Italy Quilt/ More NQA Quilts

I had a doctor appointment today and among other things my doctor informed me that she has never had a patient die from tendinitis. My right arm has really been bothering me ever since I attempted to bowl at my brother Jim's 40th birthday party in April. A few weeks ago I went to lift a piece of paper and it just about killed me. Of course I had over used it the day before doing yard work, pruning, raking and vacuuming. I finally bought one of those arm bands for "tennis elbow" and it seems to help somewhat. It feels like it could be getting better but I guess it will just take time. Meanwhile, I was instructed to do no yard work and to use my left hand to vacuum. She even suggested that I not use the computer either. What?????

We had some pretty strong thunderstorms this evening and we got lots of rain. The grass and weeds will be growing joyfully for the next several days while the sun shines. I don't mind that it rained, just so the long weekend is sunny.

Tonight I finished the "Escape Hatch Backing" on the Italy quilt and that leaves only the machine quilting, the label and sleeve to be finished. I will tackle the quilting tomorrow and Friday. Stay tuned. Here is the quilt so far:
I think I will name it "Tuscan Sunrise".


Now for more quilts from the NQA Show in Columbus June 2008.

Colorful applique.

Love that lime green...................


Up close.

Lime Green and Purple, even better.

Up close.

Curvy strips.

Up close.

Wonderful landscape, great shadow effect.

A vendor at the show had this wonderful quilt on display.

I just love the whimsical trees. They may make an appearance in my block exchange quilt.

I read today that our Governor, "Jenny", has started riding her bike to work. Yup, she lives a few miles from her office and so she and her security guard ride their bikes to the office in downtown Lansing. She is setting an example for everyone to do what they can to reduce the use of fossil fuels and save on energy and expenses.

I am not riding a bike to work but I have been extra conscious of where I drive and how far I am going. I am not making trips far from home when I don't have to and I am trying to do as much as I can in one trip. I am lucky because my office is only 3.1 miles from my home and I don't have to put a lot of miles on my car each week. At work the maintenance staff have turned off several of the overhead lights in the hallway by my office and in the copy and fax rooms on either side of my office. It is darker in the office but easy to handle.

At home I have replaced all the possible light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. I unplug my phone recharger when not in use and my computer is off when not in use. My A/C is set at a much higher temperature than in the past and I open the windows when the temp is cool outside in the evenings. I leave all my blinds closed during the day and it really helps keep my house cooler. I have one window that still needs a window covering and I have plans to make that happen in the next few weeks.

The economy is on every one's mind and we are all finding ways to cut our expenses. I know I am trying to support locally owned businesses rather than the national chains. I gave up the local newspaper a year ago and now only read it on line. I find that I am not missing out on anything in the paper. I have plans to pay all my monthly bills on line as well. I have been taking advantage of all the free outdoor concerts and plays that are available in my community every summer. I don't have meals at restaurants much anymore and I bring my lunch to work each day.

What things are you doing to reduce your use of fossil fuels and to save on expenses?