Names and such

For the grief my son gave me on his last comment... actually, she used a woman's name on what you are calling a wall ball - she said I did 1/2. I would have remembered wall ball! there is NO WAY I am gonna remember all of the women's names.

Having said that, I do vaguely recall the term medicine ball clean. This one was harder for me to get everything together than I thought it should but then I saw this clip: http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_MBCleans.mov (I did not know how to insert the movie here) and, based upon all the instruction that this guy is giving, maybe I am not so remedial as I felt.

More importantly, a cross fitter goes cross fitting! That is it!

Fitness and Fabric Bowls

Fitness - so far this week.....

• Sunday - biked with R.
• Monday - walked in the am/ went to Cross Fit in the PM - worked on medicine ball squats/lifts (I think that is what they are called). It is where you squat, lift a medicine ball with straight arms, jump up, shrug shoulders, lift the medicine ball by releasing the ball, then bending arms, and then squat again once you are under it. Did 50.
• Tuesday - worked election - that was enough
• Wednesday - did not go to CrossFit - got home too late and was way too tired
• Thursday - CrossFit - went at around 6:30 - they had a different kind of class starting at 7 so I did a short warm up and then did squats with a medicine ball - stood up and threw it up against the wall above a certain line. Did 50 in around 2.5 minutes - they thought that was great and that I could have done 100. I, on the other hand, was really not so sure. It was a very short one, but intense.
• I will be going to CrossFit again tonight. I have officially signed up for the MWF 6:30 pm session.

Been very zoned in the eating - it is getting easy and I feel pretty good about that.

Sunday will tell the story, tho!!!!

Fabric Bowls -

I have been making fabric bowls for a while. When O started working at a school, she asked for one that was school themed (I don't have a picture of it, maybe O will oblige). I then made one for Halloween for both O and Goldie. Holidays and seasons change so now it is time for a T-giving theme. Finished them this am - pix below...

back to basics - some gifted quilts

Time for more quilt postings....

It may be a bit difficult to see, but this is a signature quilt for a friend who was getting married.

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This is a very bright baby quilt - also for a friend. The blocks in the corner and on the top and bottom of the center have cute cartoony pix of animals.

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This is a wall hanging for a friend who was retiring. The flower centers are pictures - some that are 20-25 years ago.

The day after...

we are back to abnormal - but hopefully, we are on a way to a new and better normal. I did work the election as a Roving Inspector - it was fun, spirits were higher than I have ever seen, voting was higher than ever. Long day and one to remember.

One plea - our voting process needs more efficient, effective, competent folks to help out on election days. It is one day plus a few hours of training - but it is worthwhile work. Consider it.

Also - not apropos to the election at all or even to quilting or even to fitness (I have been doing well so far)... I went to the California Governors Womens Conference (I know I am missing some apostrophes there somewhere) and visited a vendor booth called Bead For Life. I bought some of their jewelry. The organization is a group of women from Africa who make beads from magazines. So interesting and a worthwhile cause. The site is http://www.beadforlifestore.org/. Here are some pix...check out their site.

HE WON AND....

therefore, we won!!!!

It's Heeerrrreeeee.................

Finally - election day is here. It just HAS to work out, just HAS TO!

Ya gotta VOTE!!!!!

Getting down to the end of a long election process. Just think how stressful and exhausting it is to interview for a job....what if it took 2 years???? You would be so tired, you would need a one hecka long vaca before you started.

The three that I REALLY want....

1. YES on Obama/Biden
2. NO on Prop 4
3. NO on Prop 8

thas it and thankyouverymuch.

Just think, when Obama gets elected - you can be telling your grandchildren that you were there and you clearly remember the time that.....

Sunday Reckoning

So to review the past week....

• Ate in the zone for the most part...with two exceptions - although I am not really sure that are all that notable. First - three times this week I had a 1 pt weight watchers ice cream bar and then on Friday, we had pizza but I had only one slice. I even ate out a few times and made good choices.


• Worked out at Cross Fit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday - got through the fundamentals training. It is all getting easier or at least better.


