These are a few of my favorite things...

Didn't realize how much it was going to make me channel my inner Julie Andrews when I started typing that. 

The hills are alive, with the sound of music.  With songs they have sung for a thousand years... 

That is the only theater movie that I ever knew my Father's Mother to go to.  She went with my Mom, my Sister and me.  I remember that my Grandmother got dressed up to go to the movies and how that seemed so foreign.  Of course, we all dressed better than most movie goers today, who look like they just got out of bed, or are looking for a dark place to sleep...or both.  I was very young, but I remember paying rapt attention and even though it was at least 45 years ago, there are parts of that evening that I remember well.  And, I tell this story to whoever is watching with me, every time I see the movie. 

You are sixteen going on seventeen, fellows will fall in line...
Totally unprepared are you, to face a world of men.  Timid and shy and scared are you, of things beyond your kin...

I mentioned last week that I had picked up a piece of needlepoint to finish when I was feeling bad.  And, I finished it Saturday night while we watched Crazy Rich Asians.  This is what happens when a quilter wants to learn to needlepoint, but doesn't want to give up quilting to do so. 

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad.

These are six inch quilt blocks, set up as a sampler, and intended to be pillows for my quilting studio.  The one on the left is one of my first needlepoint pieces and it's not square because I didn't use a frame as I worked.  I've learned better and the one on the right was done on a frame and is much "squarer".  The first one will square up, but it will be a lot more work. 

Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...when you read you begin with A-B-C, when you sing you begin with doe-ray-me.  The first three notes just happen to be do-ray-me...

I designed these blocks and drew them out and bought cheap leftover collections of yarn on ebay and when I had the yarn, I colored the blocks and assigned yarn color numbers.  I knew that it takes me a yard of yarn to fill a one inch square, so was able to estimate how much yarn each block would take, then figure out which color numbers I had enough of to do it. 

Climb ev'ry mountain.  Ford ev'ry stream.  Follow ev'ry rainbow...Til you find your dream.  I sang that song as a solo in elementary school and still remember most of the words. 

Today, I'm headed to Cleveland for a conference.  Yippee!  It's cold enough for me here and it's much colder there.  I have two layers of outerwear and two hats and a scarf and gloves and thick soled shoes...yeah, I know how to deal with the cold...I just don't like it. 

What will this day be like...what will my future be?  Oh, what's the matter with me? 

Okay, Lane, get a grip.

Austin is going to have our first freeze this week, too.  Just a little one and it likely won't get all the way to freezing in our yard at the bottom of the hill, but it meant it was time to get ready.  This is one greenhouse.  There's a second one that's plastic and collapsible that sits behind this one and is full of large pots of hibiscus and citrus trees.  Some of the things in here are annuals that I've overwintered for three or four years now, so they're substantial plants now.  The job isn't done.  There's still plenty of clearing up to do.  But it is started and the tenderest plants won't be in any danger and it will do until next weekend when I can do a little more.  Not everything has to be done at once.

Okay, that's it for me.  I'm writing this Sunday afternoon so I just need to hit the button to post it on Monday before I leave for the airport.  It will be a full day of travel that ends in a group dinner.  Tuesday, a full day of meetings, and another group dinner event.  And, Wednesday, a half day of meetings and then I'm headed back home.  Where it will be warmer at least.  Remember when that kind of stuff used ot bother me?  I've gotten much better at group things now. 

Everybody have a great week! 

So long, farewell, I bid you sweet adieu, good bye, good bye....good bye!

A song and a memory for when 'have a great week' just isn't enough.

Lane