more for my recent past...

So while we walked to the fairgrounds to see the quilt show, we walked through the mall on our way home... (Avoiding a bit of a hill. But we also avoided the ice cream shop in the mall.) As we departed, lookie what we saw...

Not sure what you are looking at?

just a momma getting ready to have her babies...
I can not wait to take Jacob for walks when the babies are hatching/hatched... He likes to look at the geese...

Any bets on whether or not those goslings will be born to shop?
The wall in the background = the mall! I think that they are federally protected - it is illegal to harrass them, so where ever they set up house is where they are - including the mall!

Portland or BUST & a give away (EDITED)

Just in case you missed the news, the Calico Family is travelling to Oregon in July to attend the Sisters quilt show. (Our main hub is Clackmas, but we are overnighting it in Bend on Friday night so the drive to Sisters is manageable.)

Still soliciting eateries... General advice...

Anyone else going to the show?

I am putting my neame in the hat for each & everyone. I have been wondering about hand piecing & Inklingo specifically for like forever... I own 3 books on hand piecing (2 by Linda Franz & 1 by Jinny Beyer), but I have never tried it... I am thinking that with a kit, I'd actually give it a go. http://inklingoprojects.blogspot.com/

OH CR@P! I have no idea why, but when the comment thingy is embedded in the post (Like on the inklingo blog) I can not post a comment. For the record, I have NEVER been able to leave a comment in this scenario... Oh well... I guess this is a sign that a.) I don't need another project, b.) I don't need to learn a new technique, c.) I could keep whining...

Newsprint effect

Newsprint effect
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

The Calico Family is going to Sisters in July!

I am cashing in my airline points. We arrive late on Thursday & will be staying in Clackmas. On Friday, we head to Bend where we will stay over so that the drive to Sisters is considerably shorter. (Any advice on when we should leave, so that traffic & parking issues are minimized?) After the show on Saturday, we head back to Clackmas. We don't have any plans for Sunday, but we will be taking the scenic drive to Multnomah falls on Monday & we head back to Washington DC on Tuesday.

Any eateries worth mentioning? (Fish/vegeterian) (VooDoo Donuts?)
Anything too see/do in on the way to Bend?

goings on...

So we all just had a virtual quilt show. Cathi said that is was a "green" quilt show. Which made me feel a bit guilty because the Calico Family is "planning" to go to Sisters this year in Oregon - all the way on the other side of the continent! (Any advice & travel ideas are welcome & solicited. Seriously, who among you has flown cross country with a 6.5 month old baby? - including a layover.)

With that said, the local show that I mentioned in passing on Friday - we walked to it. (About 2 miles each way, not including the walking around parts...)

My favorite!

close-up

Which was suprising considering this quilt

close-up

second close-up
Do you see that brown log? I have that fabric in black, red, green, yellow & I saw it in blue... So you see I do not have "every" cat print available. & boy did I drool over that brown bit - I can admit it.
& this quilt were also in the show.
I have 90% of those cat prints.

Speaking of cats, at the same time, at the county fairgrounds, there was a charity cat show. I walked around there as well. All I can say today about all of that walking... I have shins!

So I missed ANZAC Day - I am not an Aussie, but I like ANZAC cookies

Here is my recipe. Switch out the butter for margarine & you have a VEGAN friendly recipe!   Anzac Cookies Yield: 3 Dozen 1 c Flour 1 c Rolled oats 3/4 c Finely shredded coconut 1 c Sugar 1/2 c Butter 1 tb Maple syrup 1 1/2 ts Baking soda 2 tb Boiling water 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease cookie sheets; set aside. 2. Combine flour, oats, coconut and sugar. 3. Melt butter with maple syrup over very low heat to avoid scorching. 4. Combine baking soda and water. Add to butter mixture; stir into flour, mixing well. 5. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2" apart on sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from sheets and cool on racks.

rolling over & chatting!

rolling over & chatting!
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

He's been rolling over for a while, but this is the first time that I caught it on video! There is also a little cat sniff of his feet.

local quilt show this weekend

http://www.friendshipstar.org/

remiss

DSC07029.JPG
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Seems I am a bit remiss about the cats on "The Calico Cat" blog... Here is my little man cat being just as helpful as he can be. As you can see this was in the middle of the great pile-up. By the end of the exercise, he was on the pillow & only once did he get almost squashed by falling quilts.

I am getting a quilt ladder (soon - this weekend!) So some of my quilts are out waiting to be displayed. I also think that I will replace "Plain Spoken" even though I just hug it on the wall. (I want a bigger quilt up there.) So my Kaffe Fassett is out while I think about putting that one up, its nice & springy. A few others are out - waiting for me to get a round to putting them awway...

Can anyone use a roll of foil?

http://www.reynoldsrecycled.com/rebate.aspx

Park City Quilt Show

I'm so late for the show... My number 1 reason for not joining a guild & showing my quilts in real life...

Yesterday, when I saw at least a dozen entries on my bloglines, I decided that I would hold a photo session that evening!

My first question to answer was, "How do I choose just one?" Is it the rag quilt that will be my only rag quilt? The blooming 9-patch that sat waiting forever? Either of my Taupe quilts? Either of the gift quilts for my son? Any of the quilts that I made for my son? The quilt that I made for my husband? The halloween quilt that I made because I had so many cat prints? My wedding Chuppah? My wedding signatures quilt? The authentic Amish quilt? The Plain Spoken quilt that is hanging in my living room? The Metro Blue quilt that I am so glad that I made a while ago becasue I am not so much into blue & brown anymore? My bed sized fish applique quilt - just to prove that I could make a bed sized applique quilt? Either of the two cat charm quilts?

