Bizzy Bizzy Quilter

Bizzy. That is my new word for the day. It is a combination of busy and dizzy which is exactly what I am these days. Of course, who exactly is responsible for that state of being???? Duh.

Since today's blog has the potential to be very boring, I thought I would sneak in a new fabric design. ..whatchathink?

Hopefully, each of you is having a lovely relaxing Memorial Day weekend. My sweet sweet son, Chris, is visiting from Houston. Always makes me smile. His darling new wife, Kathy, had to go to San Antonio to take care of her mother who broke her foot by falling on ice. This does not make me smile....things are not going smoothly on that front. Think she needs to take up quilting? After all, if she had been quilting, she would not have been outside sliding on ice. Quilting is the cure for all that ails. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

I walked 4 miles, today. That will eventually seem like a walk-around-the-block as the weeks go by. Remember, I am preparing for the 60 Mile Walk for Susan G Komen. If you get tired of hearing me talk about it, just get me to my donation goal, quickly, and all I will do after that is give you an occasional "HEAD'S UP." As of right now, we are short only $540 dollars (thanks to the generosity of some BFF's) . We will not be allowed to walk unless we raise the funds. So, again, please, if you can find it in your hearts to help out, please copy and paste this address http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Events/General?fr_id=1430&pg=pfind into your search engine. Click on "make a donation," then, "find a participant," and then type in "Dianne Springer." A lot or a little, it all ads up. I will be reminding you until we reach our goal. Thanks, in advance for your help.

Quilter's Distractions

This has nothing to do with anything except that I should be doing something on my "To Do" list--so here this is, a picture of a painting I did a while ago and just came across the image on my computer. Good a time as any to be doing this, don'tchathink??

Shhh. A Quilter's Secret

This is gonna be hard....very very hard. I have something to tell you but I am not sure how much of it I am supposed to say. Saying anything will probably jinx the whole thing. O.K., I am gonna risk it -- I just agreed to do a book. There, the secret is no longer a total secret. What I will not say (at least not right this second) is who the book is with, what it is about, when it is scheduled to be in print (hint: the usual time frame is 12-18 months -- remember that part), etc etc. I know less about this process that I did about printing the fabrics and I knew almost nothing about that, so, please bear with me. Most importantly, you should immediately start a save-up-my-money-so-I-can-buy-Dianne's-book account.

Don't forget the Susan G. Komen 60 Mile Walk for Breast Cancer Research fund-raiser-- I need $575. http://www.the3day.org/site/TR

Quilting in a Rush

Seems like everything I do these days is in a rush. I even rush to sleep. I seem to need deadlines to get stuff out the door. Problem is, I have too many deadlines at this point in my life. I have even stopped answering the home phone. Breathe, Dianne, Breathe.

Oh, I got that image of my friend, Joan. This was taken standing on a ledge in Monument State Park in Grand Junction, Colorado. After an entire lifetime spent in Nebraska, she and her husband moved to Colorado and built a house with her sister and brother-in-law. Children of the 60's. The house is so cool. There is a common area, the kitchen, entry, living room and guest room. Then, each couple has their own private area off of that. Joan is a fabulous painter and her husband is a retired Veterinarian, turned sculptor. You can only imagine how delightful their home is. I could move there, that is for sure.

My husband and I are in a dilemma right now, trying to decide if we want to spend our retirement (?????) years where we are, now, or, move to a cooler, more agreeable place. Louisiana is hot as Hades in the summer. I do not need to wait until I die to see if I am going to Hell, or not -- I already live there.

Oh, speaking of Hellish things, I have started my practice walking for the Susan G. Komen 60 Mile, 3-Day Walk for the Cure. For the last three years I made quilts and raffled them off to raise our required ($2,300 each) amount. My daughter, Brandy and I, sat in front of various Wal-Marts and sold tickets. Well, there is a new policy this year. We must have at least five people to constitute a "group" fund-raiser. Count us. TWO. So, it looks like this will be our last year to participate in the walk. As of right now, we are short $575 dollars. We will not be allowed to walk unless we raise the funds. So, please, if you can find it in your hearts to help out, please copy and paste this address http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Events/General?fr_id=1430&pg=pfind into your search engine. Click on "make a donation," then, "find a participant," and then type in "Dianne Springer." A lot or a little, it all ads up. I will be reminding you until we reach our goal. Thanks, in advance for your help.

