Patti didn't have any news of the current state of negotiations with regard to the teacher walk-out when she came over yesterday afternoon, and I missed the 5:30 local news when we went out to dinner.  Thought I'd find out what the legislature did yesterday when I watched the 10:00 news, but ended up heading to bed around then. 

The teachers are fed up after more than a decade of empty promises (and rightly so!)  Gotta love this economics teacher's perfect take on the situation:

Patti did, however, offer to help me with the next step of the t-shirt quilt when I admitted I wasn't feeling too motivated - and that turned out to be a VERY good thing.  I almost made several cutting mistakes (and would have if she hadn't piped up!) plus she also had a couple of suggestions that saved me some work.  

In a bit I'll get back to cutting/sewing my sashings, and (with luck!) could be ready to actually join the five sets of t-shirts strips together after I get back from the gym. 

IF you hear whooping and hollering coming from this area of the valley

later today, it could be because the top is done!

Alex had arrived home from his whirlwind trip working Denver and Albuquerque quite exhausted. One of the days he worked, the app on his phone (which registers how many steps he takes) tallied over 15 miles, and I forget how many flights of stairs. 

We took him out to dinner (at the Longhorn Steakhouse) where we had a scrumptious dinner, so he had perked up considerably by the time we finished.  Still, I don't think he had any plans for last night beyond taking a shower and then falling into bed!

Mary, on her way to 35th Ave. this morning, stopped by to show me a couple of her finished quilts   Of course I was invited to join her, but I've got a deadline zooming with the t-shirt quilt (and I certainly don't need any more fabric!) so I was forced to decline.

I'd seen some of the completed blocks for her granddaughter's Girl Scout quilt - but really wanted to see the finished product (which will be gone by the time I get back from Maryland.)  It turned out fabulous, and Emma is going to LOVE it!

All the blocks are wonderful - but this one is just so cute

I may have to borrow the pattern from Mary at some point.

Mary had also sent me some photos during the early stages of the bookshelf quilt she made for her grandson, but the final result turned out SO well that it's got me jazzed to work up one of my own (been on The List for years...) sooner rather than later.

Next in line for Mary is a t-shirt quilt (her first) so she enjoyed getting to peek at the one I'm working on.  I've also loaned her a wonderful t-shirt quilt book that was very helpful when I made my first one from Dad's t-shirts.  Sadly I'm not making much progress sashing the current one, and now Patti is on her way over for a visit - so I get to put it off even longer.

Will be glad when I finish the project

and can finally move on to one I'm enjoying.

Tami arrived at 8:00 Friday night, right on schedule.  It had been a long day for her, so we spent the rest of the evening just relaxing and chatting.  But Saturday morning we were both up bright and early, and after coffee got right down to the business at hand!

A woman after my own heart, she asked if we "needed" to get dressed.  OF COURSE NOT - so we stayed in our jammies all day (at least until Marcie came over in the late afternoon.)

Aside from some issues with seam allowance,

Tami cruised right along and made great progress. 

And here is the happy student, with her finished table runner top!

Then she got started on making some Disappearing 4-Patch blocks for a set of placemats to go with it.  Eventually she will have 6, one in each fabric.  After just whipping up a couple, she commented on how surprisingly easy that pattern is.

We still need to coordinate another get-together session so I can teach her how to quilt and bind - but in the meantime she can play with her fabrics and whip up more blocks!

But not next weekend; she and Allan will be in Spokane for Ally's graduation from veterinary school!  Leah is also flying in, from NY, for the happy family celebration.  When I enjoy my chocolate bar I will certainly think of all the hard work Ally has done to get to that sweet moment.

Marcie (and Latina, of course) came by for a brief visit to meet Tami, and she brought her current optical illusion to show. She's only been working on it for a couple of weeks, but has made impressive progress.  The 8 graduated colors we worked hard at finding have blended together well, and the overall effect is certainly eye-catching!

Unfortunately Tami had to race back to Lake Havasu this morning (I saw her off, right on schedule at 6:30) for another happy family celebration, her niece's engagement luncheon at 11:00.

