My fun afternoon/evening .... and my mom sews

Look whom my mom and I babysat for a few hours today.... Isn't he getting big? He's almost 19 months now! His big brother had a baseball tourney.

Also, my mom sewed for me. I'm working on a Bonnie Hunter Star Struck quilt for my dad and brought up several squares/strips to make the blocks. She wanted to sew for me, so I all I had to do was "match" the small squares to the rectangles. She even got into the matching with me on the last set :-).

My mom sewing:


2 of the ones she worked on. I had all the strip sets made. She just added the corner triangles. I even got her to do the bonus triangles :-).




The stack that she did:

All for now :-)

~QB29

~QB29

I'm a winner (again :-))

I just saw over on Diary of a Quilt Maven that I am a winner. Thank you! I'll be looking forward to using the bundle. It looks beautiful :-)

Thank you!

~QB29

I'm a Winner!

The other day, the Dabbling Mum had a giveaway. I won! Isn't the card the cutest?

Thanks DM!

~QB29

I think I need to start Basting ...

I've got four baby quilt tops ready to baste and quilt. A fifth is almost done. It just needs the border and the rest of the applique stitching. :-). Guess we know what I'll be doing this weekend!

~QB29

Another Design

Yet another MS Paint Design. I found some golf fabric on sale last weekend. I'm planning on using it in the center of the blocks. Block A is the diamond - I will make it with a cream background. The center is golf tees on green. Block B is the Framed Square. It is a golf course. The blue will be close to the water on the print. I may not have enough to make all the Block A/Block B blocks, but will supplement with other greens. The border will be a green. If I can find another golf print at a fantastic price, I'll use that. Otherwise, it will just be green :-)

This will be for my Uncle - he loves golf.

~QB29

I started a 2nd blog

Hi everyone,

I started a 2nd blog to talk about what God shows me during my Bible time, what I learn during church, etc. If anyone wants to visit, I'd love to have you. It's called Becca's Bible Reading and is at http://beccareadsthebible.blogspot.com/

~QB29

Girl Baby Quilt Design

What do you think? This sketch was made in MS Paint, so don't mind the simplicity of it. The blocks are 8" and the sashing is 2". The border is 4". It should finish around 40" square. The green will be the same throughout all the blocks. The flower will be scrappy (I'll use 9 different prints). The yellow will be the same throughout. The flower, leaves, and sashing will be tone-on-tone of small prints. The border may be one of the flower prints or may be a medium to large scale print (not necessarily pink, will depend on what I have and what works). I'll probably bind with the border. I'm hoping to use up some more of my floral stash that went into this and this.

Once I look at the fabrics I have left, I may use a pale pink for the flower centers/sashing instead of the yellow.

Comments?

~QB29

Bible Reading this Morning

I was reading in Proverbs 7 this morning and noticed something.

7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
(I bolded for emphasis)

I've read this passage several times over the years and haven't given it much thought. This morning I realized that if we put ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time (vs. 8/9), then the decision's been made. (vs. 13/21). The harlot caught him, she caused him to yield, she forced him. The young man didn't choose to go with the harlot. He chose to make himself available to her. Applying this to my life, I see that it is even more important that I watch where I go places and when I go places. Even if I have no intentions of sinning, if I put myself in the wrong place at the wrong time, I may get caught up in the sin and not have a choice. It will find me. (vs. 15).

~QB29

EQ7

So any one have any thoughts on EQ7? I got it in my mind that I want it :-). My mom told me she'd buy for my bday since I've not really asked for anything yet. When shopping this weekend, we saw that the local store carries it. My mom asked about the price and the girl said it's eligible for the birthday discount (1/3 of your age percent off). So my early birthday present is turning into a late present :-(. Oh well, it's not like I need to design any quilts right now. I've got plenty of other patterns to choose from.

So the question for y'all, is, do I need EQ7? Pros/cons of using? Please share!

~qb29

Jill's 1000th Post Giveaway

Hi everyone,

My friend Jill is celebrating. She just made her 1000th post. She also has her blog anniversary this month. She's having a great giveaway. Go check it out! But, to give me a chance to win, please refrain from entering :-) JK, enter if you'd like. She's got awesome prizes. I also have a link in my sidebar.

~QB29

funny video

A blog friend posted a link to this and I just had to share. Enjoy!

~QB29

Cool Giveaway

Monica is having a special giveaway. She is celebrating her blog anniversary and her 100th post. Check it out. :-)

~QB29

Friday Night Sew-In

Some of my friends have been mentioning the Friday Night Sew-In for awhile now. I thought I would join them. This month's Friday Night Sew-In is July 23rd. To participate, go to Heidi's blog post about it.

I'll let you know that weekend what I was able to sew!

~QB29

If it's not one thing, it's another ....

My sewing yesterday morning basically set the tone for my sewing last night. I managed to redo the seams on the binding, but then it took me an hour to finish off the binding. I don't know what I was thinking, but I kept sewing the beginning and ending of the binding together in a 90 degree angle. Then when I finally got the angle right, I kept making it too big or too small. I think I literally spent an hour working on it. Oh, and both my bobbin and my spool ran out on separate attempts. But, the good news is that I finally got it finished and machine-sewed the binding down.

But more was to come...
I went to print the labels and realized I only had about 30 minutes on my laptop. And that my power cable was sitting on my desk. At work :-(. So I went to print the labels. First I had to change my black ink because it was out. So I did, but did not do so correctly, because when I went to print the labels, only the colored part of the name printed. Nothing in black printed! By then my laptop died. I fiddled some more with the printer and tried reinstalling the cartridge, but I won't know until later when I'm back home and ready to print again with a powered laptop if it's correct now.

Of course I couldn't find my quilt label pen anywhere, so I couldn't hand write the info on the label. I'll get one this afternoon to have on hand.

I did get photos of the quilt this morning, but since I'm at work I don't have a card reader. I'll upload the photos this evening. I also finished a UFO top. It's ready for basting. I'll post a picture of that as well.

I'll use this for a baby boy at church who is due in July. We have 2 more boys coming up in October plus a "surprise us" that month as well. We also just had a baby girl come a few weeks ago and the ladies are having a shower this month for her. So that's four quilts I want to do over the next several weeks before school starts back up.

