Born to Be Wild

While sewing up T Rex today, he told me all about his back story. Here 'tis. When he was a young rex, he told his parents that when he grew up he wanted to be a Queen. His folks laughed and laughed and told T.R. that he couldn't be a queen. Everyone knew that he was a king. That's what rex means, they said.

As T.R. was growing, he made lots of friends, and he told them all how he was going to be a Queen when he grew up.

"Silly T.R.," scoffed Billy Brontosaurus, "You can't be a queen. Your name is Rex, which means king."

T.R. ignored the scoffers and coninued with his plans to grow up to be a Queen. While all the other little dinosaurs were running and playing, T.R. went about singing "We Are the Champions," until he almost drove the others crazy.

"Shut up, T.R.," Tommy Triceratops finally yelled. "You're driving us nuts with that silly song."

But T.R. persisted, and when he was almost grown, a teenager to be exact, he changed his name to Rexxie Mercury and formed a band. He even talked his dino friends into joining the band with him. They changed their names to Brian, John, and Roger, and their band went on the be a sensation. What do you think Rexxie called his band?

One member of the band is still missing, but he'll be along soon.

Rexxie Inspiration

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/01/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

Brilliant!! Perhaps you should join other family members in writing a book for adults or kids?!
Love how the dinos are increasing in numbers! Applause!!

Hugs!

---

On 07/02/2021, Jed said ...

You should definitely monetize this. :-)

---

On 07/05/2021, Julie in WA said ...

You are just as talented as your sister in the writing world! Thoroughly enjoyed this story!!!
-----

---

It's Not For Me To Say. But...

In a comment to yesterday's post, Barbara wondered if others have avoided not just covid but also flu and other communicable ailments by wearing a mask. Some of you have probably read, as I have in several reports, that cases of flu and deaths from flu are down dramatically. That's likely due not only to mask wearing but also to people avoiding crowds, social distancing, etc. But it's my belief that some of us would have done ourselves a favor by making prudent use of masks all along--especially in flu season, especially if you're vulnerable, especially if you don't get vaccinated. I do get vaccinated for flu, and I'm fully vaccinated against covid.

But we now have the more virulent forms of covid that the vaccine might protect us from--but nobody seems to know for sure. And there are those who say we will probably need a booster after a while--maybe a year, maybe six months (which I'm coming up on). There are still so many unknowns about this dangerous virus. And, of course, new flu and other viruses pop up constantly.

I'm certainly not presuming to criticize or berate anyone who doesn't wear a mask when you aren't mandated to do so. I just want to eke out all the days I can on this earth. I have lots more quilts to make before I check out.

P.S. Best wishes to Tamra, who is right now battling a nasty case of bronchitis (not covid related). I tried to send you an email, but your addy wouldn't work for me. Be well, Tamra. And thanks for reading my blog.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/29/2021, JUANITA said ...

Hi, I don't know what the reason is, but here in the UK, there were a negligible number of flu cases last winter and we usually have between 8,000 and 20,000 deaths from flu in a winter. I was so shocked when we were told that last year during lockdown 1. Mark you we spent much of the last winter in another and one of the strictest lockdowns. Also flu jabs were offered widely last winter. We have been told now that the booster jabs will be rolled out from the autumn and we will get a Covid jab in one arm and a flu jab in the other. Like you though I will be reluctant to lose the mask

---

On 06/30/2021, Nicole Reed said ...

I have not been sick with anything since Jan. 2020. Mask wearing is part of it, but I think staying in the house and avoiding going anywhere is the main reason I haven't picked up any viruses. Also, my granddaughter has not been attending school, so she hasn't been sick either. I used to always catch whatever she had.

---

On 06/30/2021, Tamra T said ...

Thank you for best wishes! Not sure what's up with the email address not working, but I think technology has left me in the dust some time ago.
-----

---

Sleeping Dog Lying

This is what I found last night as I came out of the bathroom from brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed. That dog.

Sister Ramey and I went to in-person church yesterday for the first time in at least 16 months. We were the only ones there still wearing masks. But that's ok. This is the longest period of time in I don't know how long that I've gone without having either the flu or a bad case of bronchitis. Other than my usual battle with pain and fatigue, I haven't been sick a day (not even a headache) since I started wearing the mask. Somebody should have told me about masks a long time ago.

I haven't sewn any for several days now. I'm into laundry this morning, but I hope to get into the sewing room later. At least finish cutting out the next dinosaur, King Tyro Rex.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/28/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

What a cute photo and what a nice snuggle buddy you have!!

I'm glad to hear that you've not been sick with the flu or bronchial bothers since wearing a mask. Wonder if that's true of lots of folks nationwide?

I'm sneaking up on finishing the donation 70"x90" quilt top that's going to Nancy who blogs "outside Philadelphia" and I hope to pack it up today and mail it tomorrow. Yippee!

Hugs!

---

On 06/28/2021, Tamra T said ...

