Time Marches On

A song from "back in the day"  Time Marches On by Tracy Lawrence

While it still feels like Groundhog Day (the same day-after-day-after-day-after-day)
in reality, time is marching on.





When all this "shelter-at-home" started I thought "I can do this! Think of of that UFO list and that long list of to do's and cleaning projects!"  But, I'll admit, it is wearing thin.  All I really want to do is sit around in my jammies and eat Oreos.

And, I'm one of the lucky ones!  I have a job that keeps the day interesting...mostly ... albeit I do work from home.  And, if I really need to, I can go out and take a walk or go to the grocery store.
Not everyone is as fortunate.







Had a nice telephone chat with one of the Needlers yesterday, Miss Wanda. You'll remember, we Needlers went to have dinner with her back in February (?) early March (?) ... was that THIS year ? .... can't remember exactly... 

Her son took her to her doctor appointment yesterday.... now the assisted care facility where she lives says she must be in isolation for a week in her little apartment.  Granted they were pretty much isolated already, but she feels even more isolated now.

So I have decided she needs a Care Package.  I won't be able to actually see her, but I can leave her this gift.


I put out a call to the other Needlers.  Let's put our heads together and see what we can come up with.

Here is a pattern we decided to include.
Something to give her a chuckle and keep her hands busy,
her mind occupied and memorialize the year, the year of the T.P.
















Miss Nancy and Miss Kate in the studio ... obeying the rules ...
Picking, pressing, cutting and labeling all the fabric pieces to include,
A Kit.




















 Inside the box:  Something to read, some things to eat, hard-to-find paper goods
(nothing says "love" like a roll of T.P) and some notes.

And the box is packed and ready to be delivered.














Some of us may not be able to do much in these strange times,
but we do what we can.

We Love You, Miss Wanda.

I've Lost Count

Where am I?  How many days has it been?  Seems like forever....

... we are only half way through April but the month already seems L O N G E R than March!

I thought I was pretty much finished with masks ... unless someone asked ... 

a few someones did ... people from my Bible Study group ... so the mission continues.

My baby sister taking pop for his doctor visit.

Great nephew sporting the new look.

But, I do have my little mask-making helpers...

8-Year-old g-son

13-Year-Old on the Featherweight

 

Keeping the family safe ... one mask at a time.

Same 'ol .... Same 'ol

The days are ticking past and every day is pretty much the same as day before.

Some days I wonder if I'm in a dream.... is there really a virus that has brought the world to a screeching halt, or am I in a bad dream .... remember the movie Groundhog Day?





















I actually am being somewhat  productive... just no quilting right this moment.

Started cleaning cupboards... slowly moving from one end of the apartment to the other ...  V E R Y slowly.

Isn't the pantry a thing of beauty?

Just moving my sticky note to the next cupboard as I finish one. 
I'm now in the kitchen.  You know what that means..... the oven! 
I promised myself I would not skip the unpleasant chores.



While I am not quilting just now, I am in the studio most every evening ... making masks ... still.
I've been making masks for friends and family.  I have 9 siblings and I'm a baby boomer so all my siblings have children,
who now have children, and even some of them have children.  A LOT of family.
So far I've made and mailed about 80 masks.  With the start of every batch I say...."this is my last batch." 
Then I hear from another nephew or niece ... I can't say "no."

Last Friday's batch to the post office.

Current batch.

One of my brother's and his bride.

 The G-sons actually made their own.
They were quite proud of themselves.

(Though technically I think it is breaking the isolation rules, I do see them about once every two weeks or so.  We all need it to stay sane.)

Do what you need to do to stay sane as we all stay in our places with sun-shiny faces.

Refocus

I thought there would be something magical about the end of the month....After all, April is a new month, time for an end to the virus and time to get back on track and a normal life, right?   It appears that is not to be.

Admittedly, I don't follow the news much because I'm prone to worry and fret but from what I've read and heard this isolation and social distancing IS the new normal ... at least for the time being.

So, with the start of a new month, AND the start of a new week this is a good time to Refocus.