~QB29

Valuing a Quilt for Donations

Hi Everyone,

Maybe you can help me. Please do so if you can.

When I mail the two quilts (Dillon's Critters and Floral Rows) for the auction I have to include a value. This is what they will reference when sending the tax receipt and should be the value I could sell it for. What price should I use for each of the these quilts?

Dillon's Quilts - all fabric & batting from stash, including a charm pack (so only had to cut 4 of the squares)
40" X 40", machine pieced & quilted

Floral Rows - all fabric in top from stash, some pre-cut from other projects, including batting. Did have to buy backing/binding
about 40" X 48", machine pieced & quilted

So the question is, what do I value them at? I've never sold any of my quilts - My family, friends, and church family give me more than enough babies to quilt for, so I have no need (or time) to make quilts for sale.

Thanks,
~QB29

Sewing in the Morning

probably shouldn't be done by me:


My attempt at making binding this morning. I have no idea what I was thinking, but at least I was consistent. I did this on all 4 seams!

~QB29

Any Helpers?

Does anyone want to help me with my paper? I would like to have a couple of eyes read over it to check for proofreading/logical flow of the report. It's 22 pages double spaced (what can I say, I like to talk, lol) though about 3 pages are graphics.

The report is due on Thursday, but I am planning on turning it in on Wednesday since I have to drive down to campus (45 minutes each way) and hand deliver a professionally bound copy before the office closes at 4pm. So I would need any corrections/recommendations by tomorrow evening, say around 8 pm, so I can incorporate them into the report.

If you decide to help me, please explain why you are suggesting a correction/recommendation so that I can improve myself as a writer.

If you're good at proofreading or know APA style very well and would like to proofread it, leave me a comment. If your email is set to "no reply" you'll need to leave your email address in the comment.

Thanks,

~QB29

Next Top is Pieced!

Here's the next top I'm working on. I got it pieced tonight and will (hopefully) baste and quilt it tomorrow, that is, if I don't fall victim to the dreaded Sunday afternoon nap illness. Okay, it's not so dreaded. I rather enjoy when I am stricken by it :-). Backing and binding will be in a light cream very similar to the sashing strips.

~QB29

giveaway ....

Hi everyone,

The Dabbling Mum is having a giveaway. She's giving away a hard copy of "A Beautiful Day: Morning Light Series"and a handcrafted greeting card. For more information, go to her blog. Or don't - that means a better chance for me to win :-D.

~QB29

3 Visits to the Same Quilt Store in the Same Day!

Well, my title about sums up my day so far. I started out this morning running to JoAnn's. I went by the quilt store first, intending to get a jelly roll for this quilt but when I got there I suddenly couldn't remember if I needed a honey bun or a jelly roll. This store doesn't sell the magazine the pattern will be in (Quick Quilts) so I ran to JoAnn's to get what I needed and check the shelves. They don't have any. So I try Target and Meijer since they're across the street for JoAnn's. Mejier carries it, but still had the June/July on the shelf and the pattern's in the August/September issue. I'll just have to wait until it's on the shelf :-(.

So I headed home, but my car detoured me back to the quilt store for visit #2 to pick up some blues for the snowman quilt I'm going to make at Quilt Camp. The sample uses a variety of fabrics, but I'm going to do mine in blues & whites, so I need to stock up.

I came home and decided to see if I can get a second quilt made to go along with Dillon's Critters. I pulled out my leftover 4.5" squares from this and another baby quilt, also a disappearing 9-patch. I decided I didn't want to do the D9P this time, so it will be a surprise what I'm making. To get it finished this weekend I needed backing and realized I didn't have any creamy/white that would work, so back to the store I went for trip #3.

I told one of the owner's (Cora) about making the quilts for Dillon and about the auction. Guess what??? She donated three pillowcases for me to send. I'll be including them in the package I mail out on Monday.

So if you're ever in the Lexington area, go to Q First In Quilting on Old Harrodsburg Rd. The ladies that own it are super sweet. Even though it's been months (I think beginning of Feb) since I've been in there, they remembered me :). I can't praise them enough. The store is spacious and well-lit. You'll love it, I promise!

~QB29

Dillon's Critters is Bound

I am calling this quilt Dillon's Critters because it is in honor of 4 yr. old Dillon and is made using the Critters charm pack my mom gave me for Christmas. Dillon is the little guy in my sidebar. He suffered an injury at birth that resulted in several disabilities. A local (to them) organization has an annual corvette-only car show, which includes an auction. Every year they choose a child to benefit from the event. This year it is Dillon.

This picture shows the front of the quilt. The inner border, binding, and backing are the same yellow print. The quilt is about 40" x 40". The charm squares finished are 4 1/2". I quilted it using a yellow that matched the backing. I did diagonal lines (X's) on the charm squares, stitched in the ditch around both edges of the inner border, and then 3 parallel lines in the outer border.


Back of the quilt shows the quilting really well.


While I was taking photos I found my summertime friends.

The back of my townhouse is a wasp magnet. This is my third summer here and probably my tenth wasp nest I've destroyed. Yep, I destroyed my friends' home :-).

Today I'm running to JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby to get printer fabric so I can make a label for Dillon's Critters. Other than that I'm going to work on organizing my sewing room and either start a new project or work on a UFO.

~QB29

It's Quilted!

I've got the top quilted and just need to bind it. I'm heading back up now to bind. I'll label it tomorrow. I need to run to JoAnn's to get the printer fabric so I can make a label.

~QB29

Top is Basted, thanks to Walmart :-)

Yeah, it's basted. I did end up running to walmart. I had to stop by and get batteries anyway. The smoke detector started chirping this week and I had no 9-volt in the house (the one in the sewing room, not a sleeping bedroom, plus there are 3 others on the same floor, so I didn't run out and do it Tuesday at midnight when I got home nor last night after my class).