I rarely comment, but love your blog. Completely agree on the mask wearing. I stopped wearing my mask once I was fully vaccinated, and wow, what a mistake. Like you, I was not sick a day when wearing one. I'm now fighting bronchitis. It is back to mask wearing for me, and I am not going to be deterred!

---

On 07/01/2021, Sue, a Florida Farm Girl said ...

I think the use of masks is just about solely responsible for that steep drop in flu and other respiratory ailments over the past winter. I'm hoping that going forward seeing folks wearing masks will be an ordinary occurrence.
-----

---

Leg FIxed

Tommy Triceratops now has a visible fourth leg, which makes him (and me) very happy. The surgery was fairly simple.

I got the plants cut out for the next dino block, which will be His Highness Tyranonsaurus Rex, King of the Mesozoic plains. I didn't get to work long. I'm having Andy for dinner this evening, and I'm making a pot roast for the first time in years. Fingers crossed. I'm making turnip greens and corn bread to go along with it. The turnip greens were Andy's request.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/23/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

That is the perfect fabric choice for Tommy's 4th leg! Well done on your excellent surgical repair. :)

Oh, I miss pot roast so very much since I cannot eat beef. Sigh. Hope the dinner was a yummy as it sounds like it would be. Andy's request for greens and cornbread add good Southern YUM.

Hugs!
-----

---

Happy Everything

Yesterday marked the first official celebration of Juneteenth as we tipped our hats to Freedom. And how it's Father's Day. Just before midnight tonight Summer Solstice will arrive, which makes tomorrow the longest day of the year. Right? Or is today the longest days? After that we'll start moving toward my comfort zone, Autumn. To top off the weekend, Monday is also my stepdaughter Amy's birthday. I'm sure she and Phillip are missing their dad today. I know I am. But then I miss him every day.

We have about a week and a half to get ready for that great American Holiday, the Fourth of July, which is also my daddy's birthday. He was born July 4, 1911, and passed away January 14, 1977. I read a suggestion online recently that suggested that instead of spending money on fireworks, which scare dogs, irritate your neighbors, and can be dangerous in the wrong hands, buy a couple of bags of pet food and donate it to a shelter. That's what I'm going to do.

Tropical Storm Geraldine or Gertrude of whoever sailed through here yesterday and last night and gave us bucketsful of rain and some moderate winds. But there was no severe weather around here. No tornadoes or wind damage of any kind. No power losses. But I hear south Alabama got flooding. Today is very pleasant, partly sunny with some cooling breezes.

No sewing this weekend. And there won't be any today either. I'm going to spend this afternoon reading.

 

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/22/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

Love your festive red/white.blue decor!
Methinks the longest day and shortest night occur on the Solstice. Whatever it is, the days will start getting shorter and the nights longer and that suits me. I love autumn, too, but these days it seems to pass in a blink of the eye.
We have a stormy day here and the rain is so very welcome. It's a good day to sew and I need to finish this donation quilt top.

Hugs!
-----

---

News on the Four-Footed Front

Feeling awfully sad. I just learned that one of the First Dogs, Champ, has passed on to the Rainbow Bridge. I know his Biden family, including his brother Major, will miss him. I understand he was a very good dog. Rest in peace, old fellow.

***

Taco got a new bed. Well, in theory, it's for both Taco and Skipper. But for various reasons, Taco is the one who uses it most. Bella prefers to do her lounging upstairs in Jesse's room. As you can see, Taco is a law-abiding cat. He has not removed the tag, under penalty of law.

Dino Number Two

Meet Tommy Triceratops. He actually has three horns as a good triceratops should. His third one is on his starboard side, so you can't see it from here.

I'm thinking I really need to remove his inner hind leg. That fabric is much too dark. You can hardly see the leg at all. I will likely do that. It won't be too much trouble. Nobody wants a three-legged dinosaur. I guess that would make him tricerapod.

Yeah, I'm tired. More sewing tomorrow maybe.

Two dinos down and I don't know how many to go. I haven't decided how big the quilt is going to be. I know it won't be a bed quilt--either a wall hanging or a snuggle/lap quilt.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/18/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

I wonder what Billy and Tommy are looking at off to the left?! Tommy is a cute companion to Billy but I agree his 4th leg needs to be a slightly lighter fabric. You're on a roll!

Wishing us both more energy.

Hugs!
-----

---

Red Letter Day

For the first time in well over a year, I entered a restaurant yesterday. Daughter Andy, grandson Jesse, and I had a great Mexican lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. I had an enchilada with beans, rice, and guacamole and a big glass of iced tea. Not that things are totally back to normal. Less than 40% of people in my state have been vaccinated. And we keep hearing of deadly variants. I haven't stopped wearing a mask in public, and I don't plan to for the foreseeable future. But it was nice to have a touch of normal yesterday. Andy and I came back to my house and watched movies. Jesse went to meet a friend and work on his buggy.

