We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. (Author unknown)

Level thinking

Please remember to scroll down to my music player and pause the music before trying to watch this video.

Our relationships create the most stress in our lives. Want some stress relief?

A Brief Course In Human Relations

The SIX most important words:"I admit I made a mistake."
The FIVE most important words:"You did a good job."
The FOUR most important words:"What is your opinion?"
The THREE most important words:"If you please."
The TWO most important words:"Thank You."
The ONE MOST important word:"We"
The LEAST important word:"I"

Author Unknown

A New Commitment

For a while now I've been somewhat disappointed in myself - a pile of quilting books, 3 different magazines arriving in my mailbox regularly, a stash of some of the most delicious fabric on the planet, several containers full of embellishments and various art supplies, 2 wonderful sewing machines, and a soul bursting with creativity thanks to the God of all creation. I read a magazine, or a book, and am so motivated to try this, and that. I see, and buy, some fabric that would be perfect in a certain quilt pattern that I've saved. Yet...what happens? Almost none of those ideas become reality, that new package of image transfer paper remains unopened, that gorgeous variegated thread remains in the thread box looking beautiful and neglected. I recently was given a quote that really spoke to me. It's something a man named W.H. Murray said concerning commitment.

"Until one is committed, there is hesitance, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness."

"Concerning all acts of initiative, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too." "All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred."

"A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man would have dreamt would come his way."

While there are numerous things I'd like to do, I want to try etc etc - I have determined to stop wanting, and start doing in the area of Quilting art. My goal is more than just to DO for the sake of doing, but to do in order to discover what technique I enjoy the most. I'd like to discover "My Style" - my niche. I shall be a quilting arts teacher, with regular commissions that will provide income.

To get started, I have lined up 5 projects to complete in 5 months, 1 per month. Here they are:


I already know that I want to make the bust of a wild mustang using the stained glass technique.


This will be a musical quilt. Robbi Joy Eklow did a guitar. What will I do?



This will be a landscape, with a fantasy figure, like and elf or naiad.



This is more a technique lesson - I'll make a lap quilt.



These are actually going to be pages in a scrapbook, of one or more of my grandchildren. Quilt Pages!

Recent book I've been enjoying

Winter weather promotes book reading and quilting, both of which I've been doing a lot of! I read a book a while back by Rick Riordan, don't remember the book, and so enjoyed reading his work that I invested in books 1-4 of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, written for middle schoolers. I happen to be quite fond of middle school books, thank you very much! Soon the books came in the mail and went on the shelf of "not read yet" books. Since then, I've seen Percy Jackson previews in the movie theatre! I figured I'd have to see the movie, but not until I'd read the books. Every book lover knows that the book is always better than the movie. If you're the kind of bookworm who likes action, with monsters and heroes, set in the style of Hercules as a child, in Manhattan, then you'll enjoy this book. Some of the chapter headings give a hint to the lightheartedness of the writer: "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-algebra Teacher"..."Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death"..."We Take a Zebra to Vegas". You get the idea. Very entertaining, not easy to set down. I wonder if the movie will be half as enjoyable?

there's a reason why we don't have snakes for pets