Now for the photos:
first up - the whole quilt. It is made up of the Critters charm pack my mom gave me for Christmas (plus 4 more squares to have enough)


Up close of the borders. The yellow for the inner border is also the backing. I got a ton of it on clearance awhile back.
The next two are close ups of several of the fabrics in the charm pack. The charm pack had 2 each of 17 different prints, but I didn't like 1 of the prints. That left me with 32 and for the 6x6 I needed 36, so I added 2 additional prints. Can you tell which ones? You'll have to look at the whole quilt to do so :-D




This quilt is being made in honor of Dillon, the little boy I've mentioned before. He's the one who went to China last year for stem cell treatment. A local (to them) organization has chosen him as the recipient this year of the proceeds from their annual car show. They hold a corvettes only car show and also have an auction. This year's event is August 8 from 11 AM to 4 PM. It is in Barto, PA near Bally. If you're in the area, they would love to have you come to the car show. If you can't make it, but would like to do so, the website has directions for you to send in a donation for Dillon.

I'm going to quilt and bind it this weekend so I can get it in the mail on Monday. I'll post a picture after I'm done with it.

~QB29

If I were my safety pins, where would I be?

Great. Now that I finally get a chance to sew and have a top ready to be quilted, my safety pins are nowhere to be seen :-(. What did I do with them the last time I sewed? If I can't find them soon, looks like I'll be making a quick trip to walmart. Of course, as soon as I get back with the new ones, I'll find my container.

~QB29

WV quilt Camp

Anyone up for a quilt camp in St. George, WV? My information packet for this September's session came in the mail today.

I've been to this one twice in the past. It's held twice a year (September & April) but because of school and other conflicts I have not been for a couple of years. It is at YMCA Camp Horseshoe - a summer camp facility located in Monongahela National Forest outside of Parsons, WV.

Sewing takes place in the lodge. The main room houses 40 quilters and the smaller room houses 9 quilters. You pick your spot when you register and can request a nearby sewing mate, though these are assigned as registrations are processed, so you are not guaranteed to get your choice.

They have several exciting classes scheduled. You can pick and choose which classes you sign up for, sign up for all of them, or sign up for none. The classes are very low-key. At the time(s) specified on the schedule, the instructor will meet the students around an instruction table and demonstrate/review the next few steps for the project. The students then go back to their sewing stations and sew :-). The instructor is available for any hands-on help that is needed. If the instructor sees that the students need more help, an extra class time or two will be called. Unless advance preparation is needed by the instructor (such as kits or preparing patterns), you can usually sign up for a class during the camp. I did this once and others did multiple times. Sometimes the project image does not inspire you, but everyone working on the project does :-).

Housing is in the cabins, which are heated. There is a heated bathhouse nearby. There's nothing fancy about these cabins - it's your typical summer camp arrangement. However, a new building right next to the lodge where we sew has opened since I last went, which has attached bathrooms and is more handicap accessible. There is an extra fee for this building and it is asked that you request it only if you need so, since space is limited in it.

The kitchen staff prepares all the meals for us. They always do a wonderful job. You won't go hungry :-). Additionally, most everyone brings snacks to share on the snack table, so there's plenty to eat between meals.

Best of all? No cell service and no emails, so my work can't contact :-D.

If anyone is interested, here is the link for the information packet: http://www.hi-y.org/Quilt%20Camp%20Packet%20-%20September%202010.pdf
Here is the link for the website: http://www.hi-y.org/chprograms.html#quiltcamp

You can arrive anytime after 1 PM on Tuesday, anytime on Wednesday, or anytime on Thursday. The price is adjusted based on how many nights you are spending. The first meal is Wed. for lunch. If you arrive Tuesday, you are on your own until then. There is a McDonald's about 15 minutes away or pack something in a cooler. There has been a refrigerator & microwave in the sewing lodge in the past. I'm assuming they are still available and you could put a sandwich or two in so you won't starve until lunch on Wednesday.

I NEED HELP! Please help me out :-)

Dear Blog Readers,

For those of you who don't know, I am currently working on my M.S. in Applied Computing, concentrating in Software Engineering and Business Computing. As part of my business classes, I am taking Strategic Business Corporations. For this course, I am doing a report and presentation that analyzes Google searches. I have created a survey to help me understand people's use of Google. If you could take this survey for me I would really appreciate it. Also, if you don't mind asking others in your household or friends to take the survey, please do so. Feel free to share the link with as many people as possible.

Here is the link: Click here to take survey

Thank you so much!

~QB29

I think I might have found a gym to join :-)

There's a church near me that has a Recreation & Outreach Center that includes a fitness center & walking track. I'm going to check it out tonight. It's open 6am - 9 pm M - F (closes at 5 for church on Wed though) and from 8 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. Are you ready for the cost? Get this .. it's $25 for the walking track only or $50 for both the walking track & the fitness center. That's not the monthly cost, that's the annual cost! I've already decided, without even checking it out yet, that I'm forking over the $50 tonight :-).

~QB29

Secrets :-)

My church does "secret sisters" every year. We draw names and then spend the year secretly praying for the lady whose name we drew. If we want and are able, we send little notes or presents throughout the year, letting our secret sister know we're praying. I'm being very sneaky about my sister this year. I set up a secret sister email address and emailed her. She has no idea who I am, but yet is able to communicate with me. Isn't it fun being sneaky?

~QB29

I think I'm going to make this!

(photo courtesy of Julie Herman, aka Jaybird Quilts)

Play School Quilt by Jaybird Quilts. It's a new design she added this week.

It was on Moda Bake Shop recently and looks super easy to make.

~QB29

Trominoes

Who thinks this would make a good quilt pattern?


It's called Trominoes and it's my latest project for school. We had to write a recursive program that would cover a 2^n X 2^n board with trominoes, leaving blank only one square. And guess what? It's done and it's only Monday and the project is not due until Thursday :-).

New Year's Eve Partying :-)

My church is having its annual Watchnight service on Thursday. It includes a potluck meal - every family is suppose to bring a dish to share. It usually works out that enough people bring main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. This year, I'm bringing two desserts.

First up: Chocolate Pretzel Buttons from the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site. They're easy to make.

Second up: More brownies! Instead of making them with peppermint, I'm going for a cookie flavor. I'm using Hershey's cookies 'n' cream candy bars for the frosting and chopped oreo cookies in place of the chopped peppermint candies. For ease of serving, I'll go ahead and put them in muffin cups like before.

Have a safe New Year's Eve and see you next year!

~QB29

Some Goals for 2010

An email group I'm on has been discussing setting resolutions or goals for the coming year. I've been thinking about them ever since I read the first email regarding the subject. Some of them are quilty, but the ones I've been thinking about today are not quilt related. So here goes ....