Today's plan (unless Tom has something else in the works?)

is to work on the t-shirt quilt.

Ripping yesterday wasn't as much of a headache as I'd expected/feared...

I've gotten to a point where I'm satisfied enough with the way
things are looking and can move on to the next step today.

While I was ripping and resewing yesterday I watched the Penguin Post Office, and of course it was delightful.  May even watch it again before I return it to the library.

Set my alarm for 5:55 this morning to let the water go, though when I woke up at 4:30 <sigh> the water (scheduled for 4:00) was already here.  Of course I have no idea when it actually arrived.  (If Tami wasn't arriving tonight I might have set my alarm for 4:00 to monitor the water's arrival.)  It appears that we got a full watering, but happily not any extra - so the house foundation looks safe this cycle!

Plenty of time to work on the quilt before I need to get ready for the gym.
My quads are still talking to me, but at least they're no longer screaming. 

Still, today should be a leg day, which could be an issue!

I got a lot of trimming and raking done this morning (as evidenced by the fact that I totally filled one of the big green cans) while Tom mowed the entire property; now we're in good shape for irrigation tomorrow.  Energy permitting, he plans to weed-eat in a bit, which always makes an impressive difference.

  And now that I'm showered and have eaten,
it's time to attack the t-shirt quilt!

Yesterday my quads were definitely

feeling the effects of Tuesday's workout!

In theory it was an Upper Body Day - except Jim likes to mix things up so it doesn't get boring, and thus combined lifting weights with lots of squats.  My legs are still quite sore this morning, but I should be over the worst of it by tomorrow. 

The good news is that my arm didn't complain too much

during (or after) the workout.

On my drive to the chiropractor yesterday,

I noticed that all the saguaros along the way are beginning to bloom.  

Had a low-key tune-up at the chiropractor, in preparation for my trip next week.  No real issues (just a little stiffness in my back) and I'd like to keep it that way!

On the way home I stopped in at the hot tub store to update Shayne. 

My plan is still to order one when I get home from Colorado in August.

Joy sent me a draft of the blurb she wrote about me for my approval, and I only had to correct one thing.  Will be fun to see it in print in the next issue!

Didn't tackle the frog-stitching on the t-shirt quilt yesterday (managed to find several excuses, one being that Tyga was visiting so I wasn't able to lay the strips out on the floor) but that is on today's agenda since I decided to skip today's Busy Bee field trip down to the shelter.  Priorities!  

And by frog-stitching, I don't mean something fun, like this counted cross-stitch!

I mean that it's time for the dreaded seam ripper!

Tom got up before me this morning, and is now out mowing while it's still cool. Today's his last opportunity for a while since we are scheduled for irrigation tomorrow morning.  It'll be nice when everything looks groomed and spiffy, instead of overgrown and scraggy.

I really wanted to monitor when our water actually arrives at the property this cycle (after last cycle's problem) but don't want to get up at 4:00 tomorrow for that.  Tami will be arriving from Lake Havasu around 8:00 in the evening, and it'd be nice to be awake enough to welcome her! 

Saturday will be our Sew Day, when I teach her how to quilt!

Up earlier than I would have liked this morning, around 5...

but could have been worse I suppose. 

So my early start to the day wouldn't be a total waste, I moved the car out of the garage and mucked in there while it was still cool.  I'm rapidly losing my season of opportunity to finish that project! 

When I got tired of that project I moved out back and made Creepy happy; in this case it was only one leaf <sigh> clogging up the works and stopping him in his tracks. 

Then after I seined all the floaters from the surface of the pool, I decided to tackle that prolific "monster bush" by the side door.  Despite its severe trim this past winter, it's already attacking the eaves and roof again. 

Once I slammed the side of my head into one of the big branches

I thought I was being more careful.  But guess what...

After the second interaction, into the blobby end of a branch with numerous leftover (dead) twiglets protruding from it, my forehead is now sporting 4 or 5 little puncture marks, which actually did bleed a little. 

So I'll save Mom the trouble of saying it...

And unlike a week or so ago, when I had a sore spot on my scalp yet had no memory of bumping it into something, this time I'll definitely know what I did!