Life Going On

My friend Phil married Neill (pronounced kneel - and yes she is a female). Their wedding cake was german chocolate. Brilliant, and tasty too.



Fabric, my reward to myself for, um, clearing up my fabric stash.

Phil's wedding reception: finger-food heaven.

Don and me misbehaving in church. *Flashbulb!*

Silly me.

Small trial quilt as a test for a King-sized quilt that I am making from Kaffe Fasset fabrics. It will be the first quilt that I have ever made for my own self. To keep.

Olvia, so far, has survived all the smooching of every person who comes in contact with her. Things are different to those exposed to her crippling cuteness. Knees are weak all over town. Olivia is catching.

Santa came to work. He gave this little girl some candy.

Thanksgiving 2009, me at my folks' house. That's my dad.

The quilt I made for Don's daughter Deanna. I used some of her late mom's dresses.

Boy George. My baby boy.

Olive Rose fabric. Huge roses. Wish I had bought more than one yard. It's dramatic and happy. I love this fabric!!!

Studio sorted and organized.

Yes, I quiver when I walk into there.

It's Christmas Time!

I'm working on (playing with, actually. Weeeee!) a little sumsin-sumsin for a certain someone who shall remain nameless until after Christmas. It's ok though. This is just a practice block.

Someone Bring Me Chlorosceptic, Please.

It's my tonsils: they are brightly colored and busting out all over. Its not strep, but it feels like it. The antibiotics are not doing anything yet. It's hurtie. Which, if you know me, you know makes me a whiney baby.

I'll tell you what. You can leave the Chlorosceptic on my stoop and run away before I answer the doorbell. That way you won't have to listen to me moan in agony or see my fabulous couch-pillow hairdo.

I am sad because I am missing our annual Tribal Fire belly dance show to benefit Akron Children's Hospital. They will be starting in a few minutes. Break a leg, ladies! I love you! I Miss you! I know you will do a beautiful job. What a bunch of special women I get to hang out with. :)

Nesting

I puttzed around the apartment this weekend. The snow is beautiful, and I love to look at it. I just don't feel like driving around in it, so I stayed home all weekend and made like June Cleaver. This is a fraction of my collection of fat quarter fabrics. The cart comes from an old hardware store that my brother Scottie bought out when it closed.
I like it because I can stuff it full and still be able to see what's in there to play with. Plus, it's on wheels!

The coke bottle came from Scottie too. It's perfect for my wholesale quantity of fiber fill.

I'm still working on organizing the studio/closet.

One of my quilts hangs over the bedroom door. The squares are 1inch x 1 inch. What I love about this quilt is the border. I seem to remember borrowing ma's sewing machine to stitch around the apliques. If I had tried to blanket stitch those by hand, I would still be at it now 15 years later.

I put the Christmas ornaments away and put this out instead: My tie-wire tree and a pretty box from ma and dad.

I was lucky enough to be given this pretty sofa by a sweet friend of my parents. That's my first attempt at a yo-yo quilt.

Fluffy little love muffin Lucy is not annoyed at having her photo taken. Much.

Charlotte never even twitched at the camera flash.

She's so happy in her new home. She has been spotted PLAYING!! Playing!!! She likes to kill her purple mousie toy a lot. At 15 years old, she's rediscovering her youth. Sometimes she sleeps snuggled up next to me on the couch, but the bathroom sink is her favorite napping place.

Pictures, Yay!

Here's a quirky quilted journal I made for the white-elephant gift exchange at my parents' house for Christmas. I try to make a journal every year for the ladies in the family to steal from each other during the exchange. I just don't have the time to make one for everyone, so the gift exchange/brawl is perfect. It's also a great deal of fun!

Here's the quilt I made for mom and dad for Christmas. They have done so much for me this year with my divorce going on, I wish I could give them more thn just a quilt. I love you mom and dad. I could not have made it this far without you.



The following are pictures of my new apartment still in progress. I should be spending my first night there tonight. Thank you, Scottie, my big brother, for taking time away from your own projects/life/work to work so hard on my place and for making it everything I ever dreamed of in a home. I love you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Apartment Love

My apartment is almost done. It will be ready tomorrow. I start cleaning it on Saturday, and I will be moved in early next week. Yes!

I am Lazy Today

For my blogging today, here's an excerpt from an email to a friend.

"...Yay. It's Friday. Busiest day of the week here at my lovely research facility. It makes the day go by quickly. Tonight I have a baby shower for a friend. Her name is Bambi. She's due with a son, Maddox, in February. She showed me her latest ultrasound. There's an arrow and the word "penis" pointing to something unidentifiable to me. Usually I can spot a "penis" very quickly. This one needed a sign.

After the shower, there's troupe practice. We are 9 sweaty women crammed into Shanrae's living room laughing and bumping into each other.

Then after that, it's quiet time at home, just me, whatever movie is on, and a thimblefull of single-malt you know what. And probably another thimblefull. :)

Ah.

I found my current bottle in the barn where my apartment is. It was in a box of liquor being stored by my brother Scott. He no longer drinks at all, so I liberated his 60-year-old-plus Scotch in the name of freedom. I've been saving it for an evening of solitude and relaxation. I want to get to know it before I share it. I did have one tiny taste when I found the bottle. I was going to put it back in the box until I tasted it. I could not abandon the poor orphan delicious, not-too-peaty-not-too-sweet, melt-in-my-throat Scotchy Scotch. That would be just plain wrong.

