Those are some way cool patterns, to bad I can't sew! I know you ladies will make some lovely outfits though!

Go to the quilting class - Susan would love to teach!

Steampunk is at it's best when it's fully functional.....

Possibly, just ever so slightly NSFW

I would love to KB but it's a long drive from Oregon for quilting class.

I took on a project tonight and even managed to finish it (yay!). I photographed all my sewing patterns so that I have basically an online catalog of what I have. I even cut each photo down to just the pattern, and renamed the files by the pattern numbers.

Amazingly enough, there seem to be exactly 100.*

Oh, and naturally uploaded them, so I can access them on the go when I'm at the store wondering if I have such-and-such pattern or not.

(*-for now! Number does not include multiples of same pattern.)

How many rosebuds can you count?


This is off my "new" rosebush, too!

It's harder to see the buds on the gardenia (the 2nd pic), but it's going to look amazing when it blossoms. I hope it smells as good!

So, you know how my job sucks? Well, Monday my boss was so busy trying to figure out the travel system that she had to actually let me do some work. Shocking, I know - allowing one's employees to perform the job for which they were hired. I got to brief a colonel who's pretty sharp and asked questions that I had to actually think about to answer - but was able to answer, because I actually paid attention to the training I had to take and I actually learned the concepts. And he apparently was impressed by me, as was reported to me the next day.

Then, Tuesday, my boss had left on the above-referenced travel, as had every single other person in my little unit, so I was the only person available to attend the very secretive limited-attendance meeting about up-coming changes and how they would impact us. And I was actually able to articulate concerns that were relevant and insightful. And wrote a summary and ccd my boss's boss on that email.

It was the best two days I've ever had in the 7 months I've been there. I actually got to think. People asked me questions and I answered them. And I demonstrated that I wasn't merely an ambulatory pudding packet. Sure, when I get back from DC I'll be back to data entry and web surfing, but for two days I had a taste of real work. I had to stay late and everything. It was beautiful.

Today I stained part (maybe 1/8th) of my back fence, plus I built a 2nd planter on my hillside.

Fence: Before (left) and After (right)


The new planter

Well, after all was said and done, the Franchise Tax Board just came back to me with good news. H&R Block (meaning me as I do my taxes online) had errors, I do not owe them as much money as I thought. They just sent me a nice letter with new figures and a tax bill that is 1/4 of what it was. Whew!