1. Lose 10 percent of my body weight.
2. Exercise at least 3 times a week.
3. Eat a balanced diet, with less fast food then I've been eating now.

I'm trying to keep my goals simple so that I actually have a chance of doing them without getting frustrated with one and solving that frustration by doing none :-).

I'll have more later this week, some quilty and some non-quilty.

~QB29

My newest design!

For Christmas I received fabric from 3 different people! My Aunt sent backing fabric plus three different focus fabrics. My mom gave me a charm pack, and my sister gave me a honey bun roll. I've dug into the honey bun roll and here's the design I've come up with:

The 16-patches are made up of 1" squares. The white border to each of the 16 patches are actually the white print that was in the honey bun. The sashing is also 1" wide. The cornerstones will be one of the "lighter" prints in the honey bun. The white inner border will probably have to be a white solid or tone on tone, as there is not enough in the honeybun to do a white inner border. The pink will be one of the prints, but I am ordering a couple yards for the border and binding. The quilt will finish at 39" - 43", depending on how wide I make the outer border. The minimum I'll make it is 4", but I may make it 6", depending on how it looks.

The honey bun was Mary Engelbreit's "Baskets of Flowers" for Moda.

I'll post a pic when I'm done sewing the top. I hope to finish it this weekend. I'm getting the boys tomorrow afternoon and keeping them through supper on Monday to help my sister out. Her daycare is closed all week, but she can't take the whole week off work.

My mom gave me the Critters Charm Pack from Studio E Fabrics.

I'm not sure what pattern I'll use yet.

~QB29

peppermint brownies - another view

I cut them into small rectangles and placed each in a cupcake liner for easy serving. Plus cutting them up meant know one noticed the giant hole left from taste testing one or two or four or 12 (okay, maybe it was just 2).

~QB29

Look what I made ....

Not quilty, but yummy! Peppermint Brownies :-). Bake a box mix of brownies (or your own homemade recipe) as directed. As soon as you pull it out of the oven, top with about 15 Ghiradelli dark chocolate mint filled squares. Pop back into oven about 1 minute. Spread melted chocolate over brownies. Immediately top with chopped peppermint candies (the star light mints or candy canes). Let cool and enjoy!

I'm having them for dessert tonight, but I may have to have a test taste this afternoon. I'll let you know how they are. The recipe is from the Ghiradelli site, but I substituted a box mix for the homemade mix they had.

QB29

win a $20 gift card

Rhonda over at ravelly1 is giving away a $20 gift card to her favorite store, Common Threads. If you would like to win, follow her instructions here.

~QB29

love tracking numbers....

I'm waiting on a package from Fedex. They have excellent tracking info.
At 6:06 PM on Sunday the company electronically sent the info to fedex.
The package arrived at Fedex at 6:00 AM the next morning.
That night at 10:24 PM it left the origin facility heading to another Fedex locatin.
It arrived there at 10:25 am the next morning.
At 6:12 PM it departed for the sort facility that services my area, arriving there at 8:38 PM
It arrived in my city at the local Fedex at 7:42 AM this morning and ....
at 8:36 AM was scanned while being loaded onto the "fedex vehicle for delivery"

Now if I could just GPS the truck to see where it is in my fine city, lol.

Woo hoo, it will be here today :-D.

~QB29

long overdue update

Hi there!

Here is my long overdue update. :-)

School's been working me hard. I'm in the midst of a term project, a group project, and a paper on Computer Ethics, plus lots of other fun homework :-). It's going well, though, and I'm enjoying it.

I came up to my mom's for Thanksgiving. Bubby (my older nephew) spent Wednesday and Thursday nights with us. He "helped" me make the pumpkin pie. I let him dump the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix. My mom also let him help her make break-n-bake cookies. He got to put them on the cookie sheet! He was so excited that he got to help. After we made the pumpkin pie, all day long he wanted his "pumpkin cake" that he helped make. No amount of correction got him to say pie. It was always cake, lol.

Because he was here, I did not go out this morning. I didn't trust him to stay in bed if he woke while I was gone (my mom was back in her room) and I definitely was not taking a three year-old shopping at 4 in the morning. Instead, we slept in some and hung around the house, until we left to go to ... the Fabric Shack! Bubby was really good at the store. He stayed in his stroller like a good boy. He loves to go shopping! He especially loves any fabric store.

I left my camera at the house and mom's batteries are dead, so pics will have to wait. I told myself I was not buying anything, but they had one of their sale carts outside the store and one of the fabrics caught my eye and my "no-buy" was off. I didn't get too much - less than one bagful for a change.

I'm not sure if I'll get to post again before finals week, so if not, check for me in mid-December :-).

Everyone have a great next few weeks!

~ QB29

benefits

So arriving in my work email (which I'm checking via webmail, but most people only check in office), is the "open enrollment coming up" email. It states, "Additional details are on the way in the coming weeks." Yes, weeks as in plural. Problem is, open enrollment starts in a week from Monday. Hello!! Don't we need our information BEFORE open enrollment starts???? Like, duh, that would help! Especially since our medical insurance provider is changing (back to the one we had just before the buyout), our dental insurance provider is changing (not that it matters to me - I have a cheaper plan on my own), our pharmacy benefits are changing to a new provider, and there are new eligibilty criteria for the upcoming year. So it's not like we can just elect to re-up everything we've got, since EVERYTHING is changing. Even our Flex Spend is changing - the max amount is higher now.

Timing, people, timing. It makes a world of a difference.

So once I get my packet (Monday, hopefully????), I'll have to begin the whole "provider search" to make sure my primary care plus my two specialists plus the new specialist I'm seeing the 2nd to last day on the current plan are on the new plan. If the new one is not on the plan, I'll be cancelling her in the next week or two. No sense in going to see her once and then having to turn around and do another "new patient exam" with the next one. Let's just hope this new plan doesn't have anything against allergy shots. According to the reactions I get each time, I'm nowhere near ending them yet.

~QB29

Feeling Better!

Thanks everyone who prayed! My temperature was normal today :-). Let's just pray it stays that way 24 hours. I could tell before I took it that I no longer had a low-grade fever. I've had lots of energy today and even cleaned! I mopped both bathrooms, the entry way, and the hallway. I scrubbed on my hands and knees in front of the washer/dryer and the back entry way (it needed it!). I also vacuumed the stairs and upstairs hallway and cleaned the upstairs bath. I still need to take care of laundry, but that's a never-ending tasking, and rehang the shower curtain liner - I soaked it while cleaning the bathroom.

