West coast purchase for east coast stash

Sometimes when I'm browsing in a fabric store, a certain bolt of cloth will sort of swerve over into my lane in an effort to get my attention and make me hit the brakes. Yesterday I actually got broadsided by these New York City taxis. After picking myself up, I bought a yard and I'll take it back to my east coast stash, where it will reside until I can come up with a good project to make for Big City Girl. I'm thinking maybe a couch pillow. Of course, it would make a cute apron, but I already made her the money one and I'm pretty sure it's now just a kitchen ornament.

So yesterday I had a very nice lunch--down by the beach and out on a restaurant patio in view of the ocean--with a very nice friend from high school. I do keep in touch with many of my old school friends, thanks in large part to the Internet. It makes it so easy to stay in contact with long lost relatives, distant friends, and even neighbors who live just across the street. It's become the modern version of chatting over the back fence.

In the course of our lunch conversation, my friend passed along two interesting tidbits of information. When I mentioned how much I was enjoying the California avocados, she told me that 20 years ago she planted an avocado seed in her backyard. It sprouted and began to grow nicely, and when she moved to a different house she transplanted it in her new yard. It's now 20 feet tall, but unfortunately not producing avocados as she'd hoped, so she's researching fertility treatments. She did bring me a nice bag of lemons though, and I'm trying very hard not to make a pie.

The second thing she told me was that her granddaughter will be starting kindergarten in the fall, and she'll be going to the same primary school that I went to....back in the day, shall we say. Although I can't remember what I had for dinner last night, I do have vivid memories of my kindergarten classroom. Especially those little bitty toilets. And the big round sink with the big round foot pedal that turned the water on. I remember wearing one of my dad's old shirts on painting day with the big easels. I even remember how the paint smelled....that powdered paint that the teachers mixed and put in little milk cartons.

So today I was checking my blog to see if I had any comments on my hair post, and sure enough there were some--one of which was from my neighbor with the green thumb. It seems she was in the process of writing a post about Ferna the fern at the same time as I was writing mine. How funny is that? Go check out her blog if you'd like to see before and after photos of Ferna. You, too, will be impressed with her green thumb......and her great photography talents.

And for my next project.....ladybugs. In addition to the tissue paper flowers, I'll be making lots of ladybugs for my cousin's daughter's wedding. This is just the prototype I made on the quick. Some tweaking will be necessary. It won't be long now before they'll have the run of the place....unless I can find a really big jar with some air holes.....