Monday Miscellaneous

A Fabulous Giveaway:

Carla at Sew It Up Baby is generously giving away this lovely wall-hanging.

The giveaway lasts through October 14th.  Each person can earn up to 4 chances to win.  Be sure to get on over there and enter.  (Although really, it would be better for me if you didn't, because then my competition wouldn't be so fierce.)  ;-)

Packing the Odd Items:

Have you ever tried to pack an electric guitar and electric bass--neither of which have cases?  It's not easy.

(Charley is supervising)

We got this box at the recycle bin when we were dropping off our recyclables.  A bit of luck there, finding a box that would fit both guitars.  I've tied the guitars to the back of the box.  Padding them proved to be a challenge.  As you can see there are bath mats in the mix.  I used a couple of sheets too.  Then my mom remembered the 1 1/2"  thick piece of foam rubber we'd been saving because it was "just too good to throw away".  For once, saving something like that turned out to be a good thing.  It was just the ticket for padding the guitars.  As long as the movers don't sling the box around too much, they should be okay, I think--I hope.

As for all the other crap we've saved because it was "just too good to throw away", it's either in the trash or will be in next weekend's garage sale.  I don't know how we've accumulated so much stuff in the eight years since we moved to Nevada with nothing but what we could fit in a covered pick-up truck.

Quilting Withdrawal:

Yes, I'm still working on the New York Beauties.   If I've counted right, I have 159 done.  Here's the latest batch: 

Currently, they are my only quilting outlet.  As much as I enjoy doing them, I find that I enjoyed them more after some FMQ on the Juki.  I guess, I need to have my quilting activities mixed up for maximum satisfaction.  The sad thing is, I'm afraid I'm going to get all the blocks done BEFORE I get settled again.  Then what I am going to do?  Kind of ironic considering that back when I started, 196 blocks seemed rather daunting.

Monday Miscellaneous

My Dad's Memorial Celebration:

My dad's memorial celebration was held this weekend.  It was an immediate family event, so there were just twelve of us.   They all stayed at the house because there was a couple of events going on in town that had all the hotel rooms booked.  It was crowded, and some of the accommodations weren't ideal, but I'm glad it happened that way.  It was wonderful having everyone to support one another during the entire weekend.

The actual memorial was Friday evening.  It wasn't formal, just various family members sharing their thoughts and memories, and finishing with the Miller Lite toast (my dad's beer of choice).  A lot of remembering went on all weekend, and I think it was good for us all to be together for more than just the scheduled time for the memorial.  We laughed and we cried.  Before my dad's death, we'd had this group to the house for semi-yearly family reunions, which were basically big parties--quite a few beer connoisseurs in the family, my dad included.  So the party tradition had to continue for the memorial too.  Beer and guitar playing.  The group really got going, belting out the words to "Cover of the Rolling Stone".  Dr. Hook didn't have anything on us.  My dad would have loved it.



Back to the Move:
This morning, we'll turn all of our energies once again toward the move.  Packing will begin in earnest, and we'll make preparations for the garage sale scheduled for weekend after next.  Although I enjoy visiting garage sales, I'm really not a fan of having them.  But how else do you get rid of all the miscellaneous crap you've gathered through the years?  The moving truck is coming November 1st, and time really seems short now.