Category Archives: finishing

Snapshots of Quilt WIP

Continuing with the Epstein quilt. Had a moment of considering machine-quilting the night sky — to get it done, to craft with an appropriate savagery — but the urge passed.

News as I type: “Trump is just straight up lying about the Strait of Hormuz.”

Mostly hand-stitching to reruns of The Great British Baking show. Seen them all before but the show fits the narrow band of what we can tolerate right now.

I decided to watch the finale of The Pitt even though I knew from comments from friends and online that it was going to be difficult.

When did I cry? Not listening to the conversations about suicide for some reason but this: watching Dr. Robby swaddle and hold Baby Jane Doe.

Did you watch the series? Did the finale make you cry?

Another beautiful day

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Following on another sleepless night. We had thought to go downtown today to support Gaza at a protest at the Israeli consulate, but no … we will write postcards to voters and make some donations to upcoming gubernatorial races instead (VA, NJ) (done, done, and done).

Feel quite literally sick and tired. I’d forgotten that if I chew gummies too many nights in a row, but stomach goes berserk. Oh well.

We walked to the dispensary nearby on Thursday, only to find it shuttered. So there’s that too. I did add magnesium to my pill box yesterday. Fingers crossed.

Pics from yesterday.

Something bled all over the Red Cross quilt. It was folded near the ironing board for weeks and perhaps the spray from my water bottle dampened it and made a red thread run? Or something else, I don’t know.

I unpicked some of the red threads, bought a color catcher for the wash. I’ll let you know how it comes out.

Just listened to an expert talk about system collapse — about how we have maybe four to eight weeks before we reach a saturation point of vulnerabilities. Eegad.

If you’re on insta you can listen here.

I send videos like this to Ken. He reciprocates by sending me fart videos. He knows me well.

Heat. Finishing. Reading.

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Another roaster here, August 11, 2025. My mother’s birthday.

A little over a minute of video:

I’ve read the first chapter of this book and am SO BLOWN away by the writing, I had to set it aside for a minute.

By the way, if you’re like me and are often in a reading pickle because a book (or three!) you’ve been on the waiting list for (often for months) has come up for you to borrow (we’re talking the Libby app here), but you’re reading something else, I have the greatest workaround.

You have to have two devices. I usually read on my phone, so I use my phone and iPad.

If you open the book on your iPad or kindle AND TURN THE WIFI OFF, when it comes time for the book to be returned from your phone, it’ll remain on the other device.

Ta da! Problem solved.

I don’t mind reading more than one book at a time — no surprise there, I suppose — but sometimes it gets out of hand.

Today, I delayed delivery of two library books and took Vuong’s out, even though I’m reading something else (two something elses actually).

Just finished Broken Country yesterday. Recommend.

I kind of cringe to read this slapdash and incomplete review, but I’ve given myself permission to just jot something down. It really doesn’t have to be perfect. Plenty of other people on Goodreads do the whole “this is what the book is about” thing. I don’t have to.

But I’ll tell you, it’s about the death of a child and a love triangle. Tragedy all round but somehow not a complete bummer to read.

Saturday after Hope Hicks

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Mulch, dirt, and planting day. Since getting a cortisone shot in my hip on Thursday, gardening is practically back to normal.

I moved some slates that had slid out of place. Transplanted more ferns. Filled in places that needed dirt. Potted up some annuals.

It’s so apparent that we got a ton of rain this winter with no snow pack because water tracks are everywhere and roots are exposed.

It was chilly today. Still needed a fleece vest to be comfortable.

In other news, I hired a graphic artist to design my book cover today. Whew! Plodding along, in other words.

Who will back, quilt, and bind? That is the question

Another blue one begun.

I’ll leave you with not one, but two, Hope Hicks haiku. Same idea in both.

5/3
She’s pretty alright,
but what defect of person
let her work for him?

5/4
The question is not,
“Why did she cry?” But, “Why on
earth didn’t she quit?”

Lawrence O’Donnell

Insomnia post

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The top of this quilt ended too abruptly so I laid out some additional edging. I love that vintage pink floral silk! CapeCod Shibori is the source for the indigo sky, a polyester blouse from the 80’s (I’m guessing) for the grey foreground. Other garments appear as well. There’s batting and backing behind the central rectangle so I’m gonna have to figure out how to even up the layers.

Paris Collage Club prompt flowers with photo of quilt

The squirrel got back in. Two guys came back and found the entry point and you know what? It surprised me. I don’t know what it says about my state of mind but I fully expected them to be baffled and to shrug and walk away, problem unsolved.

The garden needs dirt. Everywhere. Probably because we got so much rain and so little snow last season.

I started PT for my hip today and have my fourth acupuncture appointment on Friday. Goals? To be able to squat and weed the garden and get in and out of the car without wincing. Ditto: up and off the couch.

Tomorrow, SCOTUS will hear the presidential immunity arguments. You know the case. The one they could have heard back in December when Jack Smith appealed directly. The one they could have scheduled a month or more ago. The frivolous argument by trump doesn’t need to have merit because he’s getting what he needs through delay. There simply is no good faith interpretation of the Court’s actions. There just isn’t. It’s sickening.

Today the Court heard discussions of how many organs a woman might have to lose before an ER doctor can provide her health care under Idaho law.

And I wonder why I’m depressed.