Where has the time gone?

Aloha,

It has been months since I have posted anything. Not that what I have to say is of much importance to anyone except me...and not so much to me, either!

I left my little corner of Paradise for a vacation to another Paradise spot - New York City and Staten Island. Friends thought I was a bit nuts to do that but it was for a good cause. Our youngest son and his wife are expecting a baby boy in August. Her family is in Staten Island so my other two kiddos and granddaughter decided to go with me to New York City on the way to the shower!

In the past, I would visit NY several times a year for business and try to tack on a day or two for play time. It has been five years since I have truly had time to play in Manhattan and play we did!!! We went to museums, a Yankees game (last year in their old stadium), Macy's (!), and even to Mood Fabrics (the fabric store for Project Runway!!!). I could have spent most of the week in the garment district. The stores were plentiful and the merchants were all very friendly. We even saw Hair Spray on Broadway!

The baby shower was amazing...there were over sixty people there. It was held at an Italian restaurant on Staten Island - delicious!!! The gifts were so generous. They have enough clothing so the little guy will not have to wear the same outfit or t-shirt twice. No need to wash... I made a quilt with a sailor in the center (my son is in the US Navy), tall ships, airplanes, and the USS Eisenhower carrier. The top center block is blank - just need to add the little guy's name and birth date. I will attach it when I see him in September. The sailor boy is an adaptation of my favorite quilter, Lisa Boyer's Keiki Hula pattern.

For a fun blog and website - www.lisaboyer.com - is the best. She is so creative and has a wonderful sense of humor. Lisa teaches some quilt classes in Kauai - I try to attend each one. She has a beautiful sense of color and design along with a unique teaching style - I learn so much from each class.

After traveling almost 6,000 miles from my little Paradise to that of our family in New York, I realize even more that Paradise is where we are...each person as the gift to make their own spot on Earth a piece of Paradise.

What to do - what to do - what to do first!

It is so much fun to finish a project...then decide what to do next. If the list of "should do" is too long - the I am tempted to do a "want to do" before the "should do". Sometimes the "want to do" is a quick project and fun to do before the "should do" if only to get the feeling of accomplishment that a project was started and finished. This is the case of the little "skull" caps our son has requested. He works in a hospital and needs to cover his hair when he goes into a sterile area. I made one for him while I was in CA and promised a few more before too long. This project has changed from a "want to do" to a "should do" since I am mailing a package to California on Saturday and want to include something for him as well as the little things for our darling granddaughter.

At this point, I should turn off the computer and do something I "should do" and hold off on my "want to do" (such as learn more about this blog-stuff!) until a few more "should does" are done...

Aloha...

Another exciting day in Paradise!

We are so fortunate to live in Kauai - the closest place to Paradise I have ever visited or lived! However, when a person lives in Paradise, one still needs to take care of the normal stuff that one takes care of in a not-so-Paradise place!

For example, this morning, I went to Curves for quite a work-out. Have been remiss in going regularly - Paradise can interfere with good intentions. Once home, decided to tackle the bedroom... Changed the bed and washed every linen including the mattress pad and pillow covers, turned the mattress, put on a new bed skirt, and made the bed with a new coverlet and shams. That took hours...even moved all my plastic bins containing extra (necessary!) fabric and vacuumed under the bed. Once that was done, I noticed dusting was needed. Got the dust bunnies off on their way and saw the blinds and windows were looking a bit gray and dusty.

Cleaning windows and blinds is a constant job over here - the red dirt loves to cling to any clean surface. Actually, I don't mind doing it so much. It makes my view of our little piece of Paradise even more spectacular!

Once the work was done and the old linens washed and packed in the car for donation, it was time to quilt. I got the machine quilting finished for a baby girl quilt - so much fun. Tomorrow is binding day. YIPPEE! I love to bind the quilts, especially the hand hemming. It gives me a chance to think about what is going on in our little part of the world and, at the same time, dream about how Isabella Grace (the recipient of this quilt) may hold on to it and dream her own sweet dreams in her sweet Paradise.

Life is good!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Today is April 7, 2008 - an amazing day in itself and for me, stunning! As of this morning, I am now 56 1/2 years old. Remember when we were children and the "half-birthday" was so cool because we were no longer nine - we were nine and a half - or going on ten or - better yet - we were "almost 10"! Gosh, I guess I am now almost 57. Somehow, it sounded better and much more mature when I was going on ten!

I love sewing, quilting, swimming, being with my friends and family. To celebrate this momentous day, I went to my swim-aerobics class this morning and then spent the afternoon working on a quilt top at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center with a few other friends. I brought truffles to share and did not tell anyone about the significance of the day. Guess it is still fun to have little secrets - even when I am "almost 57"!