very happy about having to have a bath. But we were all relieved. My goodness that dog can find more trouble in one day.

So while I was keeping him busy outside, waiting for his bath to be ready, he was certain he saw a squirrel in the tree over the house. We spent the next 10 minutes looking up (yes both of us), and barking (well - that was only the dog). I think it was a false alarm - I think it was a bird. While looking up, trying to locate that rogue squirrel, I saw a couple of bats swooping around over the house. I tried to tell Loki, but he was really fixed on this non-existent squirrel.

Finally it was bath time for Loki and as I settled back into my chair in front of the Boob Tube, I realized that life really is more interesting with Loki around. And because of him I take a few minutes every day to stop and smell the roses (or the skunk).

Dog Tails

So, Loki is almost 2 now. Of course we all love him to pieces and think he is the cutest dog on the planet (just like every other dog owner). When we come home after having been away, he races up the hill just so we can see he is working. Well, I was coming home for lunch on Thursday and Loki came racing from behind a bush, and maybe I was driving a little faster than I should have been and we collided. He bounced off the front bumper of my car (took my license plate off) and yelped. I screamed, of course, and jumped out of the car. I called him over and he was wimpering, and smelled like poo, and was coughing. He kept barkig at my car. He was shivering and I was checking him for broken bones and injuries when Amanda showed up from driving Erik to work. So after she calmed the both of us down a bit, we decided it would be best to take him to the vet just as a precautionary measure. So Loki got to go for a ride in the car.
The vet declared him healthy and fine - saying he might be sore the following day.

It would have traumatized me if I hurt Loki. I had images of internal injuries that would result in surgery (which I can't afford of course) and was very relieved when I got the news that he was absolutely fine.

Silly dog.

August!

Well since my last post I have been working on those Halloween projects that I started last year. It's just so much work. Maybe if I were more organized and had more space it would be easier, but most likely not.
I spent most of my day yesterday working on these Halloween wall hangings/table throws. I must mention again - quilting may not be my thing!
I made another trip to the fabric store where I bought more fabric than needed to finish these projects.
If I were just doing one of them, it would be fine, but no, I chose to do 6. Of course my goal is to sell them in my space at the Antique Mall - but who knows if they will sell. So many of my projects sit unpurchased. I still have cake slice pin cushions, and tea cup candles.....sitting unwanted and unloved.

And on my trip to the fabric store I bought a quilting magazine (because I am a magazine junky) and in it was a hat I want to make. So I stopped at Goodwill and bought a bag of men's ties. But now I don't have a hat pattern. Last night I went through my hats and found one that I like - and from it I am going to create a pattern. (ha ha ha - this should be interesting).

Pretty good at drinking beer

My husband and I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Oregon so that he could attend a class reunion. We took the pick up and we listened to country music the entire way there and back. Those song writers have the best sense of humor.

I just reviewed my blogs and realized I haven't been very good about keeping up. My friend died of cancer, my daughter graduated from high school, and I attended the Soroptimist International of the Americas Convention in San Francisco. And throughout I didn't write about any of it.

So Oregon - We went so that my husband could attend a high school reunion. I didn't go to the reunion, but I had a great time. Bend was having a Tour of Homes, and we visited 4 of the houses. Two of the houses had quilting rooms. Actually one of the houses was a quilting house. What an incredible house that was. Two of the rooms upstairs were designed just for the quilter who had purchased the home. It was inspiring.
I went to quilting stores, garage sales, and visited with friends and family. It was a very relaxing weekend.

May, June, July

today I finished two quilt blocks - May and June. I have been procrastinating. I cut out the fabric over the weekend. Today I managed to sew both blocks and was quite pleased with myself. They weren't nearly as hard as they looked and I really enjoyed the results. Also today in the mail July's Block arrived. But I leave in the morning for SF and won't be home until Saturday. And the following weekend I will be in Oregon. But I will stay caught up this time.
I also pulled out the projects I started for Halloween last year, and I have every intention of finishing them before October. I will do it. I can do it.