I am off to run esoteric tests and compile mass quantities of data. Have a delicious not-too-peaty-not-too-sweet day,

Ahmi"

Ahmi, by the way, is my bellydance name, my SCA name, and the name I like to go by most of the time with my friends. It feels like my real name.

Think Positive

I am ashamed to say that a few staunch GOP supporters where I work have actually begun arming themselves with guns. The fools are afraid of the next four years. They are pissed off. They blame the Democrats for the current financial mess.

Why is it that some people are only happy being angry at something? These are the same people I refer to in my head as "issue-a-day" people. I see them coming and I say to myself, "What is going to be the issue with him today? How will he find fault with the world around him this time." Hope, to them, seems a vile a four letter world.

You would think after all those years of being around me would give them at least an inkling of how to seek out the good in the universe. I wish for them to gain a sense of hope. A little hope can change the universe.

Miscellaneous Mischief

New Life For This Old Girl

Yep, 'tis true. I am moving on. After 25 years together and ten years of counseling, we have decided to terminate our marriage. I am both happy and sad. Our children don't seem to be too bothered by it. They have known things were not good for a long time.

Our marriage centered on the kids. They are the most important thing in our lives. He and I got along rather well in most ways. What's a few years living as room mates in order that the children grow up safe and secure? That few years got to be ten, and then the kids got to be almost all grown up. None of them was surprised when we made the announcement.

I am looking forward to moving into my apartment when it's completed. It will be located in the second story of my family's barn on the farm in North Lawrence. I know that sounds weird, but it is really a beautiful piece of property, and the apartment is gorgeous. Above is a picture of the view from my deck, complete with beautiful middle daughter. That's a silo out there. How cool is that? I'll still be living close to the kids. They are staying in the house with their dad. Well, the youngest ones will be. Our oldest is off at college for the time being. She'll be at the house too when she's home.

Feel free to get in touch with me if you like. My email is momzilla11@yahoo.com.

Sorry I Neglected You For So Long!

Tribal Fire ladies caught in the act of being silly!

(Ellway, Ahmi (me), and Habibi)

Here we are dancing are hearts out.
(L to R: Ahmi (me), Shakaya, Shanrae, Habibi)

Tribal Fire looking HOT!
(L to R: Ellway, Habibi, Brodan, Shanrae, Ahmi)

Ahmi (that's me) doing my first solo at the Spirit in Motion Show in Wooster Jan 26th, 2008. We raised a total of $1,435.00 for the Have-a-Heart, Do-Your-Part WKDD radiothon to raise money for Akron Chrildrens' Hospital. (Matt Patrick and Angela, we love you to pieces!)

Life is just so full and busy. I have found this new internet place called Tribe.net. Well, it's new to me anyway. I love brousing tribe and reading all about the different things there are to learn about belly dancing and tribal fusion. I have recently become obsessed with SCA - the Society for Creative Anachronism - because they let belly dancers swarm at their gatherings. SCA events are way more abundant than just plain old haflas or belly-dance gatherings. It looks a lot like a big ole party waiting to happen on tribe.net. There are just so many groups to choose from, connections to be made, events happening, dancers to keep in touch with. I've been sort of glued to the tribe.net during my sparsely allotted computer time every other day or so instead of creating posts and documenting my goings on here on my blog. I guess you could say I have a crush on tribe.net. *gasp! and clutch the pearls!*

Playing on Bravotv.com

Here's my design. This is something I would indeed wear. If you like it, vote for it.

I Can't Believe How Fast The Days Go By

Sorry for the lack of art postings. I have not finished my submissions for 2nd April, nor have I got the projects done that were ordered through Etsy - special requests. I have, however, been exercising and practicing the art of the belly dance, I have been making sure dinner is cooked and ready when the family gets home, I have been going to work all day and working my ass off there, I have been running my daughter back from her babysitting job, I have been sewing outfits for my belly dance workouts, and I have been doing the laundry now that my oldest daughter is back at college. I have many pictures of the move which I will try to post in the near future. It seems way more hectic now that the girls are back in school. I practically collapse at bedtime.
The sleeping is excellent this time of year though: the weather is cooling down a tad.
Now I am off to do the most dreaded of chores: laundry. I REALLY want to skip it until next weekend. If I weren't pledged in my heart to keeping my commitments, I would so blow it off.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend, everyone!

So Busy, Yet so Nonproductive

I must be having a low period. All I want to do is sleep and sometimes weep. I run, run, run all day, then, BOOM, I crash in the evening. Up, shower, work, errands, exercise, cook dinner, pack lunches, fall down: that is my day. I have not picked up my art stuff in a few days even though my mind is almost always churning around with ideas for fantastical, colorful, fun creations. Instead I close my eyes and drift off a little fitfully.

At least my cupboards are full of good food, and we have clean plates to eat off of. There are navigable paths cleared through the rubble that is my house. What more could anyone ask for?

I will do some sleeping and get used to the added exercise program for some more days. Keep it simple. Stay connected to God and family and friends. Ask for help if I need it. Be in the present. Even though I feel a little weepy now, I know intellectually that it won't last. I must go through it, not around it. There is always, always, always light on the other side.

Shoe-be Dooby Doo

Sorry I've taken so long to post. I haven't got any new pictures of my own, so here is a picture of a gorgeous shoe. I forget where I found this picture. I just like the shoe.

Have a great day, everyone.