Where-O_ Where Did Those Quilters Go?

Wow, I nearly forgot to do anything with this blog. Isn't that obvious???? I have been a very very bad blogger, that is for sure.

The trip to Salt Lake was not without its typical bumps. We had not even left Ruston when the alarm when off to indicate the tires needed attention. Luckily, we had only to add air. Whew. Then, about an hour from my brother's house in Santa Fe, I checked to see how many hours would be left from his house to Salt Lake. YIKES (One might ask why I had not already checked this out. That One would not be my BFF, that is for sure). It did not look all that far on the map. Duh. It might have helped if I had actually checked the mileage. I called 911 (a.k.a, husband) and he said I should be fine. Just because the Garmin said I would have a 13 hour drive, did not necessarily mean that. HAHAHAHA. Silly boy. I knew that. When the Garmin says 13 hours, it does not take into consideration potty breaks, cute little shops, eating, cute little shops, fuel stops, cute little shops....so "real" time -- 13 hours = 16-20 hours, tops.

Finally, we arrived in Salt Lake City. Brrrr. It was cold, but gorgeous. We unloaded, set up and waited, and waited, and waited....for customers. Where were they? I guess they decided to stay home. Sure wish they had emailed us. Oh well, we made some fun connections. Hey, I was even asked to submit a book proposal. Whatchathinkaboutthat?????

The trip home was exciting. We took a wrong turn (I know, I know, I do have a Garmin. It told me to take that road) that turned out to be terrific. We had gone only about a half mile when the light drizzle turned into snow. A lot of snow. More snow. Gulp. Luckily we made it to Grand Junction, Colorado, where we spent a day an a half with a very old friend who I had not seen in many years. Since I last saw her she has battled colon cancer. Luckily, it seems to be behind her and she looks great. I was gonna add a picture of her but it is not working for me right now. Maybe later.

Then, we went to leave their house for home and, of course, the car would not start. So, we got jump started and headed to Wal-Mart for a new battery. One new battery later, we drove off. Of course, we drove off only after we signed a paper to release Wal-Mart from any responsibility for the warning about our bald tires!!! That was a stress-free drive home....NOT. We dialed 911, again, and hubby ordered new tires that arrived at our door the same day we arrived home. Such a doll.

Quilters on the Road to Salt Lake City

We are off and driving, again. We will only drive an hour west, tomorrow, since we will be stopping to take the time to do some much needed yard work on Brandy's house. It has not sold yet so I need at least as many good wishes and prayers for that as I do for the Market in Salt Lake.

I will give a weak promise that I will try my best to add to this blog while we are gone. Wish me lots of luck as I "officially" introduce "I Dream in Color" to the WORLD. I will be doing a talk, as well. The last time I gave one of my talks, I think four folks showed up. Should not be difficult to break my attendance record on this one.

Have a Lovely Mother's Day, tomorrow, to all of you Mommies out there. Do something you love.

Breathe, Quilter, Breathe

Luckily, breathing is automatic. Otherwise, I do not have time for that or anything else but getting things ready for Quilt Market. We leave, again, on Monday for the three day drive to Utah. The best part is I will spend one night with my older brother, Don. Most of the time when I am on a trip I do a search for wineries so I can bring my husband back souvenirs. That is not gonna happen on this trip. Food will be "Grab and Go," and we are talking bring a jar to pee in so we do not have to stop for anything but gas. I do not like that kind of driving. I am more of a "bunny hop" driver,you know, drive a little, go back to that cute shop, drive some more, go back to what looked like a fun restaurant, drive a little, etc etc. Basically, two miles forward, one mile back....when the GPS says it takes five hours to get to the destination, we calculate 12. Oh well, there is always the return trip, heh heh.

Quilter Actually Quilting !!