Meanwhile, back in the sewing room: I got another dinosaur cut out. I also did some straightening up (i.e., moved junk from one spot to another).

It's a little cooler here the last two days. Tuesday was hideously hot and humid. Sadly, that's the day I chose to venture out and do errands, including grocery shopping. I was wilted when I got home.

I think I'll go and read a while now. Or maybe go to the sewing room. We'll see how I feel when I get to the foot of the stairs.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/17/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

Oh, YUM! You've flung a craving on me so we're planning to have chicken enchiladas for dinner tomorrow night. I don't often go to restaurants since I became allergic to beef following a Lone Star tick bite. I dare not risk exposure to beef by cross-contamination.

I know what you mean about the strange feeling of driving somewhere, getting out and going inside a shop or restaurant. A few days ago, I drove to the library, parked the car, and went inside for the first time in 15 months. It felt so strange.

Looking forward to seeing dinosaur #2!

Hugs!
-----

---

I Made a Dinosaur

Meet Billy Brontosaurus. I cut him out yesterday, and stitched him up this morning. It took longer to cut him out than to stitch him.

This will be part of a Christmas present I'm making for someone special. Not a child--an adult. But an adult who has an avid interest in all things paleontological.

Christmas wasn't much of a big deal here last year. Because of the virus, we kept celebrations to a minimum. I hope to make this year very different. I'm planning a big family meal, putting up a tree, and making a few handmade gifts and buying some.

And I don't think June is too early to get started.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/12/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

Billy is too cute and am glad there is some vegetation for him to chew on should he get the urge to nibble!
DS1 has gone from his early childhood love of dinosaurs to interest in skeletal dinosaurs, to interest in bones and skulls in general and now works designing tiny parts for surgical joint implants. How about that?!
I'm making Christmas gifts, too. June isn't too early to start at all.

Hugs!

---

On 06/13/2021, Julie said ...

That is so cute! I agree, it's not too early to start on Christmas gifts...if only I knew what to make!
-----

---

Gifts and Girls

My dear cousin Patsy F. is retiring from her quilting hobby, and I have become the fortunate recipient of all her fabric and supplies. This windfall includes six bins like the one above chocked full of quality cotton quilting fabric. One whole bin full of pinks, which you know I love. I haven't made it all the way through all the bins yet to know exactly what all I have. But you'll be seeing them in future quilts and projects, hopefully a lot of charity quilts.

I found this beautiful block in the bin in the photo. I'm sure Patsy made it. Her work is lovely. Look how all her  points meet perfectly. I'm thinking of making a sofa pillow or a table runner from this block and returning it to her.

I attempted this morning to get a better photo of the little girl quilt top. This time Taco got in the way. You can see a portion of his butt in the lower right corner of the photo. And it still doesn't seem very sharp (the photo, not Taco's butt).

Here's a closeup that might be a little sharper. Or maybe not.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/11/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

What a treasure to receive from your generous cousin Patsy! I love your idea to make something for Patsy from that wonderful and precise block!
Again, your little girls and their delightful surroundings are wonderful. :)
We've got an unexpected downpour and the rain is very much needed.

Hugs!
-----

---

Girls, Girls, Girls

How long has it been since I've blogged? I think about two weeks. Trouble was, I just didn't have a lot to blog about. I've had some bad days lately with the pain and fatigue, so I've been doing a lot of reading and not so much sewing. But today I finished the little girl wall hanging top, so I have something to show. Sorry the picture isn't very good. By the time I was finished sewing, my back was hurting bad and I didn't take a lot of pains (pardon the pun) with the photo. As you can see, I didn't even get the little top smoothed out for the shot. Oh well.

I've also done another puzzle. Isn't this one fun? Could have come straight out of the Mayberry County Fair, although none of those ladies looks anything like Aunt Bee.

I'm going to update my Books Read list at left now. So if you follow that, check it out later. So far the best two books I've read this year are Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. Presently I'm reading The Paris Wife by Paula McClain. (Thanks, Joyce B. for the recommendation.) It's an account (fiction) of Hemingway's first wife Hadley. Not being a fan of Hemingway, I wasn't sure I would like this book, but I'm hooked. I read half of it in one sitting yesterday. Very well written.

It's currently "raining straight down," as my Aunt Edna used to say. Or a frog strangler as my mama would call it. Or a gully washer, as I've also heard what's happening now called. Can hardly see the house across the street. We've had rain about every day for at least the past week. I don't mind it myself. I love rain. But I know some folks had rather have sunshine.

OK. Going to update my reading list now.

 

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 06/11/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

I'm playing catch-up and am sorry to be tardy here.
Love the charming little girls quilt and also that wonderful puzzle. Applause, applause!
May I ask what the name of the puzzle is? Am not sure I should buy any more puzzles as I lost much of May to Tabby Cat by Charles Wysocki only to find a puzzle piece was missing when I'd completed the puzzle.

Hugs!
-----

---