Have We Got Things to Talk About

You will not be surprised in the slightest that I'm brimming with things to discuss, beginning with this intriguing feature from the New York Times. What invention of the last 150 years do you think matters the most? Please weigh in!!

I was in total agreement with the person who scoffed at anyone saying the smart phone was the winner because when you think about it, it is merely a collection of things we've had before. Maps, telephone service obviously, calculator, notepad, even messaging is kind of like a new- fangled version of the telegraph. Furthermore while it has spawned some jobs, it has killed way more. Although it is not true for the rest of the country, Florida has benefited greatly from the wide spread availability, not to mention, affordability of AIR CONDITIONING!! It may not matter the most, but it sure is great. Just ask anyone who grew up here without it!  Our population growth during the last thirty years has largely been due to this marvel of engineering. Thank God for our inventors.

Finishing the photo challenge over on fb, my final photo was of the sunrise at Lake Conway yesterday morning. I was up early---what can I say?

From there I rode to see the eagles, however, I found the eaglet, (wonder where the other one is?), on the pine tree across the lake from the nest. Too dim to get a good shot, so on to see what my owlets were up to. Good choice Gail. Arriving, I saw one in the magnolia tree, and one in the birdbath...score! What happened next was fun to watch..

Yup, just perching on the shingles...

Those big brown eyes staring are just too much!

Over the weekend we were lucky enough to use David's tickets to see an Orlando City game which proved to be entertaining in loads of ways. I seriously can't help myself when I photograph things that either interest or amuse me. Does this remind you of a character from a book or movie? It did me, however, the name eludes me.

It is both a sporting and a cultural event for long time Orlandoans like us. For one thing, they have up and changed the name of the stadium which kind of bugs me because it is such a silly name.

Then too, there were only about three people sitting in our vicinity, aside from ourselves, of course, that spoke English. That said, excitement in any language is easily discernible--the crowd went crazy when the Lions scored the winning goal.

Sunday, following church, the "kids" met us at Dubsdread for a birthday lunch for Mr. Bruce. Surprisingly, both outings we enjoyed pleasant weather, much to our relief.

While it is true that I have gained weight in the last year, I didn't think it was enough to put me into a size 12 sewing pattern, but indeed that is the case. As such, I threw away some old ones, that no doubt, will never be used again.

You do remember that I said sewing patterns bear no relation to ready to wear clothes, don't you? Talking to Nancy about this, she asked had I taken my measurements to find the right fit? No, I was guessing before. Now I'm not!

It is also true that the very first garment I made in Home Ec, all those years ago, was an A-line skirt out of blue kettlecloth, a fabric I've not seen in years. So, what better way to break in my new machine than repeating that same garment? This white skirt is made from denim with a little spandex for comfort. The top you will remember from my last post.

I am all dressed and ready for the monthly Days for Girls get together. There were eighteen women in attendance, all working like busy bees. Sharleen, pictured below, is our fearless leader who organizes everything. As well, she brings all of the materials, spending the better part of a week getting ready.

I took quite a number of photos yesterday to show you what it is like. Kim, to the right of Sharleen is not a sewist, however, her work is invaluable to the effort. I got a chance to visit with her yesterday, learning she was a baker at Disney for thirty years before retiring. Bev, pictured below taught 3rd and 5th grade at Pershing for years and years. She worked on cutting which you will understand momentarily. The quilt tops on the wall are unreal..

The one on the right has pinned fabric in the middle of it, marring the look just a smidge but in person it is fantastic. Sharleen explained to me it is a pattern called Bargello, something I am going to research when I finish this! Susan, below, is working on the pads, or what will become the pads once they are cut apart by Bev. I did the same.

Once they are cut into thirds, they are serged, which is what Judy is working on below.

By way of explanation, a serged seam is what you find in ready to wear clothes. Look at this stack of pads!!

And we are back to Kim who is both tying the ends of those pads and using fray check for insurance. As you can see there are so many steps, and I'm not even including all of them. Each girl receives eight pads, pictured above, which are folded in thirds to use with the liners. It is definitely a labor of love for everyone, but no one more so than Sharleen. You've always heard the saying, "if you want something done, ask a busy person" and that rings true for her because not only does she spend so much time on this project, she sews for other charities!! What an inspiration.

All in all it was such a good day, beginning with the sunrise, and ending with the sunset over Lake Jennie Jewel where someone on the street has been so kind as to place a bench for the purpose of watching sunsets.

If you think the owl photos look cute today, wait until I show you what I saw this morning!!

Tune in again,

Gail