June

June was active...certainly if you go by the number of pictures I took!

A group of us met for dinner before Quilt Guild

Lu and Julie working on notebook covers - always busy!

The speakers was Margie Lawrence (I couldn't find a website for her) but she's into Round Robin quilts (where a group does quilts by each person doing a section and passing it to the next in the group)

This was one of my favorites - too cute!

I managed to un-bury my sewing machine -

and Dave got all of the movie posters hung over the corner table.  LOVE it!

Jules and I met up at the Sew Expo/Arlington Quilt Show - what a blast!

This was one of my favorites (although there were other awesome quilts at the show as well - I took a lot of pictures!)

"Crazy for Crazy Quilts" by Cindy Hardgrove

On the 9th, Daphne and Jared brought Elena up from San Antonio to see Great-Grandpa!

I mean - how cute is she?!?!?!

On the 13th, Val and I went out to celebrate her retirement.  We decided to go to Northpark - which was great because I got to see two of my favorite kinetic scupltures -

"Hammering Men" by Jonathan Borofsky
and "The Diffracted Symphony" by Sebastien Leon (a sound sculpture)

The orchids were all over the mall and so beautiful

We stopped to see the small (very small-only about a dozen outfits in total) fashion exhibit from the Texas Fashion Collection at Univ. of North Texas -

Wasn't that impressed with the fashion, but enjoyed watching the ducks and turtles in the fountains -

We then went to Maggiano's for lunch -

where they put a candle in Val's desert to celebrate her retirement!

The only artsy stuff I finished was a small wreath to leave at the cemetery at the next Sons of Union Veterans memorial service (they always have to take away the large ceremonial wreath).

On the 18th we ended up having to go to the Apple store to get a replacement for Dave's phone since his had turned into a paperweight - no one could get it to turn on!

You can see how enthusiastic he was about the entire affair!

On the 25th was DAFA - which brought a presentation by Lu on the Japanese mending technique of Boro - it was wonderful and well-attended!

And, last but not least - Dave bought me a new A/C unit for the studio because the other one ceased to function (I mean, really - it was only 17 years old!)

And throughout the month, Mr. R has been his cute self and taking it easy...

May 20-31

A few things for the last two weeks of May -

Blaine had a really long layover at DFW, so we went and picked him up and spent wonderful time with him and went out to dinner before taking him back to the airport - good news! Mr. R decided he was A-OK!

I went to DAFA where the workshop was folded fabric flowers - I didn't get far enough along to take a picture!

Our friend Rob was being honored at a local SCA event, so Dave went to the event to participate -

Rob and Val looked so good in their new outfits! (photo by Steve Herring)

and Dave still looks good in his old ones!

And, of course, on Memorial Day, the Sons of Union Veterans held a service -

the headstone honoring Union Soldiers

Dave placing the wreath

...all followed by a good lunch with good company!

May 01-19

April 30 and May 1 saw the tree guy take out the lightning-struck tree -

and the 4th was Quilt Guild; inspiring "Show and Tell" as well as some wonderful quilts by our speaker, Dot Collins (check her out, here).

a Show and Tell piece I particularly liked - wished I
had gotten the member's name!

section of one of Dot's quilts

one of Dot's sampler quilts

I spent the next week cleaning up my studio so I could get in there to work -

Look! I can reach the door!

and walk into the room...

and my machine is no longer buried...

and neither is the iron!  Hooray!!

Earlier this week, Rob and Val came over for dinner (yes, I cooked...) and to make patterns for new outfits...Val needs to get them finished before the Memorial Day Weekend SCA event...I had a cutting mat and a clean table...

And I actually finished another heraldic cross-stitch!

#33

Also added ribbons to the blackwork chessboard - now to find/make chess pieces for it...

I made it years ago...

Now - to go find something else to finish...

April 03-30

April was workmen, workmen, workmen- including Dave, who did the pantry (including the doors) and put together all of the furniture...until, finally, the kitchen was finished!

of course, I went to the Quilt Guild meeting and the DAFA meeting - but everything pales in comparison to the finish of the kitchen and having our library and living back to "normal".  We even got art hung on the library walls and the garage hall wall!

now - to start dusting everything!