This day...

started very early this morning...

But the ironic thing is...

this day started very early (about an hour earlier)
18 years ago today...

Of course, I spent a good part of that day at home in labor

before heading to the hospital at 4:30 PM...

and welcoming our first born at 9:26 PM

(2 weeks early, 8lb 4oz, no medication!)

And why should this early morning be any less exciting???

I started the day with some art...

and...   

a brief 4 AM visit from this fellow...

(yes, later Mr. U got it between the window and screen,

 Nature Boy was able to get it into a plastic animal carrier 

and we escorted it off the U family premises!)

and woohoo!
My first run in about 2 weeks...

(can you say vacation? heat wave? lazy?)

No...
this day was not just an ordinary day!


Happy 18th Birthday to my sweet girl!!!

(and it is Day #27 of "30 Days of Get Your Art On" too!)

It's my party

... and I'll fly if I want to....

(my longest and furthest run.... ever!)

....I'll lie if I want to...

....I'll stand by if I want to....

I'll not dye if I want to....

....I'll cross eye if I want to....

You would try too,



if it happened to you!!!

...I'm appreciating 49 years of life today!

Gimme a Break!!!!!!!!!!

Aw Geez!!!!

I got THE email!!!!!!

the...

"Dear participant:" email that says....

This is just a courtesy reminder that you have not entered any mileage recently.

The last mileage entry you made was for 08/19/2010.

..... sigh!

I signed up at this site to join Jacquie and Katie on their
Improv(E) Your Butt Challenge!

And they keep sending me hate mail!!!!!!! (I hate to be reminded!!!!!)

Yes... it is true... I have NOT visited the gym for a wee bit!

Gimme a Break!!!!!!

I've been kinda busy this week!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been cleaning my sewing room...

(AGAIN!!!! Didn't I just clean it?!!!!)

I've been making some placemats...

for a little guy I know...

I've been journaling....

I've been celebrating birthdays...

(Nature Boy is so shy!)

I've been watching the morning glories unfurl...

their petals....

(Amazing... really!)

I've been watching my eggplant grow...

and enjoying toasted tomato and basil sandwiches...

(all from our garden!)

I've been scratching Maggie's belly...

(Sugarbaby loves to bring over the neighbor's dog to play!)

I've been planning a garage sale...

(which took about 3 days of preparing and was only semi successful)

and I've have been really trying to get the younger two U's to start
their homeschooling year a little earlier this year...

(it is going about as slow as molasses!)

So before I hear from them again, 

 I will get off my cutting table, put away the fabric, the paints,

the flowers, the vegetables, the books, the animals...

and take a nap!!!!

What are little boys made of?

What are little boys made of?

Frogs and snails

And puppy-dogs' tails,

That's what little boys are made of.

And then they grow up to be 14 year olds!!!!

Happy Birthday, Nature Boy!

I love you!

How is it possible...

that this...

and this...

would grow up to become 

this...

and this..

and this...

You've come along way, Baby!

Happy 17th Birthday to my (sweet, first) Baby!

Crossing the road....

cross·road   /ˈkrɔsˌroʊd, ˈkrɒs-/ Show Spelled[kraws-rohd, kros-]
–noun
Often, crossroads.
a.the place where roads intersect.
b.a point at which a vital decision must be made.
c.a main center of activity.

Why did Upstatelisa cross the road?! ***

This is the story of how I crossed the road on

Workbook Wednesday

(which is today, you know!)

Last night, after a busy day of blogging, homeschooling,

running our weekly homeschool sewing group,

moving the contents of our old-old fridge to our new-old fridge,

(yes, I currently have 2 fridges in my kitchen!)

and

watching a movie

 (so I like a low key kind of birthday!)...

(but I know how to have a good time!)

 I crawled into bed
and realized that I didn't have a whole lot to show
for Workbook Wednesday.

Thanks to Patty...
She has this wonderful, wonderful collage....

and awesome shadowed pear...




Thanks also to  Mathea
for downloading her beautiful window to our flickr group...

But all I had managed to accomplish this past week
 for my Workbook Wednesday post was....

the soft curved piecing..

(exercise 1, chapter 5)

 in which I then inserted the strips....


(exercise 3, chapter 5)

I skipped wonky piecing (exercise 2, chapter 5)
cuz I thought that I was all ready wonky enough!




But there is nothing like a run in the early morning
to get the creative juices flowing
and
"cross the road", so to speak!



(...okay! so this photo makes you think you have double vision..
but your photos wouldn't look so hot if you tried to hold your phone
steady after running 4 miles either!)

Anyway....
I headed back to the drawing table
(or tablet, really!)


(maybe you should have your eyes checked after all!)

I decided to use the wonky piecing idea

for my next mini quilt...

and after some ripping out....

repiecing...

and some fun straight stitch quilting...

I have my latest cactus to add to my growing quilt series!!

*** I was appliqued to the chicken!