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Thursday, January 30, 2020

Blogging With a Handicap

I’m popping in with a brief hello this week because I am index finger tapping this post on my iPhone!šŸ‘†šŸ¼

Our MacBook Pro, which I typically use for writing blog posts, is undergoing service work for a swollen battery (of all things). We drove more than an hour to an Apple store in Orlando to learn that’s the reason the notebook hasn’t been laying flat on a table, nor the lid closing completely. Our particular model, made in 2015,  has batteries that are integrated with the keyboard, so the bottom of the MacBook has to be replaced. Of course, I am unhappy to be without it, realizing how much I depend on it. We won’t get it back until next week!

A whole lot of quilting has been happening on my temperature quilt. Of the 378 four-inch Drunkard’s Path blocks that comprise the quilt top, 173 of them are quilted. Even after 30 to 40 hours of quilting invested in it, I have a long way to go.

A little hand quilting has also happened, though it’s practically invisible!

And a couple more rows have been added to my crocheted afghan.

I think I’ve exhibited great restraint in not starting something new, especially as I’d like to participate in our Central Florida MQG Mid-Century Artist Challenge, due April 6. And I have a new cross-body bag pattern I’d like to make.

It’s a typical quilter’s lament, isn’t it? Too many projects; too little time.

Oh! And I mustn’t forget to mention a happy January 26 FlourishingPalms blog-iversary šŸ¤— for 11 years of  non- stop blogging! Thank you especially to a dozen or so of you who’ve followed me since the early years, and continue to make blogging worthwhile by regularly commenting.

Debbie J.; Anne D.; Susan S.; Karen R.; Rosemary B.; Elizabeth E.; Sue; Pat; Nancy; Farm Quilter; Robbie; Teresa; Janice; Paige and several others. šŸ˜Š I appreciate you!

It’s simply heart-warming to have formed friendships!

Two more audiobook finishes bring my January total to eight.
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult is about 13 year-old Jenna who has never stopped thinking about Alice, the mother she lost one tragic night. Now living with her grandmother, Jenna reads her mother’s journals and searches for online information about her mother while saving babysitting money to hire a detective and a physic, and pursue for herself what happened. The story revolves around elephant life in the wild, and in a New England elephant sanctuary. The book is liberally filled with information about elephant behavior that parallels a mother’s behavior. I found it completely fascinating. I’m giving this high marks for being riveting. I didn’t want to stop listening.

Linda’s score: 4.5/5.0

 This title - The True Love Quilting Club - by Lori Wilde is the second book in the Twilight, Texas series. The title is misleading; I thought I was picking up a book about a quilting group, but discovered that the quilting club has shirttail involvement in the story about Trixie Lynn who changes her name to Emma and pursues an acting career, while always thinking about the 14 year-old friend, Sam, she left behind in Twilight. When they reunite 16 years later, sparks fly. It’s an extremely steamy, graphic romance... if you’re into that sort of read. And honestly, I wondered if the author was ever actually around quilters making quilts because her terminology seemed a little off. I wasn’t overly fond of this book, mostly because it was trite.

Linda’s score: 2.8/5.0

11 comments:

  1. Morning, Sorry about the MacBook. It is amazing how much we use our computers and the types of things for which we use them. Quilting on the temperature quilt is looking great. It will be beautiful when it is done. Enjoy your weekend.

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  2. Bummer about the computer!! But yay for the blogiversary! Congrats on 11 years and thanks so much for sticking with it. ;-) It's been my pleasure to follow along. BEAUTIFUL work on the quilting! I am in awe, truly!

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  3. A swollen battery?? Who ever heard of such a thing. At least it's something they can fix instead of it bursting into flames, which some batteries do. That bag pattern looks really cute. And happy anniversary- 11 years! I really do prefer blogs to Instagram, though I visit both. Listened to Leaving Time- it was a good book. I think a friend of mine and I will attend Ricky Timms' Quilt Luminarium in The Villages next fall, maybe rent a VRBO. Are you planning to attend?

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  4. Congratulations on your blog anniversary, that a lot of writing!
    As for a swollen battery, sounds really strange, but DH had certainly heard about this happening. Seems the old batteries on a previous caravan were starting to swell, don't know if they end up exploding!

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  5. Your temperature quilt is just gorgeous. When I just glanced at the picture before I really focused in on it, it looked like a quilt of flames! Oh and by the way, I really appreciate your book reviews. I have read several that you have recommended and really enjoyed them. So thank you!

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  6. Your temperature quilt is simply amazing!! I don't know how you can do such awesome quilting on your sewing machine. Having any kind of computer problems is the pits. I hop they get it totally sorted out for you. My battery in my laptop did the same thing...made it bulge in the area of the touch pad. Luckily I have a friend who owns a computer repair business and he helped me. Amazing how attached to computers we have become...but they definitely do facilitate making new friends who are far away!!

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  7. Oh, no computer! That's tough. At least you have your sewing machine! My Juki has been in for repairs since the middle of November!!! Whilst I have my fancy Bernina, I do not like it for quilting. So my sewing has been somewhat inconsistent. I really admire the amount of machine quilting you are doing on your Temperature quilt! I certainly don't have the tenacity for that sort of commitment! Thanks for the book recommendation. I will look for that one. I am reading an Arthur Pepper at the moment, following one of your previous reviews.

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  8. Happy 11th Blogiversary! Congrats! I really enjoy your blog a lot. Your crocheting is really neat. I have a crochet book with pics šŸ™‚, so I'm working on learning. Like you say, too many projects - too little time. Enjoy your day!! šŸŒžšŸ„šŸŒ»šŸŽ¶

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    1. Hi Angie! You're a no-reply commenter, otherwise I'd email you personally. But do allow me to thank you for blogaversary wishes! Thank you for liking what you read here! As for crocheting... I do enjoy it. Though living in Florida as I do, there isn't much call for afghans. :-) Still, we do what allows us to express creativity that simply must show itself. My personal challenging is identifying the people and organizations that I want to receive my makes.

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  9. So sorry to hear about the bulging battery on your laptop. You are really getting a “pecking” workout lately, aren’t you? Love the progress on your temp quilt and I suspect when it’s done you will forget ALL those hours quilting it.
    Congrats on 11 years! I can’t remember when I discovered your blog but I Have enjoyed your content and glad to call you Friend!

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  10. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another! Congratulations on your blogaversary, Linda! I’m glad you’ve continued posting. I can’t boast about having that same restraint! But I’ve kept my new projects small interferences, and my focal project is almost a finish. I’m down to 4 sashing strips, and it’s a wrap! I almost made my OMG!

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