Thursday, March 6, 2014

Quilt Blocks and one of our horses story

I haven't been sewing, Ive kinda been obsessed (and yes... crazy obsessive) with other things lately and I really feel I need to get balanced. I have been so freaking moody lately too. Watching a 2 year old when you just feel irritated most of the time is challenging to say the least. Who knows this blog may end up being one woman's crazy account of menopause. I think some of the emotional upheaval and obsessiveness has to do with hormones... the weird thing is I know I'm not acting like myself, I know im off kilter and have no idea how to get back to normal!

My first attempt is to redirect! lol Yesterday morning I made a to do list for myself for the weekend and I am trying to just keep plugging away at it instead of this emotional, mental wandering around doing nothing productive thing that I've had going on for the last month or so.

First on the list... snap photos of my block for the Dream Circle of Do.Good Stitches. Here it is. I am feeling very insecure about this one, I hope it is what she wanted. Im sure my confidence will get better as I make more blocks. (i actually did this a couple weeks ago)



I also wanted to help Little Island Quilting with some blocks for quilts she is putting together and sending to an orphanage in Mexico City. She is taking donations of 12 1/2 in blocks and she is assembling them. Appropriately I went to my orphan bin for the orphanage!




A couple plus blocks. These were left over from the big X quilt I made for a customer and I just put a border around them.


A little of this:

And a little of that:


And Finally... I put the labels on the two donation quilts i finished months ago and have them ready to ship!!!

There... now dont I feel better! All of my donation projects are done and I can move on to finishing that dang tshirt quilt!!!

The garden is coming along we have planted so far red potatoes, leeks, shallots, garlic, red onion and texas sweet onion. We have two more beds constructed and ready for compost and dirt. I have started indoors some beets and sunflower seeds.

I also have a little project of extending a water line to the garden on my list this weekend. Ive had the parts for a year and just need to dig the trench.

On the Ranching side.... I have the story of King to tell.  King is a 29 year old horse with really bad arthritis and this winter has been a tough one on him, his back legs visibly hurt and I wish there was more we could do for him. He has a sad history and has lived off and on at the ranch for the last 15 or so years. He either belongs to us or the methamphetamine dealer next door. (since we have bought him more than once I really think us... but the neighbor doesn't see it that way.) Sidetrack here... Yes.. we know that our next door neighbor deals drugs and we know that he is the one who was supplying our boys with them. We have called the sheriff about it many times and they never do anything. Right now there is a story that went national about a murder (and drugs were related)  in Hemphill Tx, that they suspect the local sheriff covered up.. well... that would be the same sheriff I reported the drug dealer next door to. The murder cover up doesn't surprise me and I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't make a little something off of our neighbor.  Its so bad that when this guy was shooting at our home (yes, shooting a gun through the trees over our house with our grandchildren playing outside) and my husband called the police they told him there was nothing they could do (he has felony convictions so therefore cannot own firearms so they COULD do something) when my husband said "then my only recourse is to shoot back at him" they threatened to come arrest my husband. I know it doesn't sound real to me either... how stereotypical southern small town with crooked cops can we be?

But back to poor old King. In his day he was a barrel racer for the neighbors daughter. He did  well and could fly those barrels, he was a spitfire. She is grown with children of her own now and King when he lives with us is our babysitter, he is a gentle old gelding that teaches our weanlings and yearlings manners. He is patient and mellow and eventually the babies end up mellowing out right along with him. I think as well as our stud throwing some of the brightest and gentlest quarterhorse genes, King's babysitting also plays a roll in the sweet, curious, mannered babies that we end up with.

King has been laying down alot this winter. When we see him laying down we make sure he can get up and the poor horse must think these humans are crazy and wont let an old man take a little rest!!! I dont know what were going to do if he isn't getting around a little better this summer. We like to let them choose when its their time to go and a part of me is expecting that one of these times he will have taken that time and I will know that he lead a full life and he is free of pain. Another part hates to see our King gone... he has served us well. 

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