Africa memories, Cape of Good Hope, Cricket... quilts and a gun toter too!!!

One of my favorite memories from a little over two years ago.... all part of a fabulous trip to Cape Town.... we had to go to the Cape of Good Hope with our dear friends, Frank and Jayne. And another photo of one of the wonderfully natural mountainous regions in the area we lived in for 4 years. This was taken from the veranda on the game reserve... it was a lovely place. This was Winter but so much fun to be there with friends. Then the beautiful giraffes we saw up close at the Kruger Park over the Christmas break..... Some very good times. Of course there has to be at least one humorous photo of the Professor in his Sport gear.... he wore this at the cricket match between Australia and South AFrica.... SA won huge..... at the Newlands Cricket grounds... What a match!!!!

The shanties I saw every time I delivered a box of books to the township Library in Ezebeleni as they were across the street from the library.

The man holding the machine gun...crouching in the parking lot of the mall... very scary the first time we saw this..but after a while.... you just get used to this ... kind of a "funny/crazy" thing!

I can not believe the crazy weather. we are experiencing here... yesterday.... we were cuddled under quilts... as in multiples of quilts in order to keep warm, then today.... it was shorts and 77 degrees...with another cold front coming in tonight...so back to coats and sweaters tomorrow. I wish we could have 8 months of todays weather...then some really hot...and some cold weather. Just not changing every other day. I shared some scrapbooking tips at our bi monthly quilt guild this week.... and what fun. Loved watching the ladies stamp on their pages...to enhance some of the quilt journal pages they are saving. They also shared some lovely quilts as well. I missed a few of the especially wonderful hand quilted ones that were there. The president of the guild is an award winning hand quilter. The quilt was pieced by someone else..but it hung at the Houston quilt show. It is stunning. I have never quilted a quilt like that one...so gorgeous. It was just published in a book.I can't remember the name...but think the quilt was called midnight in the garden. I really liked the Notre Dame T shirt quilt... It is really cool. ANd I adore hex quilts...this one is in progress... She does beautiful work.

I also had to include this navy,red and gold quilt that I had the privilege of quilting. And this super bright quilt that a friend made and permitted me to quilt for her. It is so vibrant... I don't think the photo does it justice. She also made this adorable table topper.... and I quilted it for her as well.

She also made this adorable table topper .... and I quilted it for her. I completed a UFO.... but it is already hanging at the fabric store...so will have to post a photo after I get a photo. I have one loaded on the frame now for a friend...Hope to finish it off tomorrow evening. I seem to be behind on all my projects at the moment. Just sewing step 3 on the DD mystery...but here is the stack of completed part 1 and 2's. I am doing a smaller wall hanging...Only committed to doing 1/2 of the blocks. So will be a throw for me. I am hoping to finish a new pattern of my DD in law. She is launching on March 1st. I am lucky to be a tester. I have only committed to 4 new projects this year...still determined to finish some from last year...and or past years. The professor has asked if my sitting under a quilt...with a sewing machine perched on a lap tray...sewing while sitting in bed has become the norm for me in the evenings. It has been some nights! On really cold nights I am hand quilting my "When oh When" quilt..... those pictures will be coming soon. Maybe when I finish the when oh when.... showing the progress I am making.

A do it yourself kind of girl....BAD HAIR DAY...and the trouble it causes me!?

Ok, I am a do it yourself kind of girl...and sometimes it works out great...and sometimes..it turns into pure d crap...that someone....USUALLY ...my husband has to bail me out of. Well, today...I decided that I really needed to touch up my greying roots.This is only because I have had not so good results from salons here...NOT all...but enough BAD experiences to make me gun shy( which explains the orange hair in the above photo...DS# 2 informed me I looked like Marion Cunningham..from HAppy Days after this fiasco) ..so I mixed up the wash out stuff I brought from the US (redken) and put it on my hair, then put the "plastic shower cap" over it to CURE! All went well, nothing turned green or heh...heh...Burgundy ( thats a whole other story)!!! As I went into the bathroom to rinse...and thought, I had showered this morning before Church...so figured I'd just hang over the edge of my tub to rinse. Now as I began to lather up....I noticed the bright red/brown droplets appearing on bath, and bath wall...then I remembered that although I had put on my Texas A& M AGGIE mom shirt( which is indeed burgundy and a very safe shirt to wear when dying my hair!) I still had a pair of White (YIKES!) pants on. I wear them with lots of stuff...and it is too late to back out of this whole hanging over the tub thing. So DECIDE that I MUST tip further into the tub...to protect my WHITE pants! Big mistake....NOW I think you MAY be thinking I did something silly like fall INTO the tub....but let me tell you that I am way to BIG to tip into the tub...but as I SQUIRMED, WIGGLED, TILTED....AND TRIED DESPERATELY not to fall into the tub...I BUMPED THE EDGE OF the TUB a bit too hard....and I heard the crack! I actually cracked a rib. Now my husband is a miracle worker, but he couldn't fix this "HUMPTY" up!!!! So tonight am feeling the STING when I breathe...and when I accidentally bend ...or when I get up off the chair, or cough, giggle, sneeze... YOU GET THE PICTURE! Not on my agenda of things to have to deal with this week. BY the way....MY HAIR LOOKS GREAT!!!! But I definitely cracked the rib, unfortunately it is up high...so can't be wrapped or anything...so I am just going to have to scale back a few of my goals of things to get done BEFORE I was to leave for the US on the 28th of October. That said, I did have a good week, almost finished Baltimore block no. 11, and did finish a couple of works in progress. Have many 4 patches made with leaders /enders...to make into blocks this week...so may just get one more quilt done before leaving for the STates. Will get a few photos from camera to post in next couple of days. Have to deliver books to my township library...more that were donated from home...so need to get that done.I have posted a photo of two little girls who were in the library when I delivered books there last year. My generous friends have sent every book you see in the photo.These shelves were empty when I first went to the library. It was pathetic, my home in Texas had more books than the Children's section at this township library.But another box has arrived from Pennsylvania...thanks to my brother and sisters, nieces and nephews. I am so blessed to have people who care about others in my life. Who knows maybe I will see something fun to take a photo of on my way out there. The photo of the shanty type of house was taken across the street from the Library. They are now in the process of building a better shack I am happy to say. Probably won't have running water in it...but it will most likely have electricity...which is better than not!I hope you all have a great day...I certainly plan to...as long as I don't snicker, sneeze, cough or laugh!!!