My parents — Jake and Rachel — are on the left. Mr C’s — Ruth and Paul — are on the right. I was struck by how much I look like my father in this photo. Thankfully, I didn’t get his ears. Mr C is still the spitting image of his Mom.

I wasted a lot of time this morning looking for our wedding album to scan a photo. I cannot find it anywhere. I finally found this one in a frame down here in the basement. It was quite faded, but Photoshop does wonders.

Tonight we will go out to dinner with M & M, who are spending the week-end with us. We will officially celebrate in Chicago next Thursday. We are going to spend an afternoon and evening there and then head to Ft. Wayne, IN for Mr C’s 50th high school reunion.

On the studio front, I am working on the next 12 X 12 challenge, shelter. Since I am doing something more realistic, rather than abstract, it requires some Photoshop and design work. I just want to start cutting fabric!!

. . .politically - crapola. I had to walk away from the Republican Convention speeches and just peek in occasionally. What was that movie — Sex, Lies and Video Tape? Yeh, that’s what this week is all about.

Enough of that.

Well, I guess the following piece was not too tasteful for the Dancing Hands Fiber Art Exhibit because it was juried into the show which opens November 4th at the Springfield Museum near Eugene.

Today, I rushed to burn some cds and get them in the mail to reach their destinations by Friday. SDA is having an online auction, starting in October. I had to send my donation and a jpeg on a cd for the website. I am donating this scarf, which I have shown before. I added some copper foiled dots.

I also entered a body of work  — 3 pieces — to Quilt National. I know my chances of getting in are very slim. So many enter this and so many mourn together when they do not get in. But, for the first time in my fiber art life, I have a cohesive collection of work that I love and have never entered anywhere. I am very proud of that. The downside is that these pieces are all unavailable for entering any place else until October 4th. All three pieces are constructed from my complex cloth. I loved working on all of them and if they don’t get in, I know they will make it in some other show.

I finished the final piece last night. That was Red Sky. Here is a detail from that.

I have been so at peace and so focused on my work over the past couple of weeks. I am looking forward to starting a huge project — more on that, later.

I didn’t lose any weight today. I am almost pain free. I am still loving my dorky new shoes.

Where have I been? I have been working in the studio. I finished Urban Sunlight (new name) and I have been playing with a piece I am calling Red Sky. Here is a very preliminary layout that I started with.

I have actually started the quilting on the final design.

I am feeling soooo much better since I stopped walking the stubborn old lady dog, Maggie. And, guess what? She is happier, too. I thought I was doing her a favor - dragging her on those long walks. Here is something else that I acquired yesterday that I am loving and is helping my body feel better, too.

These are BMT shoes. I went to The Walking Store to get new shoes and saw these strange looking and very pricey shoes. They are made to simulate walking barefoot in sand. I think it feels like walking on a trampoline. You cannot lock your knees. You are required to have good posture and you use your muscles more efficiently and put less strain on the joints. I love them. They are pretty funny looking. Here is a LINK if you want to find out more about these shoes.

This is filed under: Show Me Yours and I’ll show You Mine. My friend, Terry, recently posted her collection of Political Buttons she found when packing to move to her new home. I have a collection that has moved to several homes with me. I just added a new Obama button to it and I am waiting form my  Obama/Biden to show up soon. the only Republican button I have is Ike. I think he was the last decent Republican president that we have had. You can see that I have a lot of Bill Clinton buttons. It was the first time I actively worked in a campaign. He greatly disappointed me.

Mr C and I were married on Labor Day Week-end 44 years ago. This year it came so early that our anniversary isn’t until next week-end - Friday to be exact. Steph and Jack are going away for the week-end so M & M are going to take us out to dinner on Friday night.

In light of McCain’s VP pick, I have been amusing myself coming up with his cabinet, should he get elected (not). Attorney General: Judge Judy; Secretary of State: the very well traveled Paris Hilton - she must know a lot about the world, she is namd after a foreign city! Secretary of Interior - Martha Stewart. Help me finish this!!

…whatever happens in November, we have seen history made today. I love this country. And, for the first time in a long while, I am proud to be an American. Wasn’t that an amazing and powerful acceptance speech from Obama? Love this part:

I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan Horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that’s to be expected. Because if you don’t have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.

You make a big election about small things.

Needless to say, I have spent way to much time with CSPAN and MSNBC for the last 4 days. I so would have loved to be there.

I have accomplished more than watching TV and so has Mr C. Here he is working on the farm on the “back 40″. This is taken from our bedroom window. He managed to transfer a huge pile of top soil and a huge pile of gravel from the driveway at the front of the house.

I am reworking one of my construction quilts which is now titled, City Sunlight. Here is a pic of some of the detail.

I have a wonderful piece or complex cloth that I created this summer. I am loving these red squares with it.

Yesterday was WW day and I am happy to say that I lost almost 2 pounds. Whew, I am losing it again!! I also saw, Phillipe, my physical therapist. We have decided that my problem is not sacroiliac, it is the piriformis muscle. Since, I also have pain in the shoulder on the same side, I think it is caused by walking and old, slow and stubborn dog. So, in addition to icing and stretches, I am no longer walking Maggie. I miss her, but I am feeling better after only 2 days, especially in my shoulder. She is causing my body to torque by walking and pulling from behind me.

This line from Michelle Obama’s speech last night has captivated me. I am going to do a quilt with this theme when I have a chance. Wasn’t that an amazing speech. It gave me chills and smiles and tears. I am so proud that this country has come this far. I love my country, too!

Today, I spent some quality time with M & M. We went to the Rhodie Garden and fed the ducks and the squirrels. We saw some juvenile coots being fed by their parents. After lunch we played some silly videos on the computer and laughed hard.

I also did some work in the studio. I started a couple of new quilts that are making me VERY happy, but they are top secret — can’t show you yet.

Ooooh! I am listening to Hillary and I am very happy about what she is saying. No how, no way, NO MCCAIN!!

I thought I would bring you up to date on our household improvements since I don’t have quilty photos.

This is the farm. All of the triangle boxes are completed. We are waiting for top soil and gravel for the paths.

And here are the final touches for the bathroom.

This is the storage unit in the entryway.

This is that same unit reflected in the mirrored closet door.

This is the storage unit with mirrored doors over the sinks.

My son-in-law, Jack, designed the storage units. He designed this appliance garage for my things that plug in. Cool. eh?

Look at all the room that I have for more shoes!! There are shelves I couldn’t fit in the photo.

This I love!!

Up!

Down!

I have always wanted an ironing board in my closet, ready when I need it. I discovered this in Terry’s utility room in her new house. I have to give her credit for doing all the research for this. And, Mr C and our contractor for figuring out how to install this in the closet.

I am so happy with our new bathroom and closet. When I am in there, I feel as if I am in a beautiful bathroom in a boutique hotel. I feel really blessed that we have been able to create this space in this home that I love so much.