Hope y'all are have a fantastic weekend!

~QB29

3 words:

GO BIG BLUE!!!

~qb29

The Results

Suspected H1N1 flu. Test was inconclusive, but he said it's possible they just didn't get enough germs to test it. Given my asthma history and the fact that of the 5 co-workers and 4 of their kids who have been sick in the past two weeks, at least 3 of them have test positive for the flu, so he's treating it as such. I'm on Tamiflu, my asthma meds, and as needed, Ibuprofen, unless any complications arise. Of course it goes without saying, lots of fluids and rest. I can return to the land of the living on Monday, providing there are no complications.

~QB29

Fever

My fever was 101.2F when I got home from work today. I didn't realize it was that high! I'd been having chills since after lunch and have been wheezing most of the day. I'm doing a breathing treatment now and then heading to the local walk-in clinic. If it's the flu, I really hope they give me Tamiflu. With asthma, I can't afford any complications. A little ol' sinus infection caused me weeks (maybe months, I lost track) of flareups last year. I don't need any of that this year!

Keep me in your prayers. I'll update later tonight or in the morning.

~QB29

Friendship Bag Swap

Remember the cute green and pink little bag I blogged about a few posts back? Well, here's the cutie that I received in the swap. Jenn at Frugal Front Porch made mine. She also included a handmade Christmas ornament and a cute key chain and some other goodies. Didn't she do a great job? I love the colors of the bag.



~QB29

Pink Baby Quilt Finished!

Picture's not the greatest, but it's finished. Except for the label, lol. I just had to call and check the spelling of the name. Done before the baby shower for a change, though not before the baby's birth. The baby was a preemie and is still in the hospital. They are anticipating she'll go home beginning of November. Our church is hosting a baby shower on the 22nd for the mom. The family had just joined our church when the mom began having complications. The baby was delivered a few weeks later. I machine stitched the binding, but I definitely need practice. I followed the directions that came in a magazine this month - I think the AQS magazine.

~QB29

Finally getting to sew some!

Guess what? I got to sew this week. I made not one thing, but two. First up is a little friendship bag. I participated in an online swap and made this for my partner. Mine came Thursday; I'll post a pic of it soon. My partner liked brights. When I went shopping, the quilt store had these two paired together, and I couldn't resist. I mainly followed the pattern, but used a whole piece in place of the 5 1/2" X 1 1/2" pieced top of the little bag. I also used grosgrain ribbon in place of making fabric handles. I used one of my "fancy" stitches to quilt the top and then 3 parallel lines on the bottom. It was a fun and easy pattern to make a cute little bag.





I also was able to get together with a friend tonight to sew. Another friend from church was there as well. I made a hooded towel. I've been wanting to make one of these for awhile and since my nephew's birthday is this week, I figured now as a good a time as any. At first I was going to do a puppy dog, but then decided Elmo would be better. I swung by Walmart on the way to pick up the towels. I followed these directions. I did modify them a bit, rounding the hood part some (like making the corner on a purse) and added the face.



Doesn't my table lamp make a good model?

I hope to get a baby quilt bound (the one that Jill quilted for me) this week as well. The baby shower will be in two or three weeks. I can't go to the shower since I have class that night, but I'll drop it at church or send it with a friend. I'm also working on a quilt for the lady at church who was hurt in the car accident.

Loving fall break! No classes Monday or Tuesday, though I still have to go to work. No homework in theory. Had two tests this week and 1 coming up the week after fall break. So no massive amounts of homework for a few days!

Hope y'all have a great weekend! I may be too busy enjoying my sewing time to visit any.

~QB29

DRUNK DRIVING

In less than 8 weeks, my church family has been involved in two severe drunk driving incidents. On August 1, John Carr was struck and killed by a drunk driver during the cycling portion of a triathlon. Seven weeks and a day later, Angie Tedder was hit head on by a drunk driver. The driver has died, but Angie is in the hospital. The news is reporting her condition as critical. She's suffered multiple broken bones, including compound fractures of the knees and elbows, both femurs, her pelvis, and other injuries. It's been less than 36 hours since the accident and she's already had 2 surgeries.

Why?? Why do people think it's okay to drink and drive? Why do they think they can just do as they please? Sin is sin. There will ALWAYS be consequences. In the last 8 weeks, 4 children lost their daddy, 2 of them just in elementary school. A wife lost her husband. A husband has to see his wife severely hurt. A family is hurting because their loved one choose to drink and drive and has now died. Is it worth it? All the pain and suffering and heartache you cause? Is ALCOHOL really worth it?

~QB29

Pray for Angie Tedder

If you could pray for Angie Tedder today I would appreciate it. She is a lady from my church. Last night, while she was heading home after the evening service, another vehicle crossed the center line and hit her head-on. Two other vehicles were also involved in the accident, sending Angie, the driver, and two others to the hospital. Her husband was in the vehicle behind her, but was not involved in the accident.

Here is the latest update: Please keep praying for Angie Tedder - broken pelvis, femur, ankle, shattered kneecap, broken arm, many other injuries including cuts and bruises. She had surgery last night, but I'm not sure why. The news media is reporting her condition as "serious". Our local NBC affiliate has listed her condition as critical as of late this morning.

The news is also reporting that the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident by crossing the center line was taken to the hospital in critical condition. His name is Kenneth Carter. Pray for him/his family also. The police are saying that alcohol was involved :-(. He has since died.

There is no word on the two others that were sent to the hospital, so I'm assuming their injuries were minor.

~QB29

riding the rails 9 patch quilt

~QB29

9-11

I will never forget. For my generation, 8 years ago today was our Pearl Harbor, our Nov. 22, 1963. It is a day that was engraved on my brain.

Eight years ago today I was a carefree college junior. Fall semester had started the previous week, but I was home still, packing for my study abroad. I was to leave on the 13th for 3 months in Mexico to further my Spanish studies.

