Design Wall Monday-January 30th, 2012

We had some unexpected company over the weekend.  My mom called on Thursday and asked if she and my step-dad could come for the weekend.  Of course.  It was so nice to see them.  My parents have had a rough time.  My step sister and I have both had some health issues recently.  She has breast cancer (starts radiation next week) and I landed in the hospital just before Christmas (they think I have had a heart attack in the past—I am 43).  I have had a battery of tests, they haven’t found anything significant.  I am waiting for more results now.  The worst right now is possibly a stint.  My step sister is having a hard time with the diagnosis.  She had a lumpectomy and is doing okay.
Sooo, to hasten up the waiting, I have been sewing.  I finished the Christmas Quilt, knitting my socks and a small scarf (haven’t shown yet), added some quilting to a quilt (it will hang at the library for February) and started a new project.  This is a project that I have had in mind for a while.  The fabric is a couple years old from Hancock's.  The prints are from their turn style display of fat quarters.  The rainbow colors were a fat quarter roll I bought with a coupon.  The blacks were just something I had in the stash.  The frames are solid black.  I ran out so the small squares are a swirl.  Everything looks better in black.  The framed blocks had been pinned and the rainbow colors were cut, prior to yesterday.  Still lots to do, but progress.

I have enough of these blocks to go 7 x 9 with no borders.  I hadn’t planned on a border, but I have a little left over, so it might get something.  It should make a nice lap size quilt.  The blocks finish at 8”.
Back to the hospital thing--the whole thing came at the most inopportune time-vacation time.  We left for the airport just 3 hours after arriving home from the hospital.  Many tests were run before they could ensure I could safely leave the country.  A few items added to my bags, which were mostly packed, and we were off.  We drove into Chicago that afternoon and picked up the plane the next morning. 
We took a cruise over Christmas and New Years.  We arrived home not much before the Costa Concordia ran aground.  We were on the “Allure of the Seas”.  The largest passenger boat out there.  It was beautiful.  This is the view from our room coming into the 1st port-St. Maarten.
                   
We had to cancel two of the excursions planned—a zip lining adventure and underwater snuba (the old helmet style scuba gear). We ended up with a swimming with the sea lions (very relaxing) and Segway's on the beach (an avid drivers dream).  The family time, sun and fun were just what the doctors ordered.

Enjoy every Day and Thank God for your blessings!

Just Another Quilter