Yosegi Hakkakkei to Sankaku (Octagons and Triangles)

Just in time for Be Late for Something Day, here's my version of the Procrastinator's Creed:
1. If anything is worth doing, it would have been done already. 
2. Never move quickly, except to make an excuse. 
3. Never rush into any job. 
4. Meet each deadline in direct proportion to the amount of harm you could receive from missing it. 
5. Remember tomorrow holds many exciting possibilities, including a reprieve from your obligations. 
6. All deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given. 
7. The probability of a miracle, though infinitesimally small, is not exactly zero. 
8. If at first you don't succeed, there’s always next year. 
9. Always decide not to decide, unless of course you change your mind. 
10. You WILL take that first step, eventually, when you get around to it. 
11. The law of inverse excuses states that the greater the task to be done, the more insignificant the work that must be done prior to beginning the greater task. 
12. The work cycle is not plan/start/finish, but wait/plan/plan. 
13. Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid indefinitely.

Irori (Sunken Hearth)

I’m in the mood for The Wizard of Oz right now. I’ll blame it on the season. I grew up years before iPods, iPads, smart phones and laptops; before Blu-ray, DVDs, or even VHS.  If you wanted to watch a particular movie, you were out of luck unless it was in theaters or it happened to be ON TV. I was born a few decades too late to catch The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, but it would appear on television once a year just as school was about to start. When my kids were growing up I tried to share the experience with them by playing our video-taped version of the movie the Sunday night before the first day of school. To get them to sit still through the black-and-white scenes at the beginning of the movie, I usually had to bribe them with popcorn and chocolate milk; two more things I’m currently craving.

Another Well Curb Nail

When I was very, very young, I memorized a Eugene Field poem called “The Duel.” Here it is, seriously abridged (much like my memory).

The gingham dog and the calico cat side by side on the table sat.

Twas half past twelve and what do you think? Not one nor t’other had slept a wink!

There was going to be a terrible spat.

I wasn’t there. I simply state what was told me by the Chinese plate.

The gingham dog went “bow-wow-wow,” and the calico cat replied “meow.”

The air was littered an hour or so with bits of gingham and calico.

Next morning where the two had sat they found no trace of dog or cat.

And some folks think up to this day that burglars stole the pair away!

But the truth about the cat and pup is this. They ATE each other up!

Now what do you really think of that?

The old Dutch clock it told me so and that is how I came to know.

California Nine Patch

When my kids were in middle school and high school, the week before Labor Day usually meant scrambling to gather enough school supplies and school clothes to start the year. Often it meant a few glorious days with their cousins at Bear Lake. It almost always meant cooler days and chilly morning walks. This year is a bit different. Sure, the trees up in the canyons are starting to change colors. There are back-to-school sales in all the stores. But the abnormally hot summer weather doesn’t show any sign of leaving. I, for one, am ready to see it go. I’m ready to trade in my sandals for sneakers and cotton socks. I’m ready to enjoy using my oven for roasting and baking good things. And I’m more than ready to start seeing electric bills that don’t reflect an over-active air conditioner.

Time in a Bottle

I submitted in my entry for the Utah State Fair Quilt Challenge this morning. I was there early, but several of my fellow quilters had already turned in their efforts. The Home Arts Building was bustling with people submitting jars of homemade jam, bread and butter pickles, handmade lace, hand-knitted sweaters, and quilts. There were so many quilts. I’m by no means sure of a ribbon in this competition. I feel it’s a good representation of my work; the design, the  piecing, the quilting and even the binding are just about the best I’ve ever done. But I’m afraid I’m up against quilters who could easily put me to shame. So I’ll cross my fingers and hope for the best. Whether I get any kind of recognition at all, I can at least be proud that I finished it in time, and that I did my very best.