I had worked the night before, the 5pm to 1am shift, at Kroger's, as I had done all summer long. I had only three things planned for that day. I had a haircut scheduled, my last night of work, and a quick trip to my mom's school to visit her classroom. I slept in a little, knowing it would probably be my last chance to do so for awhile. After waking, I made a bowl of cereal and sat down in the family room to watch TV while I ate.

The show "Live with Regis and Kelly" was what came on when I turned on the TV. I saw an image of the Twin Towers, one of them on fire. At first I wondered, "what new movie are they discussing?" After several seconds I realized that the scene was too eerily for a movie. It was too quiet. The screen shot was still. There was no panning like there would be in a movie. I began to pay attention to the TV. Suddenly the second plane hit the towers, and that's when I realized this was live, it was real, it wasn't a promo for an upcoming movie. I hurriedly finished my breakfast and got dressed. By then I had some semblance of knowledge of what was occurring.

I left for my mom's school. She needed the digital camera and had left it at home, so I was taking it to her. As I drove, I listened to the radio. I don't remember which station. It didn't matter. They all had it on. As I drove, one of the towers collapsed. I cried the rest of the way there.

At her school, I signed in at the office, where the staff was gathered around a radio or little TV. I went upstairs to my mom's room, tears streaking me face, wheezing. When I got up there, she became all worried about me. I had just gotten over a case of pneumonia, had asthma, and was getting ready to leave the country. She thought I was sick again, too sick to go on my trip. I tried getting out to her that we had been attacked, but finally managed to say, "You'd be having trouble breathing too if you cried all the way here and then ran up to the third floor." At that, she dragged me out to the hallway, and I was able to tell her we'd been attacked. At first she didn't believe me, but then realized that I had to be telling the truth. She got the TV on her floor and turned it on for her students.

It was a long and sad day. I remember still getting my haircut. Both the stylist and I watched TV the entire time. I worked that night. It was even worse than working Thanksgiving or Christmas. Everyone came in, preparing for the worst. No one knew what tomorrow would bring, and all were stocking up just in case. There were even rumors that the gas supply would be cut off and/or gas would be over $5.00 in the morning.

At some point I received word that my trip was postponed. They were able to reschedule us for 6 days later. Getting on the plane and flying didn't terrify me a bit. Being out of the country when a war started was my fear, but I went anyway.

Life changed for me that morning. I can't put it into words, but my life changed. In an instant I was different. I was still me, but my understanding was different. My view of life was different. I grew up.

I am proud to be an American. I am proud to support my country. I am proud to support those who defend me, who fight for me, who protect me.

To quote Lee Greenwood's song, "God Bless the USA"

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

~QB29

Coming Soon to a mail box probably not near you...

Here are my BOM blocks. I was behind and am late getting the August block in. It is the oriental xquisite block. The September block is the churn dash. The floral Jacob's Ladder are the "thank you" blocks we send to the organizers of the swap.


I'm not too sure how much sewing I'll get in this weekend. I'm suppose to be babysitting Bubby and Bubba starting this afternoon, but my sister called and said both are home sick from daycare. So, one of the benefits of being an Aunt is being able to say, "No, not coming, they need their momma!" We'll see if my mom and I can get them tomorrow for the rest of the long weekend. School work's also picking up and my first homeworks are due next week, so I do need to dedicate some time to them. If I sew any, hopefully I'll get to post.

Have a great weekend!
~QB29

FQ Giveaway

My friend Linda is having a series of giveaways. Last week she gave away a UC bag & fabric. This week it's 7 FQ. Check it out!

~QB29

Pay It Forward

A while back, Jill had a Pay-It-Forward on her blog. I was one of the lucky winners!. She gave me my wallet over the weekend. Now, I have to Pay it Forward. I will make a gift for the first 3 bloggers who leave me a comment on this blog and wish to participate. Once you receive my gift, you need to make the same promise on your blog and get 3 bloggers to send a homemade gift to. You do have to have a blog to participate. It’s a nice way to spread the love!

~QB29

driving, driving, driving

me crazy! I get to campus, check me email, check Blackboard for class notes (not up yet), and took an accounting quiz. Then I headed to my classroom to claim my seat - this is the class with 31 students and only 30 desks. I'm certainly not going to be the one that has to cart a desk in, lol. Two other students came in shortly after me and then a third one stuck his head in the door saying class had been canceled. He said he got an email. The guy sitting behind me checked his email on his cell phone. Yep, the department secretary had sent an email saying class was canceled. So two classmates and one's friend and I went out for Mexican. I'm home now, checked my stuff online, and now heading up to sew and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.

~QB29

getting home ...

took me twice as long as usual! We sat still for just shy of 1 1/2 hours on the interstate. From what I could tell, there was a jack-knifed truck or overturned car a couple of miles up in the construction zone, two tiny lanes w/out any shoulders. Needless to say we were not moving any where.

I got home and got everything in and checked my mail. I had a little present from Natalie. It's a little tract holder for my purse and looks really cute. I'll hopefully get a post this week. I'm too tired to dig out my camera. I still need to determine what I'm wearing tomorrow. Too bad the weekend has to end and life has to go back to work and school.

Have a great week!

~QB29

Baby quilt pieced!

Sunday Morning Happenings .... Jill actually sews!


Max (above) and Masiy (below) have been great. Max is squished between my thigh and the chair arm as I type.


And I finished piecing this baby quilt. I started it last night around 10 or so and had the center almost put together before calling it a night about 1:30. I finished the center and got the border cut before heading out to church. When I got back, I added the borders, mitered!



The backing will be the print that's in the border. It was an easy FQ friendly pattern that I picked up at the quilt store liquidation store I stopped by the other week. I had purchased the butterfly print some time ago. I pulled it out of my stash this week and started grabbing coordinating tone-on-tones to use. One more top done! It will go to one of the new baby girls at church.

UPDATE ~ I just found the pattern designer online. Her name is Tammy Tadd. Here is her website, her blog, and the link to the pattern, Fatty-Fatty 2x4. The only change that I made was that in the original pattern, her small 4-patches are the same 2 colors throughout. I alternated the blue and the green to bring in more colors from my focus fabric. Check out her site - she has lots of great patterns. I'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled for her stuff when I look for new patterns.

~QB29

Saturday Happenings

Guess what? I'm Ninja Approved!