According to the definition of Refocus it is time to refocus my attention by repeating my main points.
To me that means refocus my attention by repeating my normal routine.

* Get up at my normal get-up time.
* Make my bed as I normally would AND open the curtains and the window!  Let in the fresh air and the sunshine!
* Have my coffee and quiet time like any normal day.
* Participate in the streaming exercise time from my gym, Anytime Fitness
        (not quite normal as we would normally be at the gym.)
* Shower as I normally would and get dressed in normal clothes....not P.J.s.
* Be at my desk, ready to work at my normal time.
* Eat normal meals (for me that does not necessarily mean actual cooking.)

Finally, at the end of the work day, retreat to the sewing studio for a bit of R & R;
finish up the boring* masks I've been making and get back to my way more fun normal projects.

Now, THERE is my bright spot for the day.

*doing my duty to God and my country should not be considered boring...but truth be told, making masks is boring.

Doing Our Duty....

...To God and Our country..... STAY HOME!


Many generations before us have been called to sacrifice for their country.  I don't remember such a time, I don't think even my mother would remember such a time (she graduated to heaven three years ago)...my grandmother????  Maybe.

Mary Elizabeth (we kids called her MaMoo)

My Great Grandmother most certainly did; 

World War I and II.

During the Civil War.  Men wen off to war and women stayed home...getting together and rolling bandages.
(also dealing with food shortages and rationing.)

I'm sure you'll remember this scene from
Gone With the Wind.


I don't believe it was so glamorous.

Looks like there was something similar during World War II

(when they also dealt with food shortages and rationing.)

 

In the present, the world over, we are called to STAY HOME.  While I'm STAYING HOME, I decided to do what many other sewists are doing at this time....set my quilts aside and make masks. The present day rolling of bandages.

How-to videos and instructions abound on Facebook and Pinterest.  I'm not really making many, just for family and a few close friends.  We will wear them at the grocery store, or the doctor's office.... only when absolutely necessary...because we are supposed to be STAYING HOME!

I will say at this point....1/4 inch elastic is very hard to find...I think harder to find than T.P.  I didn't have much so I'm going to try long shoe strings for ties.... is this what our ancestors did?  Make do?  Give up a few creature comforts for the war (on the virus) effort?  I will admit, I have not had to give up much, other than going out with friends because I'm  STAYING HOME.

Disclaimer:  I did not make these.

I did make this one.

You may be asking yourself....why does she keep harping on STAYING HOME?"
Because a lot of people are not STAYING HOME.  They apparently think they are on vacation from work and school and therefore should head for the beach!






Really?  These are the smart people?

And I heard through the grapevine it was the

 same on California beaches.

Turn your sound on.

People, please 

STAY HOME!

 Take Brittiany's advice...Stay Home.

Sorry, I had not meant for this to be a rant...I'm done now.

Showing Our Colors

Scrappy Girls Club page on Facebook and 

the National Quilting Day Facebook page are encouraging us to display our quilts for 

National Quilting Day....so I did.

The g-son helped make a sign so the neighbors
would not think I was hanging the laundry.

Behind the Scenes
It was easier than I thought it would be.
I used safety pins to pin the over lap to the quilt.

It's not too late to show your colors.

Join the Virtual Quilt Retreat
and Virtual Quilt show on the
American Patchwork & Quilting Facebook Page

National Quilt Day 2020

Tomorrow, March 21 is National Quilt Day 
AND Worldwide Quilt Day

Two holidays for the price of one!

Now that the state of California has declared a "shelter in place" order, most of us have more time for all the things we've been complaining that we don't have time for:

*Clean out cupboards
*Quilt
*Learn a foreign language
*Quilt
*Clean the oven (me....I must admit)
*Quilt
*Clip the cat's nails
*Quilt
*Clip my own nails
*Quilt
*Practice the Ukulele (after I clip my nails)
*Quilt
*Purge my stash....well, maybe not...

Like you, my Facebook is filled with quilt-related posts.  I've come across these in the last few days.

  

I thought this was a good idea and I am trying to figure out how I will accomplish it from my third-floor apartment.

So, how will YOU celebrate National/Worldwide Quilt Day?