• Walked Mon, Tues, Wed so I did not hit my goal of doing something every day


• Weighed in today - at 167.4 so down 2.8 :-)!!! That could just be fluctuation - next week's weigh in will be more telling/significant!

Here is a picture of J and I at the Cross Fit gym....

This next week is going to be tough - with work and the election (I work it). So here is the plan...

• Eat in the zone - so far so good - doing fair with the blocks although I could probably do better with portions.
• Walk on Monday, Wednesday, Thurs, Fri
• Bike today if it is not raining
• Work out on Monday, Thurs, Fri and try to do the warm ups at home on the off days.
• Hope to get to 165 by next Sunday

Pillowcase Posse

I was fortunate enough to head up the members of our Quilt Guild in making pillowcases for an organization called Foster a Dream whose mission is "to provide programs and resources that build the hopes, dreams and futures of Bay Area foster children; and to be a guiding source for successful transition into the adult world." One of their programs is called "Pillow Pals" - which takes place during the holidays. They provide a pillow, a stuffed animal and a blanket to foster children which is designed to provide a little comfort when they are moved from home to home as well as a pillowcase for them to carry their belongings in during these moves. That is where we came in.

We kicked it off in August with an explanation, a demonstration (by me), a pattern that requires only 3 seams (if you want the pattern, let me know) and a challenge to see how many pillowcases we could make by our meeting in November. One Saturday in September, we held a relay as well.

This past Saturday, a representative from the organization came and spoke to our group and I am very proud to say that we were able to present a whopping 263 pillowcases to them!!! Below are some pictures. Their website is http://www.fosteradream.org/

Pillowcases everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sweatin fool

When people work out....some folks get misty, some folks have torrential downpours, others don't do nothing at all. I could cure the drought.

but at least I am working out :-)

day two-in it

In case anyone reads this - it is a quilting/fitness blog. Thought I would post a pix of another one of my quilts just to keep the quilting part going...

The quilt above is one that I did as a block of the month where I was actually the teacher. I made the blocks in a number of different color ways - see first pix. I finally put one of them together and it is shown hanging in my front hallway. The picture does not do the fabric justice - it is a beautiful line of fabrics called Napa Sonoma by a local fabric designer, Susie Robbins.

Now the fitness part... walked this am/ate in the zone all day although I do have to pay attention to portions, particularly during dinner time. I am a bit sore from yesterday - I am told I will be more so tomorrow...looking forward to that!!! I am back at CrossFit tomorrow at 6:30pm.

Monday - dida WOD

So today - I, so far, have eaten well - zone breakfast, zone snack, zone lunch and getting ready to chow down on a zone dinner. even limited myself to one cuppa coffee - thereafter, I had green ginger tea straight up.

Finally got through the warmups and to the first three of the fundamentals. And did a WOD - mini Diana - which, if I remember, was 15 - 12 - 8 of deadlift and handstand pushups. Did them in 5 min 32 sec which is, of course, not a new worlds or olympic record, but what the heck.

The race is on!!!!!

The challenge is on....

J (my son) and I are challenging each other to hit some goals by Christmas morn. We have invited daughters/sisters C and O - but have not gotten word on whether they are in or not. Stakes are winner takes all - J and I are putting in $100 each. If C/O are in, they need to pitch in $50 each.
My goals are:

• Weight – 155 - I currently tip the scales at 170 (yikes and hence the challenge)
• Tactics:
  Crossfit three times per week (four if schedule permits)
  Do something every day – walk, ride a bike, do the warmup exercises
  Eat in the zone every day – once two weeks have passed, then allow a cheat day
  Journal it all

So - yesterday I did officially join crossfit and did the warmup exercises. That was as much as I could do - although they are significant in my estimation:

• jump rope for 5 min

then 3 rounds of 10 each of...