I've been a busy beaver here at Jill's. Last night I finished piecing this paramedic/EMT baby quilt. It is for a baby boy at church. Both his momma and his daddy are paramedics/EMT's for a nearby fire station. I found the focus fabric when I visited Indy a couple of weeks ago. The coordinating prints are all from my stash. I did buy some blue marble today to use for the backing. I should have enough of the black to use for the binding.



I also got the yellow borders added to this YBR quilt this morning. When Jill and I went shopping, we picked up backing, binding, and batting for it. I happened to find yardage of one of the purples used in the YBR blocks at the 2nd quilt store we went to. I decided to use if for the binding. The backing I picked up at the first quilt store and is a very light cream, almost white, print. Jill helped me load it on the frame this afternoon and I was done quilting it by 7 PM, including a 30 - 45 minute nap/quiet spell on her couch. I just did a simple meander on it.



I'm going to work on piecing some baby quilts tonight. I'll post pics if I make any progress.

~QB29

fun weekend ahead of me

I am staying with Jill this weekend, and we are having our very own quilt retreat at her place. A couple of friends in the area may drop by as well. She's letting me use her Lenny & Squiggy to quilt some lap sized throws. I'm planning on piecing some baby quilts, too. We're also going to stop by the new fabric store in town. It's actually a yarn place that's expanding into the land of quilting. This weekend's suppose to be the grand opening. I'll try to post pics throughout the weekend.

Hopefully I'll be Ninja-Approved :-D.

~QB29

weekend plans

1. errands (post office, library, quilt store)
2. cleaning (floors, bathroom, laundry)
3. sewing
--->> finish paramedic top (baby size)
--->> add border to YBR (lap size)
--->> cut & piece Disappearing 9-patch (lap size)
--->> baste & quilt paramedic top
--->> swaps sewing (SBS Blue/Brown/Tan & SBS H3 Christmas)


~QB29

My Bonnie Quilt

In all it's glory, but not a great picture, here is "My Bonnie Quilt". I finished piecing it this morning. For some odd reason, I actually got up with my alarm. Usually it takes 4 alarms and an hour to wake me :-(, lol. So I used that extra time to finish adding the purple and to cut and sew the brown border. The purple has more red in it than the picture shows.



~QB29

The Verdict is In ....

It was the soap! There's still a little bit of soap suds covering the drain, but no standing water and no leaked water or suds. I'll add some more vinegar to my walmart list and run the dishwasher again tonight with just the vinegar. From what I saw online, it could take 2 or 3 vinegar runs to get rid of all the dish soap. So glad I caught it when I did. I definitely would not have wanted to deal with the mess had I run an actual load of dishes with dish detergent plus the dish soap residue.

Well, I've got to finish my Walmart list and then off to shop.

~QB29

dishwasher blues

Well, the good news is now I know WHY you don't use dish soap in a dishwasher. No, it wasn't me, it was my roommate. A few weeks ago I noticed the mat by the sink was wet, like someone had dropped a pot of water on it. I assumed my roommate had had a mishap with some water, no big deal. She mentioned to me a few days later that when she had run the dishwasher, some water had leaked out. I had noticed soap "stains" at the base of the dishwasher and realized that's where they came from. I thought, hm, is the dishwasher broken? I told her we'd just keep an eye on it next time the dishwasher ran. A last second thought caused me to ask her what soap she used ... ta da, that's the problem! She used regular dish soap. Apparently, she's not used to dishwashers. I showed her where the dishwasher soap was and let her know to use it and only it from now on.

Fast forward to today. My kitchen needed mopping and sweeping and I thought to wipe off the soap stains from the bottom front of the dishwasher. Of course, that leads me to loading the dishwasher with a couple of plates in the sink and that's when I noticed it ... standing water! Yeah, from the dish soap incident - neither of us eats at home that much. I unloaded the dishwasher, mopped out all the water, and wiped down the insides. I then googled. Apparently, using dish soap can cause this issue. So I decided to run a test run. Within a few minutes there was lots of bubbles in the bottom of the dishwasher, from the remaining dish soap in the pump. I know, an icky thought! From what I googled, I saw that adding white vinegar would help. So I've got an empty dishwasher running with a cup or so of vinegar, waiting for bubbles, water, or nothing. I'm aiming for the nothing. To be safe, I'm babysitting from the kitchen table, lol.

If all goes well, we'll say that was the issue. Then I'll be heading to walmart for a few things I need around here.

I had hoped to finish piecing the wallhanging I'm making from Saturday's workshop, but at this point that's not happening tonight. I took my 16 blocks, laid them out 4 x 4, and added a 1" purple sashing/inner border (totally inspired by Bonnie!). I need to finish sewing the top purple border and then add the bottom purple border - the bobbin ran out of thread and I ran out of time to deal with it this morning. I have a brown that I'm using for the outer border. I think it frames it nicely. I'll probably do a 3" border, maybe 4". It will be around 27" - 30" square. I need to check how much I have of the brown, because I want to use it for my binding as well. Since this is "My Bonnie Quilt", I think I'm going to hand quilt it using Baptist fans, like she does a lot. It will go up on a wall in my sewing room when finished.

So far so good - guess that means I have to mop the floor completely on my own, lol.

~QB29

Sew Many Ways Giveaway

http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2009/08/give-away.html

Check out Sew Many Ways giveaway. It's a bunch of Thimbleberries squares!

~QB29

Bonnie Hunter Workshop - Friday

I had an awesome time this weekend. I met Jill, Linda, and Cathy at Jennifer's guild in Indy. The QGI was hosting a Bonnie Hunter weekend! She spoke at the monthly meeting (which I missed due to a clueless moment getting off the interstate) and two different workshops - one on Friday and one on Saturday. Jill and I stayed with Jennifer's mom, Carol. Jennifer followed us there so we could chat ... I think we kept her up too late, lol. It was rather late by the time we went to bed. We did get to ooh and aah over Carol's quilts - she's does great work!