In the meantime I have been praying to the spirits that look out for me, and they have been answering my prayers in their own subtle ways. I know that I am responsible for my life.
I remember the mother of one of my best friends, who was always very religious. She was so excited when her prayers were answered. She had asked the Lord to have a yellow rose bloom on her bush, and it did. Even then I thought it was kind of silly to ask for something that was going to happen inevitably. So of course her prayer would be answered. I guess I just really ask for guidance and for things to fall into place. I realize it is my own efforts that make it all happen. The Power of Intention (the doctor who wrote that book - his name escapes me - Dr. Wayne Dryer?). I believe in the power of intention.

And I intend to finish my unfinished projects and not have more than one BOM waiting to be finished each month!

Doctor, my butt hurts

After a month of suffering pain from what I assumed was hemorrhoids I decided to go to the doctor. Of course you can't get in to see the doctor, you have to see a nurse practitioner.
This nurse practitioner scolded me for not coming to the doctor when I was feeling well, and came very close to accusing me of getting prescriptions from various doctors. Then she diagnosed me with an internal hemorrhoid. She referred me to a surgeon.
At the surgeon's office I had the most painful examination in the world. And the surgeon told me that what I did have was a fissure. This would be repaired with surgery called a sphincterotemy. They cut your sphincter muscle, and stitch it back up. This was to be accompanied by a colonoscopy. Yippee.
The day before the procedure I was allowed to have one boiled egg before 8 a.m. and then only broths, clear liquids, and Jell-O (but not red or purple) for the rest of the day. At 4 p.m. you begin the clearing out of your colon. First you take 2 laxative pills. Then an hour later you begin drinking your 2 litre bottle of halflytely. 3 glasses in I threw up. It took me most of the night to drink nearly all of the jug. I went to bed, and at 1 a.m. woke up with a rather alarming heart beat. It was beating irregularly, and fast. I couldn't count it. At 2 a.m. I woke up my husband and off to the ER we went.
200 beats per minute is what they clocked me at. And after three separate IV drugs, and 2 oral drugs, at 7 a.m. my heart rate was still 145. The cardiologist called and immediately my heart rate dropped to 88. And normal. So now they decide to continue with my surgery. They discharged me from ER and wheeled me to the outpatient surgery and slapped me onto another bed.
I can honestly say I will never ever do prep for a colonoscopy again, so it's a good thing they did it that way.
I can also say my butt no longer hurts.
And I'm pretty sure I'm not going to go back to the nurse practitioner for anything ever again.
In the meantime I'm only one quilt block behind.

Woman leaves kids in car, goes to bars

I just read this headline in the local paper and I laughed out loud. Seriously. This is news? I was that kid. Of course I was a teenageer at the time. My mother passed away when I was 11. My sister and her new husband moved in to look after me. My father wasn't really capable or so inclined. He worked in the woods, which required being away from home quite a bit. And when he was home, he was eating at restaurants, and chasing women. Okay, maybe I am exagerating a little - he wasn't really chasing women. But he did always have a girlfriend and that is where he preferred to be. So my sister and her dysfunctional husband moved in. Nan was an alcoholic. At first she was functional. She only drank on the weekends. But as time moved on she drank more and more. One evening she was in charge of my nephew and I. He was only a couple of years younger than I was (I failed to mention that I was born 20 years after the rest of the siblings). She took us to a pizza parlor, ordered us a pizza, gave us some money to play pool and left us. Finally hours later we decided to go home. So we started walking. Wouldn't you know it - Nan drove by, stopped, scolded us and picked us up. She parked around the corner from one of the hot spots and said, "wait here". Off she went into the bar leaving us to sit and ponder what next. We sat and sat and finally when we were trying to decide what to do, we saw her come out with 2 men. Imagine the disbelief and shock as we watched these guys toss her around and then finally into the cab of the pick up and off they went.
Well, the rest of the story is no better - we decided to drive the pick up home where we had to explain to her husband why she wasn't with us.
Looking back, and as I write this, I realize that she wasn't in the best condition - she was drunk. Those men weren't friendly - they tossed her up on the hood of the pick up and at this moment I'm not even sure she went with them willingly. And I witnessed it.
I feel like a kid all over again.

Crankiness is caused by work

I have been so very busy. Busy at work. Busy at home. Busy doing things for other people! I am extremely tired and cranky and I do think it must really be work related and I've learned that is considered a workman's comensation compensable reason to not work. HA, you think I jest. But no, there is an employee who has been off of work and most recently was giving a rating by a AME doctor and was diagnosed as just being generally cranky.