No, if I have to choose a favorite it would be this one:

I love that it is scrappy, I love that it is 100% hand made, I love that it is curved piecing, I love that none of the "blocks" are quite the same or "correct", I love that my grandmother can tell you about the scraps, "I remember wearing a dress made out of that fabric." & I love that my grandmother trusted me with it. It was made by my great grandmother, Edna Lane in the 30's.

That would be his great great grandmother!

I forgot

Before taking an unexpected break, I forgot to post about Lancaster...
This quilt was my second favorite...

you can see a better shot & read a bit about it here: Grape Harvest.

My favorite:

close-up:

Who made it? What is is called?


I liked the concept & the fact that it is "doable."

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy

DSC07024.JPG
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Close your eyes
Have no fear
The monster's gone
He's on the run and your daddy's here

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

Out on the ocean sailing away
I can hardly wait
To see you come of age
But i guess we'll both just have to be patient
'cause it's a long way to go
A hard row to hoe
Yes it's a long way to go
But in the meantime

Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Darling, darling, darling
Darling sean
-John Lennon

orange

MOV07006
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Spring has sprung

To begin, my refrigerator is clean... (Thanks.)
As is my oven/stove top & microwave. The countertops & sink are next...
(The rest of the place is in a better state of tidy - especially considering the 2 cats...)

The Lancaster quilt show was very nice again.
Unfortunately I missed my turn onto 30 off of 15. I knew the turn was "near" Gettysburg. No idea why it did not click in that I had gone too far before I got to Dillsburg. The sign that said 74 to York, was my "ACK, I missed my turn moment." You see, I should have taken 30 to York in my way to Lancaster... & Yes, I did take 30 home, and after I turned onto 15, I did a quick glance back to see how big the sign was that I missed! (Big enough) The worst part as I passed that exit, I had thought about going into the Wyndham to use the facilities...

Anyway, I got there and not to much the worse for wear.
Even Jacob enjoyed the show. Especially the quilts where he was close enough to see them... He's got one of those attentive gazes...

I only missed the vendors on the top level of the Continental (AKA Renegade Mall) hotel. I don't think that they have an elevator, I only got into the bottom level using the separate entrance...

On Sunday, we bought our meat for Passover (6 lbs. of Bison Brisket & 2 big chickens - I already had chicken breasts & I'll get the fish on Friday). After which we had a nap & then a walk in the awesome spring weather.

A lady walking her dog took this shot for us. (I really want to get a picture of him in a wide expanse of daffodils. & I really want to get a picture of him with the Cherry Blossoms.)
Here is the best of the arm stretched out baby wearing photos.

He was so "DONE" by that point... He had already napped while I wore him - Bliss... & not unlike the quilts at the quilt show, he was taking in all of the scenery, including the lake (just not in this photo).

We saw turtles, cormorants, cranes, & geese - lotsa geese!

giveaways

I love the paint by number fabric (still hoarding my birds...)
So I have to tell you about this giveaway...
While I am at it can I tell you how much I love her stitchery in progress on her title banner? >^..^<

I also got the hugest box of ties from Julie! Thanks again. (Seriously the hugest... I was expecting a dozen - not 100 or more!)

& I won a knitted dish cloth & some lovely fabrics from Miniature Quilter. Thank you again. :o)

I will be cleaning in the stewdio/baby's room, hopefully I can find my little give away... (It is probably in an obvious spot - on in a spot that I dare not enter while I have so much other spring cleaning to accomplish...)

update

So Jacob looks deceptivetly good according to the Gastroenterologist. He said, that Jacob is in proportion (He is off the curve in weight & length) & has pretty skin - no blemishes/rashes, which are common with the spit up...

After the appointment, we took him for lab work (Blood, urine & stool) so that we can hopefully get some answers in a couple weeks.

& he has a new Rx to help with the spit-up.

Other than that, he is still happy, active, cooing, grasping, eating, etc.

Lancaster is this weekend & my attendance will depend on how quickly I get my cleaning done...
I was also wanting to go see the Cherry Blossoms with Jacob, but the rain has probably made them into a big mess & he does not need to be out in the rain. (It has rained during the Lancaster show 95% of the time that I have attended, so no suprises there.)

Anyone want to come over & clean my refrigerator?

Thanks

Did I mention how great you all are? Thanks for all of the supportive comments.
(un)Lucky for Jacob his father is a worrier, so as long as he reads that a baby should be gaining an ounce a day & as long as the pediatrician shows (any) concern, there will be a good dose of worry going around. And then there is the "I don't interfere." interfering savta. (Savta is Hebrew for Grandmother.)

Don't get me wrong, I am worried about all of his spit-up since it really does appear to be equal to the amount that he takes in... But the day care lady says that he doesn't spit up an unusual amount & when I put him down for a nap (back to sleep after the midnight feed) after feeding him he doesn't spit up...

But he is a happy baby. When he is hungry, he will let you know - so by him not complaining all the time, I am led to believe that he isn't starving...

All in all it was nice to read about situations that were not all that different & everything worked out in the end.

Which reminds me of a couple of toddlers that we know. Baby "T" was born first & is "small" to be generous. (-5th percetile) Baby "A" was born second (by several months) & is "big" o.k. "huge." (+95th percentile) Meanwhile they are both happy & apparently healthy... & Baby "T" get's hand me ups! So we have visual proof of the differences in babies, but when it is your own baby...

On the quilty front, I have actually been sewing on my sewing machine! On the I SPY quilt! (I wasn't going to mention it until I had photographic evidence...)

& Jacob is almost able to roll himself over from the back to the front (Planting that foot & pushing = too cute!) & he likes to sit in his Bumbo & I just ordered a high chair!