Catching up with everyone

Good morning everyone,

I have been doing a lot of reading, catching up on how everyone is doing. I am enjoying this new format (Thanks Sue and Erik). I've been swamped at work, and traveling, that I haven't had much time to stay in my sewing room. I did manage to finish a Double Irish Chain last weekend and have now picked up a UFO that I started some time ago, and am determined to finish it before starting anything new.

Does anyone have experience with Prairie Points on a machine quilted quilt that you bind? My initial thought would be that it will be too bulky in the outside edge if you have the prairie points AND the binding sewn on. Anyway, if someone does have any suggestions, I'm all ears. This quilt I'm working on now is a beautiful oriental fabric and I'm also using the Fushions fabric by Kaufmann (my new favorite....Celia...it's replacing the Moda Marbles as my favorite very quickly). I've never done much in oriental fabrics, but this has some pretty combinations.

We're all fine here in Northern Calif. Our daughter will be home this summer, working as a paid intern in the Public Relations Department at the Children's Hospital at Stanford. It will be good to have someone to commute with. She's very excited as she has one year of college left (how time flies...when I first discovered this board, she was in middle school) and then isn't sure what she will do. She's getting her degree in English, but doesn't want to teach. Her minor is in public relations, and I had her meet with a colleague of mine at Stanford who manages the Children's Hospital PR stuff, and the rest is, as they say, history. The head of the PR department is a very dynamic individual and has more connections than Robyn will ever need.

Our son, Ian, graduated from HS last year and is attending the local community college. He applied and has been offered a spot in the summer program at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles and will be gone for 6 weeks this summer. If he does well and applies himself, they will offer him a slot in their fall program. He can defer for a year, so if he gets the offer, he'll come home and do one more year at the community college, getting a lot of his general stuff out of the way. I was impressed that he took the initiative to apply, pay for the fees, etc., all on his own. I guess he is growing up! I was wondering there for awhile. The kids are spending Spring Break in New York City and are anxious to see the play "Wicked". who knows, maybe it will inspire my son to continue to do well in his drama.

We have been busy on weekends, traveling. DH and I went to Hawaii in February for 5 wonderful days. While there, we met a fellow owner of Golden Retrievers, who has invited us to come back and housesit (dog sit too) for her so she and her DH can go on a vacation together. They have show dogs and don't board them and have no one to watch the dogs. So, for free housing and use of their car, it's very tempting! I thought she was joking until we got back and had not one, but TWO e-mails from her, chattering about how excited she was that we had met and the possibility that they can finally go on a vacation together.

Hope everyone in the east is staying warm. We felt very guilty in Hawaii in February, walking around at 5 am waiting for our shuttle, in shorts and tank tops while everyone on the East coast was under blankets of snow!

Sondra in Elk Grove, CA
caquiltn@yahoo.com