Preparations, preparations...

"Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to me?" asked Scrooge.
"I am."
The voice was soft and gentle. Singularly low, as if instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance.
"Who, and what are you?" Scrooge demanded.
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past."
"Long Past?" inquired Scrooge: observant of its dwarfish stature.
"No. Your past."   A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

* * * * * * * *

Do you ever have times when the day "feels" like the day it is?  Saturday feels like a Saturday or Monday feels like a Monday?  To me, yesterday didn't particularly feel like any specific day, although it was Friday, the end of the work week.  Lest I laze the day away, I sorted some fabrics and worked on retreat assignments, so I had my nose to the needle most of the day.  Surprisingly, it was a nice sunny day after we got over the black ice at rush hour, a few accidents on the Beltway but I didn't have to be out there. There was still some snow on the ground and sidewalks that was the soft kind, meaning I shoveled my walk then used the broom to clear the rest of it - I didn't even have to use sand or salt!

This is my take on one of the retreat assignments; I don't think it's a secret, so it's okay to post it.  ;o)

Retreat participants were given a fat quarter of a blue batik and told to create a block that reminds you of the "ocean." Well, I sculpted a moon over the ocean at night, piecing for the base and then appliqueing pieces of fabric for the water. I also added a few beads to resemble bubbles floating on the waves.  I chose this design because I liked it, although the block didn't have to "be" the ocean, it had to "remind" you of the ocean.  I have to finish up two more retreat assignments, and I'm done!

I chatted with my sister in NJ yesterday, she's making her famous pork BBQ for Christmas, woo hooo!  She bakes the pork shoulder in a "secret" sauce and freezes it until Christmas - it's vinegary and delicious!  I've had it before, and I highly recommend it.

I might have mentioned before that I'm a member of Uhuru Quilters Guild; today is our Christmas party, ugly fabric auction, and the drawings for the raffle quilts.  Unlike previous years, this year there are three quilts of the same general design, but in three different sizes.  The quilts are really pretty - I hope one of my ticket buyers wins!

Linda