Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy these images - starting with a view from our front yard, looking across the street, about one month ago. Love that fall color!

Here's another stunning shot - taken from my neighbor's driveway, looking through her garden (I can't take credit for those beautiful marigolds, cosmos, and clematis over her gate), into our backyard. That maple in the background is ours, and it gives us a beautiful view from our family room (just to the right).

There was a great Mary Schmich column in the Chicago Tribune this week, on the theme of Thanksgiving. I tried to include a link, but blogger is fighting me right now. Just go to Chicago Tribune, Mary Schmich, November 21. The column is titled "Even the terrible things seem beautiful to me now."

And who could resist these cuties? These are some of the 3-week old girl pups from our litter - we are schedule to pick up OUR puppy in about one month - just in time for Christmas!

Another problem trying to include a link - type in the following into You Tube to get a real day brightener! I actually applauded after watching this one. Enjoy - and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sound of Music - Central Station Antwerp (Belgium)

The Black Fabric Fiasco

So, I've been working on this project, piecing letters and star blocks, and using solid black fabric as the background for all of them. I had some black fabric in my regular stash, but when I used that up, I went hunting, and found a big piece - about 3 yards - in a cardboard box. I had an UFO (unfinished object, a common term for us quilters!) in the box, including many pieced blocks, and the large piece of solid black. Do you see where this post is going? I cut off a large piece of the black, about 1/2 yard, and started to press it. Black dust and lint were everywhere! On the ironing board, on the floor, and on me. I decided to wash that piece, and the remaining 2+ yards - so into the washing machine they went!
And this is what came out! I was upstairs when Scott removed them from the washer, and I could hear him exclaim when he saw it! He was shocked, to say the least! What could I say? We had a good laugh over it, and now I have to decide how to proceed.

Last night, I hand washed all of my completed blocks and letters, and I think I can salvage all but about 4 of the letters. I could definitely tell which ones had the "bad" black fabric - it left a ring in the sink! Apparently, the acids in cardboard boxes leach into the fabric, and cause it to break down. I had just never seen proof of it until now!

Thank a veteran today