A Headache at the Beach. . .

The week before conference I went to Mexico with Jayne and Dave. My headaches had been continuous since January and I was reaching the end of my rope.  On the spur of the moment I called Jayne and asked her if I could crash the trip they were planning with some friends the next week.  She graciously agreed and I bought a very expensive airplane ticket to Tucson on Tuesday and left on Saturday. 

The weather was perfect, sunny with highs in the low 80s and lows in the high 50s. I walked, paddle boarded, kayaked and sat in the sun. One afternoon I sat on the beach by myself as the tide was coming in and didn't see another person for several hours.  It was lovely. 

Jayne's friends were nice, but I didn't feel like I had to socialize with them all the time. If they started talking about their ward or old friends, I just quietly left the room. No one seemed to mind. Jayne had her friends help with meals like we always do and it was fun to eat different food than we usually do. One couple grilled salmon that actually tasted pretty good to me. 

Jayne has lost over 20 pounds in the past year, so I decided I would try to lose weight as well. We both had gained the menopause 20 pounds. I was at an all time high last summer  and hating it but couldn't get the motivation to do anything about it. But, by golly if Jayne could do it so could I. Who says we're not competitive? I am down 7 pounds here and hoping to match her 20. 

Unfortunately, the beach didn't make my headaches much better. I had them while I was there and the week after I got home. But a headache at the beach is better than a headache at home anyday. I asked John and Thomas to give me a blessing a few days after I got home. I had done all I could to function with my migraines: drugs, diet coke, exercise and finally the beach. It was time to ask the Lord for help.  I haven't had immediate relief, but they are slowly abating. At least I an functional more often than not. Happy day. I am so grateful for priesthood blessings. 

Quilt Finish: Stained Glass Bible Blocks

I was asked more than ten years ago by the Relief Society President to start up a quilt group for our ward. Sisters have come and gone over the years as their interest waxed and waned, but I have been able to help 4 or 5 sisters become constant quilters. That makes me very happy. 

I wish every woman had a group where they could meet with like minded friends. For me there is something about sitting around a table stitching and visiting that is very therapeutic. John keeps telling me we should call ourselves the "Stitch and Bitch" quilt group, but we have gone with the more pedestrian "Neighborhood Quilt Group" as to not offend the tender sensibilities of some.

I have taught several different quilt patterns over the years with varing levels of success. The most recent quilt was taken from an old magazine published in the early 80s that I found at an antique store using blocks inspired by the Bible. I thought it might be a good way to teach several different quilting techniques with some fun traditional blocks. I used mom's vintage solids and stitched two of each block so I could show a finished block and on under construction for the classes. One block was the traditional combination of white with colors and the most of other blocks had no white in them.

I thought I would try and go for a stained glass look and bordered each set of the same blocks with a gray solid. "Joseph's Coat of Many Colors" is the second block over in the third row. After cutting and piecing it I decided it was a little too involved for my class (it had over 50 pieces in it) so I only made one.  That left me with an odd number so I found a block called "Children of Israel" that is in the top left hand corner.  Other blocks are Garden of Eden, Robbing Peter to Pay Paul, Jacob's Ladder, Wallls of Jericho, On Wings of Eagles, Kings Crown, Roman Cross and Storm at Sea.

I straight line quilted it with lines radiating out from the upper left  corner to suggest the sun shining through a cathedral window.

I pieced the back with pieces of the same solids I used in the quilt top bordering them with gray to continue the stained glass look. When I first got the magazine with the bible block in it I played around with "Roman Cross" and made 4 6 inch blocks. I was never happy with how it laid when I pieced the four blocks together and put it away. After I starched the heck out of it so it would lay somewhat flat I pieced it into the back of the quilt. 

I wanted to remember what Bible story each block represented so I made a label with a grid on it with the name of all of the blocks along with the documentation for the quilt.

Best of all Annie came to our quilting group for a while before she was called to work in the Young Women's that met on the same night. She made her quilt in white and blue and bordered it in red. I think it turned out fabulous and has such a different look from mine.