I am developing a strong determination to see the end 
of this project. Here’s what a pile of floor looks like after
about 2 hours of scraping. While I am working on it, I
dream of the quilts I want to make. A lot of times bunny
comes out and sits with me. He likes that green towel in
the background. The pile of scrapings has my small glass
of motivation sitting next to it.
Marguerita’s Blog
Under the stairs, part 2
Except for the trim work and organizing the shelves, this project is done! Instead of a deep, dark closet, we have an open, accessible storage area with most of the heavy things on rollers! (That was Tom’s idea.)
The large white shelf that is where the doorway used to be is on rollers, the big 4-drawer file cabinet behind it is on rollers, the small plastic organizing bins are on rollers and hidden in the back, under the treads of the stairs is 6 cases of jars (for fish and jelly) and huge containers of sugar – all on a rolling pallet.
This space is for stuff we use once or twice a year, but which is very useful to us. Also tucked in there is the carpet shampoo machine. I left the small bins in front because that’s the stuff we use the most (paper, pens, envelopes). 
Where you see the angle cut on the wall used
to be a solid wall, but it was superficial and it kept the space narrow and difficult to use. Stuff got pushed into the closet and never returned. I painted the floor (concrete cement basement floor) and when the house is empty for a few days (except for myself) I’ll paint the stairs to match. The white shelf is not very organized, but it’s still so much of an improvement that we are happy! Now I have to get back to scraping off the kitchen floor…I’ve been avoiding that project!
Just across the alley outside the garage door….
Is a vacant lot (sort of, it has an abandoned cabin on it) that attracts bunnies and moose! Almost every winter we get moose there, they love the alders that grow on the property. I was feeding the bunnies that visit me and saw the moose settled down for the night.
Just outside the garage door…
Is an ugly garbage can rack that is built up off the ground to perfect bunny height. These are semi wild rabbits that come from a long line of abandoned Easter Bunnies. The scrounge for food throughout the downtown section of Seward (although almost every subdivision now has rabbits) and most of the gardeners are fit to be tied! I, you will note, am not a gardener. I grow dandelions because bunnies love dandelions.
These 2 are my pals, they know the sound of my voice and they come around just at dusk, when it’s safer for rabbits to be hopping about. They have a route that they travel, of the houses that put food out for bunnies. I believe my house is stop #1, I put out pellets and fresh carrots or apple. Every year the bunnies change…some are killed by cars, some by eagles. I still put out the food and they come keep me company.
Seward Winter Sunset
At the end of our short downtown street is Resurrection Bay. It’s quite lovely all year around and it’s larger than it looks here. We have small pleasure boats, yachts, fishing vessels, cruise ships, tugs and barges all the time.
As I turn toward the south, here’s the view. You can’t see the bay opening from here, the islands make it look like one continuous land mass.
Saying Thank You
I really appreciate people who freely lend a helping hand and I aspire to be a person like that. Kathy Mack with Pink Chalk Studio and Pink Chalk Studio Blog really goes above and beyond to help other quilters learn, and she a cool designer too. I owe thanks to her for the information she has shared in the past on the Quilt Designers’ List on Yahoo! and *today* for helping me learn about those pretty little pictures that you see in the web address navigation bar at the top of your browser window.
I struggle with web design and have been working on updating our web and was wondering “how long will it take me this time to figure out how to code in those cute little pictures?” As I logged onto her blog today she had a full post on how to do it ~ like she was reading my mind! Oh, and I learned that they are called Favicons (fav-eye-cons). Thanks Kathy!
Fabric Bracelet
This is soooo cute! I want to go make 25 of them right now! Take a look at this quick, well written tutorial for making a fabric bracelet (or 5) and while you’re taking it all in, think about making them with a touch of batting, just like the Crazy Shortcut Quilts, or better yet, using up some of the ‘cut off scraps’ to make them.
This project was the suggestion of a friend (is she really, or should I be mad at her for getting me interested in these?!?!?) Diane Knott, artist and friend, is getting the blame for this new interest.
Update: here’s another one, and it’s really unique and pretty!
Nice Things
Here’s the surprise I received for Valentine’s Day! They are very lovely and the balloon actually sang a song when you tapped it ~~ I had many visitors to my little office at work who came in to “tap” and listen 🙂
Granddaughter Audrey liked the balloon (she spent the weekend with ME!) but she wanted the singing balloon to keep it’s distance. She loved the soft little bear and took it to bed with her. Bunny ignored the whole thing completely.
When I was single (for about 16 yrs) I used to buy myself flowers and I enjoyed doing it. And balloons too. Sometimes I would fill the house with helium balloons. They used to follow Sarah around and all the kids thought I was a kooky mom 🙂
Bean Stew
Disclaimer – I blame this on The Jolly Jabber Blog, they post recipes regularly, and I don’t really like to cook, but I love this recipe and since they post recipes to their quilt blog, so can I 🙂
Here’s a version of dinner that I’ve been making some Friday nights (it feeds a lot of hungry pool players). It starts, 24 hours ahead of time, by soaking 2 1/2 cups of mixed beans (Costco/Sam’s Club for about $7). Three hours before you want to eat, rinse the beans and then boil them in 2 qts water with 4 huge carrots*, 2 bay leaves, 1 lb of meat**(optional) and 2 cubes of bullion (optional). As soon as it all boils turn it down to a simmer & stir occasionally for 2 hours. Then add a 14oz can of stewed tomatoes, 1 tsp of garlic or a crushed clove, half an onion (diced) and some lemon juice and simmer for about half an hour. Eat up!!
After a day it thickens and then I serve it on a bed of rice – super source of protein and fiber.
*your digestive system (and your friends) will appreciate the addition of the carrots, they “help” with bean issues 🙂
**so far I’ve used smoked turkey (cut into chunks), spicy Alaskan sausage (sliced rounds), ham, but you could easily go veggie and leave the meat out.
Purple Quilt
I am not very good at naming quilts, and this is going to belong to someone else anyway**, so I’ve been calling these my purple squares and now they are the ‘purple quilt’. I finished it up last night and am shipping it out today, to be in the quilt auction for Catholic Social Services Fiber and Art Auction, March 1, 2008 in Anchorage, Alaska.
**I stun people by telling them that I don’t own any quilts – everything I’ve made, from my first quilt to my last, has been given away. I don’t sleep under one, don’t have one on the sofa or in the car and don’t have any hoarded in any closets either. I know, I’m unusual. I make quilts and I give them away. It makes me happy 🙂
