Levenger

It is always a pleasure to receive a package from Levenger. Your purchase quite often comes in a very nice box.When you open the box, your merchandise is carefully wrapped in a soft cloth imprinted with the Levenger name.

This is the little "Circa" leather notebook I ordered (on sale) to use as an organization tool.

Inside is my identification card and I have added tabs to section off the areas I need to get organized - project lists, web sites to visit, books to read, etc. A pen holder on the side holds a smooth-writing ballpoint pen.

Neatly written in this new little notebook are my lists.

Life will be exceptionally good from this day forward. Yes, I'm counting on one fancy little notebook to change my life. Think it will work?

Retreat Week

After enjoying my cousin's visit this week, I then left for a church retreat. In front of my assigned room was a gift bag containing water, a candle, some snacks, a journal with pen, a gift book, and some cozy sleeping socks. Our accomodations were very nice and comfortable. The food was excellent. The space was perfectly suited to our needs - a meeting room, a chapel, and a coffee room. I had more pictures, but I found out that the place requested "no pictures", so I cropped this picture of my bedroom enough that no one could tell where the picture was taken.

My cousin went home, my visiting cat went home, and now I am all alone again with Mr. Bear.

The week was rich and full and wonderfully enjoyable. I'm planning on making the upcoming week rich and full and wonderfully enjoyable by fitting some sewing, stitching and knitting into my days.

My Hero (my cousin)

My cousin, Mary Beth, is my hero this week. She is here for a visit and to help old Bonnie accomplish some things that needed accomplishing. Clothes shopping was first on the list. I hate buying clothes and hate trying on clothes and am definitely not good at picking clothes that look good on me. My cousin parks me in the dressing room and runs around the store gathering up things for me to try on, gives me honest feed-back, and I get enough clothes to last me for the next season.

My laptop problems have been ongoing since the first of the year, but with my cousin's help and the WONDERFUL service at Circuit City (Kildeer, IL), I now have a new laptop that works perfectly.

We stopped at the new Home Pizza store on our way home from a walk and got a freshly made pizza to bake here at home.

It has been a great week. Everyone should have a cousin like mine!

(P.S. - She also took the new photo of me in my profile)

Project preparation

My friend, Lindsay, and I are going to help the high school kids in our church make some crazy 9-patch quilts to use as a fundraiser. So we gathered our Christmas fabric, ironed and cut 12 inch pieces to begin the project. The kids will do the rest of the cutting and the sewing with our supervision.

Here are 72 pieces of fabric ready to get started on two quilts.

It didn't take us very long, so we had time for lunch and enjoying part of a movie with Lindsay's daughter and rescued greyhound.

Quilting friends are the best!!!

More cat stuff......

My visiting cat got a treat today - some fresh air. When I got home this afternoon, the sun was shining and there was definitely the smell of Spring in the air. I have a tiny one-season back porch that is fully screened and safe for the indoor-cat. She was very curious and a little tenative. Her pink nose was so busy sniffing all the smells and her eyes darted all around. A gust of wind made her jump back from the screen. I was hoping a bird would be walking in the yard, or a squirrel, but all was quiet. Maybe it would have been too much excitement! No quilting, stitching, or knitting going on here. Life has been busy with other things. Too busy I'm afraid, and right now I am longing for time to myself.

I am very grateful though for the volunteer work I do and the people I work with and that I have the energy to contribute in a meaningful way.

American Idol and Dancing with the Stars are both on tonight, so maybe I will get some knitting done - that is if the cat will let me. Do you know how hard it is to knit with a cat occupying your lap?

Finished quilt

Here is my finished quilt top that I started on the first Quiltathon day. The colors look dull here, but they are very bright. The backing is made from the leftover greens with a few other greens added to make it large enough. As you can see, the cat inspector is deciding whether to approve or not.

The green batik fabric is so vibrant and beautiful, but it just does not photograph well. Trust me, it looks much better in person.

While attempting to pay my bills, dear visiting cat decided to give me some assistance. She is hoping my lap will soon be available.

Good Friday

Two days before Easter and we are having a snow storm! Yesterday the sun was shining and it felt like Spring. Today it is snowing. I went to the grocery store, which was filled with Easter Lilies, cute bunnies, colorful flowers, and displays of pastel candy. Then I walked outside where the wind was whipping freezing sleet against my face. You have to have character to live in the northern Illinois. I wonder if any of the children are making snow bunnies?

Happy Easter to all...........