Monday Musings - Aug 10

Today's clock class went well. This group meets at the Salvation Army Worship Center. They have free use of the large room one day a month. It's a great place for sewing with plenty of space. We had 14 folks in the class, and 3 others took the kits home. 

This woman used her embroidery machine to make sewing design,

and drew in the numbers with a marker.

The clocks are made using a 7" square of foam core and a 

12" square painting canvas. Both are covered using quilt squares 

or fabric. 

The foam core is being taped to hold it in position before transporting it home.

She will finish the clock at home. 

Here's one that is finished,

except for installing the clock mechanism.

I think everyone had a good time. 

Three women finished their clocks and the others were well along the way when they chose to leave. Lunch was calling! 

I stopped at ALDI on my way home. I have a few 'go to' items I like to buy there. We both enjoy their Italian & sourdough bread. It is made with only 3 main ingredients. It has a nice flavor and texture. I usually pick up some basic veggies; broccoli, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes. I prefer getting veggies at other shops where I can pick out the zucchini I want, or the corn, and it isn't pre-packaged.

I also really like ALDI chicken salad with cranberries and walnuts. I used to shy away from their meats, but read an article that the meats, although limited in cuts, are some of the best rated. They have some good cheeses. I love their Buratta cheese in caprese salads. Yum! 

But today, I picked up some bottled coffee, a Starbuck coffee knock-off for half the price, asparagus, some yogurt for smoothies, and chicken salad... remember, I said lunch was calling? As soon as I walked in the store my stomach was urging me to the back to grab a container of the salad! 

I did a little sewing in the afternoon, after a lovely nap. I missed my normal Monday Mahjong, so I played online with a friend. 

The Mister had a follow-up appointment with his care provider. He could barely hear any of the pneumonia. A CAT scan needs to be scheduled in 6 weeks. 

It's time to make dinner: Cowboy Onions with some chicken thrown in and fresh-ish asparagus. Then, as we haven't had rain for a few days, I need to run some water on the new sod, and on some of the potted plants around our yard. 

 

More Old Friends

While I was at the California condo I had the chance to visit with some other old friends! 

 When I am in California I sew on a 1948 Singer Featherweight. 

She's a little rough, showing a bit of rust here and there,

but she sews like a dream, with perfect stitches. 

I made this cover for her, and quilted it, using the Featherweight.

Another old friend that was in my sewing box is this 'bobbin' from an even older Singer machine.

This bobbin would have fit inside a shuttle. Singer originally used shuttles for the

lower thread. The shuttle was mounted in a piece that wagged back and forth allowing the bobbin thread to move behind the thread in the needle to create a stitch. 

Our new machines with their computerized stitching and time-saving features like automatic threaders and cutters are great, but they can't hold a candle to the older machines when it comes to reliability and longevity! 

I returned from California on a red-eye flight. I prefer them. I don't care to waste a day traveling, knowing I'll be exhausted anyway. Why not travel at night, knowing I'll be exhausted, but have some daylight hours  on both ends of the travel, to enjoy doing something! 

I was still tired on Thursday, but did get to see some 'old' friends! I feel wonderful realizing that I have made a number of good friends with varied interests since we moved here 18 months ago. I began the day by picking up a copy of "People we Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry. Our local library has a program of 'Book Club in Bag' that offers a bag with 10 copies of a book, and some discussion guidelines. One of the book clubs I joined decided to try it. The down side is that the book club only has the bag for a month... so busy folks, or those belonging to more than one club, or those who are slow readers may have difficulty completing the book in that time frame. I'm going to have to give myself permission to sit and read - since generally I read when I get into bed, and rarely last more than 5 pages! 

From there I went to the community center to sew with 8 other women. We meet twice a month to sew. I worked on my Quiltworx quilt...I am working on the triangle border...so I'm getting close. BUT...I bought an extension to turn this quilt into a king size quilt. So....I still have a ways to go!

I had to leave the sewing group at lunch time to go play Mahjong with some more of my new friends. We had a wonderful time, and everyone had a few chances to win...so we all went home feeling good. 

At 4:20 my self-guilt stepped up. I have been promising myself that in the afternoon I would head to the "Y" to do some sort of exercise. Today I called myself to task and spent about 30 minutes over there, moving my body. I need to keep this up!!

So, now it's time to address evening things. Pasta is boiling for a pasta salad, a chicken breast is marinating (mayo + spices) and I'll pull out some coleslaw. At 93° at 6 PM I don't feel like doing much more!

It's Here!

If you play Mahjong, you know!

Each year the National Mah Jongg League sends out it's new card some time before April 1.

The card shows what hands players may use. 

Hands are similar to rummy hands, for the uninitiated. 

The cards are highly anticipated by players, 

offering a welcome change in ways to complete a Mahjong.

The new cards also help to level the playing field for newer players

as no one is familiar with the selections, the choices are new for everyone. 

Oh, and if you noticed that I have spelled Mahjong two different ways, 

Mr. A-I-nstein tells me there are:

dozens of ways to spell the tile-based game due to it being a transliteration from Chinese. Common variations include Mah-Jongg, Mahjongg, Mah-Jong, Mah Jong, and Mahjong. 

A Mahjong Blessing

 I penned a Mahjong Blessing for my friends. (It's fun to say "penned", but can one really say that when a computer was used to write it?!) 

A few days ago I had an opportunity to play Mahjong with three ladies from the "Branches" group, a subset of a newcomers group that I joined.  The Branches seem to be an active group of women, 

("older" women,  I guess I am one!),

 in the development in which I live.  

I gave each player a copy of the blessing:

Sadly, my blessing brought no luck my way. 

I was almost to the point where I needed to pull the quarter off to pay my debts. 

As in my recent BINGO (BING-NO) experience...

my Mahjong games were a bust!

Maybe next time!

My, my, my Mahjong

I learned to play Mahjong almost ten years ago. I won't say that I'm addicted to it, but I do enjoy the game. It makes me use my brain, which is a good thing!

This week I played in a group of three. 

I had a good day...notice my pile of quarters in the foreground!

Here are some more of my Mahjong friends...

We meet once a week.

 

I also play, almost daily, online with at least one other friend.

Do you Mahj?