Do you really know ME?????

OH MY GOD - what a day!!!!!!

True to my style, I cruise along on something UNTIL the deadline is looming in my face. I DO NOT know why I do that. Yesterday, I had not one, but TWO editors on my case about the articles I owe them. OK OK - magazines have BIG deadlines and I can no longer put off finishing them.

I spent the morning finishing off the article on Squaring Up Blocks for A Needle Pulling Thread. Writing an article is not as easy as it sounds. Even for me who likes to write. How do you keep it succinct, yet interesting and easy to read and understand. Well pictures help a lot and as I am going through the sections, I am running around the house grabbing blocks or this project or that to use as illustrations. Drat - two of the pictures I want are on the small camera and for some reason my computer is NOT reading that card these days. Have to be done with the big camera. What do I have that needs to be trimmed???   Grabbed an UNSTITCHED block and used that as a demo. There are only TWO pieces of applique - I am sure it will be fine with the stitching.

Hmmmm - how to modify this picture in Photoshop Elements to illustrate my point. Ah - that was easy. My favourite software!!!!!!   At last - I shoot everything to the editor. ONE DOWN - one to go.


Now let's switch gears and look at writing an article about cycling. Yes - I know - who would have thought. I had a VERY rough draft in place. But how do you convey a trip like that - the topic was my trip to the Arctic. I edited and rewrote and edited and rewrote all afternoon. I am not 100% sure about the final product - I am one of those who could tweak forever. However I decided to shoot it to the editor so he could let me know what he thought. Then another editor was asking for pictures. LOTS of pictures. Oh drat - they are all still in HUGE size and how am I going to shoot her lots of pictures for her to choose. AHA - I can upload them to Flickr. which I did.

THEN another bombshell. The original editor says this piece is going to be a FEATURE in the magazine (which I knew), but now he wants a BIO from me as I will be on the contributors page. ACK!!!!!!!!!     Now they will know that I am a FRAUD - I am NOT a big cyclist at all.  Especially after I looked at back issues and see that everyone is a retired racer or something like that. Well not quite that bad, but this is going to take a bit of wordsmithing to come up with something really cool and exciting about the cycle side of me!!!!!   And I notice that all the contributors have pictures of them in cycle gear or on a bike. Yikes - I had better find something interesting that DOESN'T show my rolls of fat in my jersey!!!!    CRAP- have to review some more pictures.

I am not sure I could write on a regular basis!!!!    OK - so I like it - just need to get my head around it. Hmmmm - what else could I write????????



You never know who will remember what you do!  I got an e-mail from Frank's wife. Frank was the guy who redid the shower in our house several years ago. She is looking to make a quilt for her sister who is getting married and could I help her. I said YES, but only if I could trade for a couple of days of Frank's handiwork. I have some shelves that need built and a few other things - yes it is a waste of Frank's time - but it will make me and his wife happy at the same time - a win win for everyone. I can't wait to make up the list cause there are a lot of niggly little things. This is so perfect - I am excited. Only one problem - she wants the quilt by April 1 and I already have one memory quilt in the schedule. Just means I have to work smarter and faster.


Today is a Pampered Sit n Sew day. I had to get the place tidied up so they would have room to sew. Despite all my ongoing projects on the table, it took less than ONE hour to have the room ready for the girls to sew. I am SO EXCITED about that. Less than ONE HOUR. I really must try to get more things finished though so I don't have to move them, but it is very hard at this time with so many ongoing projects - those monthly ones are a killer.

I moved the rolling project shelf into the stash room along with a few other things and shut the door. Went back later to put something else away and CRAP - the DOOR IS LOCKED. CRAP CRAP CRAP - I normally leave the keys in the lock, but several times lately when I walked past that door - the key ring caught on my sweater so I removed the keys and GUESS WHAT - I put the keys on the shelf just INSIDE the door to that room. Yes - that means - the door is LOCKED and the keys are INSIDE. CRAP CRAP CRAP


Wait - don't panic!!!!!     Let's think - what can I do ???   Call a locksmith????   I was in shock and texted M - did she know how to pick a lock?????    After she stopped LAUGHING - she said - GOOGLE it - it is EASY. GOOGLE it - OK - so I googled it. Yep - tons of information on how to pick a lock. I couldn't deal with it last night so up bright and early this morning and got out my tools.



After fiddling for a few minutes - I gave up. This is stupid. Then I refocused - got a chair and then realized I was trying to turn the lock the WRONG way. DUH - then it was easy. POP - the door opened. WOW - that WAS easy!!!!!!!  

My lock picking tools

Have to run as I have to MAKE lunch (Shepherd's pie from scratch) and I need to get those potatoes peeled.



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!