Happy Anniversary to Me!

Two years ago today I started blogging. Apparently it agreed with me because I've been pretty chatty - this is also my 500th post. No surprise to anyone of course as I've already mentioned this fact a couple times LOL!

If you have left me one or more comments since I first mentioned this then you are already entered in my anniversary give away. If you've not commented yet, or would like to enter more than once, then comment on this posting. I will give everyone a couple more days, then will do the drawing on Tuesday evening. I want to mail the package on Wednesday so make sure I have your email address as I'll need the winner to send me their snail mail address right away. I've done some shopping for more things to add to the box - I think it will be a nice present for whoever should win.

I've been busy with crumb chaos blocks since my last post. I'm eager to get all these blocks together into tops so I can reclaim the basket they are sitting in. Rick's and Rebecca's camping quilt is on the longarm all ready for me to start quilting it. I'm choosing a pantograph of blowing leaves which seems appropriate for an out-of-doors quilt. Jeremy's and Chelsea's camping quilts are all pieced together and waiting patiently on hangers for me to sew on the borders. I'm currently piecing a larger quilt for our bed. Once it is pieced I will have used 598 blocks - which will still leave another 418 blocks! I will be able to piece at least three more tops from the remainder - by then I think I'm going to be thoroughly sick of these blocks and more than ready to move on to something else!

Yesterday I completed the orientations required for volunteers at Fort Vancouver, a National Historic Monument and Park here in town. I will be working in the period clothing area, which is run by Eileen Trestain, our instructor of the nineteenth century quilt classes I've been taking. I will be helping create and care for all the period clothing and linens at the Fort. Tomorrow I will report for my first work session - they are held on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00-3:00. I'm really looking forward to participating.

Seems like the weeks since I retired have just flown by in a blur. This past week I quilted two customer quilts, visited my Chelsea and Sophie, ran errands, took care of necessary visits to the doctor and the dentist, completed paperwork for moving my 401K into a new IRA as well as paperwork for receiving my pension starting in March, and tried to fit a bit of my own quilting in between everything else. So far next week looks like it will be almost as busy. As so many of you said, I already can't imagine how I ever had time to work!

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Gratitudes:

1. Return of warmer weather

2. Good report for all my lab work - I'm healthy

3. Coffee this morning with Rick and Rebecca

4. Gourmet hot chocolate

5. Wonderful period fabrics for 19th century reproduction quilts