• three different stretches
• squats (rough)
• situps
• not sure what it is called but you lay on the floor (or on the ab-mat which is a terrific invention) , lace your fingers behind your head and lift your head off the ground
• pushups (really rough)
• pull ups - I do the baby kind
• dips - I also do the baby kind

I actually did not feel too good after I did those - probably because I only drank coffee before I did them. I know better next time.

Food - brekkie - toast/pnut butter and apple

Lunch - chicken tortilla soup with some french bread

snack - apple, cheese, crackers, macadamia nuts

dinner - pasta with marinara sauce, squash, french bread, milk

Not exactly good, but have gotten a fairly good start today - will post tomorrow.

it's my birthday...

and here is my strategy about age.... you know how it is when you get older, your tend to forget your age - can't remember if you are 46 or 47, 58 or 59, 64 or 65, etc, etc. Anyway, here is what you do - always round up... that way, when you get to your birthday and finally do the math, you are younger than you thought!!!!

back to quilts

Here is a baby quilt using bright colors and a combination of designs - this was for someone who works for me.

This is my "I heart Target" quilt. I made it about 8 years ago to get me jumpstarted back into quilting ... the rest is history.

This a a wedding quilt that I made and my friend quilted. It was for her son/daughter in law. It includes pictures and notes/signatures of their friends. We entered it into the Marin Quilt Show and won third prize!!!!

and by the way, I did do a great deal of walking today so we will see if sleep comes to the worthy tonight.

Last - below is a Palin debate flow chart...if you can't read it, send me your email address and I will forward. It is quite funny.

can't sleep, thought I'd blog

not sure what wakes me up and not sure why I can't go right back to sleep, but there it is. Certainly can't be a concern about the economy or about global warming or that there is anyone in the US who thinks that Winky would make a good choice for the heartbeat away from the big job.

Must be the woeful lack of physical activity in my life. There is always a reason not to do it - but, you can't read a magazine, look at tv or listen to the radio without someone telling you that it is good for you. Reasons that I have heard/read/seen include...

• helps one sleep through the night
• contributes to a good night's sleep
• feel better
• look better
• can wear anything in the closet without those can't zip it up worries
• uninterrupted sleep

can't get away from it - so, ok, maybe there is something to it.

Tomorrow it is or actually, I mean today. I will do it if only to prove them wrong.

prior work

Here are two wallhangings that I made - one for my daughter O and one for my friend JP. very free form and fun. I got this idea from a fellow quilt guild member and, once I let loose with the rotary cutter, I was off and running!!! These were eventually completed and gifted although I can't seem to find those pictures as easily.

could not help myself

besides the mispronunciations (nu-clee-air or was it nu-cu-lar?), the joe six pack and soccer mom references, the back in the day stuff about Alaska, the winks, and the non answers, she did ok - doncha think?????

Blog title and other notes

My daughter, Goldie, told me that I should change the name of this blog (she blogs a lot so has a very critical eye)- so I did, but I cannot figure out how to change the name that is in the url. Suggestions, my blog hero???

I will probably include some pictures of older and some newer ones. Just doing it to keep a record - I will try to give an approximate date. Anyway the order will be random. Here is my latest. It is a string quilt which is a technique that I had never done before and that I had learned at a most recent guild meeting. I have another one going as well - darker fabric.

The quilting in the center of the quilt is softly curved lines. The quilt was just that much too big to do more than that. I did do a design in the border based upon a pattern of continuous hearts that I liked. My daughter, O, asked for it and just might get it - I first have to show it to the guild and maybe a few other folks - have to get the requisite amount of oohs and aahs. The other thing about this quilt is, other than the batting, I used fabric that I had - hence the pieced back.

So, I thought I would start this old blog back up....

since I found that it still existed after two long (or short) years. kind of like coming out of retirement... not sure where this is going but for now, I will probably just use this to post what I am working on and maybe toss in some random brain residue.

Here is a recent wallhanging that I made for a friend at work. It is made with some fabric he brought from India and some batiks. I did a bit of beading for this one which shows in this second picture.

It was based on a pattern I saw in a Fons and Porter mag. It was fun and it allowed me to combine different textures, colors and techniques. He liked it.