Well this describes me.

I'm not having any fun. I got to get this straightened out. I realize it's a bad attitude to have. But unfortunately I am stuck with it right now.

We have had company (again) this time from Tennessee. Really love those boys. They are spending all their time with my son, and it has been no extra work for me.

I hate for them to see me in this mood. So I must shake it off!

Now that we have finished the 4H archery shoot, I can get to work on the house and yard for graduation. As soon as that is over I have to work serioiusly on getting my DAR application completed. Which brings me back to my BOM project. I still have 2 unfinished blocks, and one I haven't even looked at and it's nearly JUNE!

What made me think I would ever be able to do this?

I just haven't had a minute and when I do someone wants something from me (hence the crankiness).

If only I could win the lottery......and then I could open that craft store and have my huge work area and sell blanket binding and double stick tape.

I could make that if I had time

If only I had time to work on the projects I want to work on. But I'm stuck in a world that is not my own. At least not right now. I did manage to finish the baby quilt for my co-worker. If I keep the project simple I seem to do better. I laid out the last to BOM squares and will sew them tonight....maybe.
My friend is seriously ill with cancer. My daughter is preparing to graduate from high school. My husband has a 4H archery shoot this month. My son has 2 friends coming from Tennessee to stay with us for a week. My check book balance ..... I don't even want to think about that!
So, with all these other activities going on around me I am not able to focus on my own projects.
I am planning my daughter's graduation celebration, and that involves yard work and yard work - because the place has to be presentable. So while I am side-tracked this month, I keep reminding myself that in June it will be all about me! Maybe.....

When Company Comes

One of my long lost high school buddies came to visit over the weekend. It's been 7 years since our last visit. She said to me, "do you mind if I bring my dog, Max?" and I said, "no, not at all!" When she pulled up in her 1 ton flat bed diesel pick up and Max stuck his head out the back window I thought, "HOLY CRAP". Max is a 100 + pound Rottwieler. Everything IS bigger in Texas.
Our poor dog weighs in at 54 pounds. When he saw Max he got behind me (like I was going to be able to do anything about it). By the time Elizabeth and Max left on Monday morning, Loki and Max were best friends.
You learn so much about yourself when company comes.
You really realize how much you appreciate your own routine. My house is not fancy, and very lived in and loved. But I start feeling insecure about it. I notice the cobwebs or dust bunnies and the bare spots in the lawn. While my friend was talking I would find myself making mental to-do lists. I missed Celebrity Apprentice. I didn't make it to the Soroptimist club's community service day. I made 4 trips to the grocery store and washed the dishes twice a day. And I drank a lot of beer.
So my crafting projects were set aside for a few days. I did make it to Joann's to purchase binding for the baby quilt where my friend quizzed me about how I was going to sew it on. Now I'm not sure...and so I go in search of my quilting book to see if that is indeed how I should do it.
We are all resting now from our weekend. Loki is taking extra naps, and his wounds are scabbing over and healing. The cats have come in the house and while still jumpy, at least aren't glaring at me. In a couple of days we will all be back to normal and I will get that binding on that quilt one way or the other.

Small Town Living

It's pouring rain. So I think today is a perfect day to finish a few projects. The baby quilt - it's ready for binding. To purchase baby quilt binding I have to drive to Santa Rosa. Karl is insistant that the baby quilt have silky binding. So....I decide to do Mother's day cards. I need double stick tape. Off I go in the pouring rain to CVS. They don't have any double stick tape - they are out (of that and a lot of other things) so I run over to Rays - nope they don't sell double stick tape. Ace hardware - they used to carry double stick tape - but today there is none. I seek out the helpful hardware man (who happens to be my son) and he tells me "if this is going to be another incident like the shelf incident yesterday I don't really want to deal with you." Only because I felt like the shelf brackets I purchased there were defective and caused me to have a fit and drop the f bomb a half a dozen times while trying to explain to him what my problem was. He was insistent there would be double stick tape and really would have wanted to prove me wrong.
So I came home with a family size bag of doritos and no double stick tape.

If I owned a craft/fabric store I would be putting the binding on my baby quilt gift, and working at my large spacious and cheerful work station.......

I think I will go work on those first Saturday quilt blocks.