MARCH BLOCK

I know, I am so far behind, I think I'm ahead! Here is my block for March. It is called Wagon Wheel. I didn't get it appliqued to the base block. I plan to do that tomorrow night and Stitch and Bitch.

Here's the story...

The Wagon Wheel was the second quilt to be displayed on the fence. Wagons with hidden compartments were one means of transporting runaway slaves.

The quilt was a message to pack things for their journey as if they were packing a wagon. With limited space and weight, they would need to consider supplies that would be essential for survival.

The wagon was also a symbol of a chariot that was to carry them home. The spirituals they sang carried hidden messages as well. Like "swing low, sweet chariot".

Sunbonnets and bandannas were indicators of social rank for women. Bonnets were worn by women that were above the rank of slave and indentured servants. A sunbonnet could also help fleeing slaves by disguising themselves by obscuring their faces. If a woman was to tilt her head slightly down, eyes looking shyly to the ground, she could use a bonnet for disguise.

In Nebraska City, Nebraska, stories are still told about a minister who used to drive his wagon with two sunbonneted ladies sitting by him. A half hour later, the minister would return with two ladies still sitting beside him. What no one noticed was that on the return trip, the two women wearing the bonnets had dark complexions.

I am going to list the names of the 12 blocks that I picked. If you have the book and want to work ahead, you will have the names. They are in the order that they appear in the Table of Contents in the book Underground Railroad Sampler.

1. Underground Railroad/Jacobs Ladder
2. Monkey Wrench
3. Wagon Wheel
4. Bear's Paw
5. Basket
6. Crossroads
7. Log Cabin
8. Shoo-Fly
9. Bow Tie
10. Flying Geese
11. Drunkard's Path
12. North Star

Thanks for your patience!

Rain, Rain, PLEASE Go Away!

I know I will regret saying that out loud come August. Seriously, we have had record breaking rainfall here in Southern Indiana. Not to mention the weather radio going off at 2:00 a.m. this morning with a tornado warning specifically for my little town of Newburgh. We are located in Southern Indiana along the Ohio River. Let me tell you, old man river is very angry right now. We are expecting water to continue to rise and they are preparing the flood wall in Evansville. News media is calling this "catastrophic". Not to mention, the very back of my property is in the flood plain. It has never come close to the house, but if we keep getting rain, it might. Be praying for those of us who live here. Some towns are evacuating. I worry about families with animals, almost all shelters don't allow pets...

Yes, that street sign says Waterworks Road. Photo courtesy of courierpress.com.

Another Perk to Weight Loss

I have discovered a new perk to my weight loss. Some of you might find this kind of funny. But I love buying new underwear! This is such a girl post, but oh well! I am always on the lookout for new underwear. Once I find some that I like, I try to buy as many as possible.

TJMaxx, my favorite place to shop, usually has great prices on undergarments. So I was perusing the clearance rack and found a pair for $1.00. I looked at the size, they were a medium. I thought, no way I can get in those. But for a buck, I decided to give it a shot. I have been putting off trying them on until today. I was pleasantly surprised that they FIT! Now, I am still a brief kind of gal, but I was doing the happy dance for my cheap and smaller size panties!

Aloha Jax!

Finally got the flight arrangements made for Jax. He leaves on April 30th. Wish me luck as I take him 5 1/2 hours north to the Chicago Ohare Airport. For more on the story click here.

Pantry Photos

Check out my pantry! This might be kind of hard to visualize since there aren't many shelves yet. But I am super excited to have this addition to my kitchen. It's not that my kitchen isn't big, because it is really big. Just oddly laid out and not much storage. So when my oldest daughter moved out I begged my husband to make her bathroom into a pantry. He still wanted a half bath, I wanted the bigger pantry. So we compromised and I have an L-shaped pantry and we have a small half bath. This corner will eventually hold a small freezer. We also installed our first pocket door. Now I would love to have them on every room!
 
At the end is part of the closet from the old bathroom. I would love to have solid shelves in there, but not sure I can get that accomplished. Hubs is one of those people where it has to be his idea. So I may just wait a while and see if it comes to him! Adjustable shelves will go along the wall at the left. Hopefully I can get started painting tomorrow night. I have to use stain blocking primer on the ceiling since it is tongue and groove wood.

Weight Watchers News

Well, I accepted the receptionist position with Weight Watchers. I had 2 phone interviews, and then went to shadow a meeting. Had a follow up phone call with an area recruiter and they offered me a job. It is 5 hours a week, which amounts to 2 meetings. But it sounds like a wonderful company to work for. Besides, I have to stay within my 2 pound limit of my goal weight. Another good reason to work for them! More to follow later. My right eye is twitching so bad, my vision is blurry.