Friday, Jill and I got breakfast at Denny's before heading to the workshop. We sewed away, working on our blocks. We all got at least one block made. Here are our blocks (borrowed from Jill's Webshots album - a digital camera withOUT a memory card is as good as a digital camera withOUT batteries. I remembered the batteries, but the card was (and still is) in my laptop)

Mine


Linda


Cathy


Jill



Jill and I were about the only people that did not order the boxed lunch. We ran out to eat when the boxes were delivered. We decided that we were not that hungry, but then we spied a Baskin Robbins! Jill teasingly asked if I wanted ice cream for lunch and I told her I was game :-D. She treated me since she was a day late wishing me happy birthday last week. Linda's expression was priceless when we walked in with our ice cream. I think the rest of the ladies wondered where their ice cream was. And in one of my many red moments, here I am:



I ended up getting to two whole blocks sewn. I did get lots of partials put together; they are in my bag waiting for some sewing time this week.

After the workshop, Jill and I checked out a nearby quilt store, Quilts Plus. They are in a strip mall type of place and have two or three of the spaces. They have lots of fabric, which is very beautifuly displayed. I did buy 3 yardages - 1 yard of a paramedic fabric and 1 1/2 yards of each of 2 different stripes that I can use in baby quilts. The stripes were sale/clearance - 30% off. The paramedic fabric is for a couple at church who just had a baby. Both mom and dad are paramedics. We then hit JoAnn's to buy some plastic totes that were on sale before heading back to Carol's. If I think about it tonight, I'll add pics of my purchases.

Once back at Carol's, the three of us headed over to Jennifer's for a cookout. Jennifer graciously hosted all of us for supper. Her kids are super cute and made me miss my Bubby and Bubba :-(. We had a good time. Her dh grilled for us and we had some homemade gaucamolee! After we ate Jennifer showed us her sewing room and her longarm. It's always fun to see other's sewing rooms.

I'll post about Saturday later this week!

~QB29

Weekly Quilt Goals

1. Assemble "My Bonnie Quilt" wallhanging (16 crumb/heart/star/letter blocks from a workshop with Bonnie Hunter)
2. Cut/piece top for gentleman at church (housebound due to Alzheimer's)
3. Add border for lady at church (#2's wife, housebound caring for him)
4. Piece baby boy F quilt (paramedic theme)

~QB29

Bonnie Hunter

Just under 11 hours to go :-).

~QB29

Friends

Last night I updated my facebook status to read:

It's always nice to find out that friends are quilters!

And now for the rest of the story -

Natalie, who attended my church while completing her law degree, found me on FB last night and friended me. We must have been on at the same time, because as I was checking out her page, she was checking out mine. Guess what we noticed? We both quilt! and we both blog! So here's her blog. Pop on over and get to know her.

~QB29

Dillon

Please keep praying for Dillon. He is a 3 year-old boy whose grandma I have known online for several years. He suffered a brain injury at birth and has CP. He and his mommy (and brother and grandma) are in China right now so that he can receive stem cell treatments. These treatments are from "adult" stem cells, not embryonic cells. Pray for the treatments to help him!

Wonderful news was heard today - he rolled over!

~QB29

John Carr

John Carr's funeral is Thursday morning. He is the gentleman who was struck and killed by a drunk driver during a triathlon in Louisville, KY this past Saturday. Please remember his family in your prayers. He leaves behind a wife (Sunni) and 4 kids (Kyle, Jordan, Bethany, and Seth).

His Obituary

~QB29

'Tis so sweet

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

"'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus" words by Louisa M.R. Stead, 1882

Enjoy!

~QB29

August Goals

Finish binding/labeling & gift
1. Zoo Parade - Bubba
2. Dino Quilt - Bubby
3. Tilted Animals - Ian

Hand Quilt
1. Boy Oh Boy

Cut Out/Piece
1. YBR - pansies/yellow/purples - Mrs. L @ church
2. Scrappy Blues/Greens/Tans - Bro. L @ church
3. Baby boy sports - Baby W @ church
4. Baby boy - Baby A @ church
5. Baby girl - Baby T @ church
6. Baby girl - Baby M @ church

Baste/Quilt
1. Charm Pink Girl - baby B @ church
2. Finish Cowboy Rodeo quilting

BOM/Swaps
1. P Classic Oriental Block
2. Block Lotto Log cabins
3. Happy Scrappy
4. Thangles (Teal/Raspberry)
5. SBS Blue/Brown blocks #1-5

~QB29

song on my mind today :-D

My Jesus, My Savior,
Lord, there is none like You;
All of my days,
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,
Tower of refuge and strength;
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, Let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.


"Shout to the Lord" by Darlene Zschech, 1993

~QB29

Where Would You Go?

If you died today, where would you go? This question is very relevant today in light of a man named John Carr. He and his family attended our church a few years ago, before switching to a church closer to their home. They were very active in our church and maintained relationships with several families here. Their two older children attend our Bible college.

Yesterday (Saturday, August 1), he and my Sunday School teacher were participating in a triathlon in Louisville, KY. Without warning, during the bicycle portion of the race, Bro. Carr was struck from behind be a drunk driver. He died at the scene. No one ever expected for a death to occur during this race. It has been run nearly 30 years without serious incident. Bro. Carr had no time to react, no warning that he was about to be killed. One moment he was riding his bicycle, the next, stepping into eternity. His eternity is Heaven. Many years ago he trusted Jesus as his Saviour. He knew where he was headed.

If you have never trusted Jesus as your Saviour, now is the time to do so. None of us know how much time we have left to live. Any moment we could be killed, be it by a drunk driver, a stray bullet, a heart attack. If it had been you on that bicycle, where would you now be for eternity? Do you even know? Would you be in Heaven or would you be in Hell? You can know that you'll be in Heaven. It's your choice, your decision. Only you can make it for yourself. No one can decide for you and you decide for no one. Make it now, for your death may come just as suddenly and without warning as Bro. Carr's did.

1. Know that you are a sinner. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." and in Romans 3:10 - "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
2. Know that there is a sin-debt that must be paid. Romans 6:23(a) - "For the wages of sin is death;" and Revelation 20:14-15 - " "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.""
3. Jesus paid the sin-debt for us. Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." and Romans 5:8 - "But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." and John 14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
4. Anyone can trust Jesus as his/her Saviour Romans 10:9 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." and Romans 10:13 - "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." John 5:24 - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

If you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, simply bow your head and humbly:

1. Admit to God that you are a sinner.
2. Tell Him you believe Jesus died for you.
3. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and save your soul.
4. Then believe that He promised to save you.

Don't wait until it's too late to make this decision. You never know what waits around the corner for you. It's your choice - your decision. Make it now.

~QB29