Finally, I am starting a new quilt. Raise your hand if you think that is on my "To Do" list. I was going to take a picture of the first block for you to see but then I remembered, wait, my cell phone was stolen! Yeah, add that to my Paducah memoirs. My daughter's cell phone was acting up while we were on the road so the first stop we made in Sikeston was to the local ATT store. Those gals were amazing there. In spite of that, we were there for four and a half hours. The end result was both Brandy and I got new phones (technically, I got the new phone and Brandy got mine). I got the coolest cork cover protector. Anyway, the phone was stolen from our hotel room. Thanks to CSI, my husband realized he could track the phone down with the GPS that was installed in the phone. We could even see the actual building that housed our phone and the thief who stole it. Unfortunately, we have yet to actually retrieve the phone. This only makes 6 (SIX) phones for me in the last year and a half. Either I, or the phones are jinxed. Probably the phones are for being put in my care....three of those phone were stolen, one took a potty break, one was borrowed, one given to my daughter. Raise your hand if you think I dare to get another......getthosehandsdownrightthisminute. Remember BFF, BFF, BFF and all that implies.

So, since I could not add an image of the new quilt block, how about a picture of my two sweet brothers, Rob and Don.

The Travelling Quilters

Right now, traveling seems to be all that we do. That, and preparing for travel. Now, this last trip. What can I say? Where to start?

Day one, we drove as far as Monticello, Arkansas, where my husband has a little apartment. (I think I mentioned that he has recently taken a job as a Dean at the University of Arkansas, Monticello.) I woke up with my back hurting so badly that I could barely move. Do you believe in signs? Looking back, this sure seems like one.

We left Monticello on Monday morning. (Remember, the week prior to this trip, we were at the beach, eating, tanning and playing beach croquet--waaay funner than watching the news.) The ride went smoothly until we were about an hour from the hotel in Sikeston, Missouri. Our friends, Barbara and Mike, called to say that the flooding was causing all kinds of changes and at that point all setting up was canceled.

Flooding? what flooding? I mean, duh. Every where you looked the fields, yards, streets, were either flooded or water was encroaching. Regardless, the severity of the flooding had escaped us. Our hotel was 48 miles from Paducah. So much for that. The bridges to Paducah were flooded so the only way to get there was to go north and come back south to Paducah. This meant a two-and-a-half hour drive instead of an hour's commute like we had expected. Add to this, the part where the toilets in the hotel stop working. Not nice, not nice, at all.

Mike got busy and made us new hotel reservations southeast of Paducah, an 82 mile drive. Remember, this looks good compared to the two-and-a-half hour drive. So far, so good. Well, the check-in and unloading went amazingly smoothly. The folks at AQS who were in charge of this whole thing deserve a HUGE round of applause. I still do not know how they pulled this whole thing off.

Good bye to "smoothly." Remember that fabric that did not arrive at my house? Well, on Thursday when I spoke to the "gal in charge," she had said to call on Monday to confirm the order and to give her the address of the hotel in Sikeston. So, while driving, I called. She had called in sick. Panic!!!, After being referred to two other folks, I finally got some sympathy and this new gal got the ball rolling. She arranged for the fabric to be sent to the hotel in Sikeston. Anyone remember that we changed hotels on Tuesday? The fabric arrived on time, on Thursday. So, after working all day on Thursday, Brandy and I got in the car and headed back to Sikeston. As we left the show, I asked two guys in uniforms what the road conditions were, especially the bridge situation. After all, aren't guys in uniforms "in the know?" They said, "You are good if you just head down Hwy 60. It takes you straight to Sikeston." Hugely relieved, we headed out. We drove about 30 miles. Our first "sign" that this was not a good idea? The road was under water. The sign was stuck at the water's edge, another DUH. Yep, you guessed it. Uniforms do not mean, "in the know." Back to Paducah. So much for that hour ++ drive to no where. Now we were back on the road that meant 2 1/2 hours to Sikeston. We arrived around 10:30 p.m. Fabric loaded, we headed to Hopkinsville. Home. Only 94 miles away....

About 30-35 miles later, another "sign." Road closed. We pulled off the road to check the GPS. The problem is when you enlarge the map, unless you know the area, it is too close to see relationships. Make the map small enough to see relationships and there are no road names, no numbers, nada. So, as we were fighting tears, a policeman drove up. I probably hugged him harder than his wife does during hanky panky and asked him if he had access to a helicopter! "I want to go to my hotel, NOW." (NOW being dangerously close to midnight at this point) Unfortunately, the only way was back to Paducah, then, south to Hopkinsville. We arrived at the hotel at ten 'til 3:00 a.m. Two hours later, we were getting dressed to go back to Paducah for the show. I felt like Steve Martin in the movie where he asks God for a sign...any sign...anything....and, just like the movie, lightening strikes, bells ring, etc. but, oblivious, we head in the same direction.....