Winter Approaches

Just kidding. It was 51 degrees yesterday. The geese are gathering on the lake or in the cornfields, getting ready to fly south. I am enjoying the last of the fall weather. The farmer finished his corn harvest this week and all the equipment is put away for the winter.

Gift catalogs are coming in the mail. We went to a craft fair yesterday and bought peanut brittle, apricot marmalade and something for the stockings. Mrs. Santa is accepting requests.

The interview/visit with C. went well, and she will be a perfect fit as a Pediatrician with our group. I got to go along on the housing hunt. As usual, the choices are small and from the 50's. All would take re-decorating and yard work. My favorite was a renovated farmhouse which had great personality. Sadly, there was a dead mouse on the kitchen floor. I would think the realtor could do a walk through before showing the house. The house has the cutest third story attic room with dormer windows, the perfect place to curl up and read or draw. It is a diamond in the rough.

Strawberry Wine

The newest project at our house is strawberry wine. It makes the house smell like strawberries as it ferments on the kitchen counter. The garage has the rest of the watermelons, since it froze hard this week. The potatoes and carrots are safely stored and we've seen the last of the zucchini for another year. Today may be the first day of corn harvest. The deer and raccoons have cleaned out the first two rows around each field, leaving empty cobs hanging on the stalks. As I was driving home the other day, I saw seven deer, a pheasant, a fox and a raccoon. We are not alone.

I keep working away at the chart loading. In some ways, I have gotten better. The frustrating part is trying to get an accurate list of medications. The older the person, the longer the list. Each one comes in different doses. No wonder grandma has trouble remembering what she takes, especially when doses change. I think one of the goals of using the electronic record is being able to print out a current list to send home at each visit. Eventually, the electronic record will become a tool we can't live without, but getting the data in is painful.

Today is a quilt shop day. I keep bring home fabric for "my retirement". Laura did not get the job she had applied for, so the quilt shop is still going, though I think she will re-evaluate the business, and perhaps down-size. I hope there is always new fabric in my future. I have gotten lovely thank-you notes from Mom's friends who received a copy of her quilt story. I'm so glad I did it. Quilting is my "happy job". Thinking happy thoughts of you!

October

Homecoming weekend and opening of pheasant hunting are signs that fall has arrived in the Dakotas. It is finally cooling off, and we got rain for the first time in weeks. The farmer is hoping for a hard frost so the corn will dry down enough for him to harvest. It's a race between the combine and the first snow.

The clam shell quilt restoration is going well. There were just two fabrics that needed to be replaced, and I have just one shell left to insert. The more I look at it, the more I like all the color and shadings. I tried to take a picture but my laptop and camera aren't cooperating.

There is still tension at work between those who think working on the computer should be an easy transition, and those who are too busy to take time to learn how to do it fast enough to keep up. The government has a standard of "meaningful use" where they want the visit to be documented and signed off before the patient leaves. I have about three to four patients a morning and I don't always get done before I leave for lunch. When I see the pile of charts on desks late in the afternoon, I feel sorry for the doctors. It reminds me of the "I Love Lucy" episode where she is working at the chocolate factory and the conveyor belt is moving too fast.

She just can't keep up. The problem gets magnifies when three doctors leave in five months, and trained clinic nurses quit or are promoted to administrative roles. I only work one day a week at the quilt shop but it remains my "happy job". I feel a deep commitment to the hospital and clinic. I refuse to give up.

Tractor parade

We drove down to Meadow with the grandparents to the Threshing Bee/Tractor Parade on Sunday. It was an opportunity to see the land where Grandpa spent "the dirty thirties." The house was no longer standing, but there was an old building where Grandpa said he slept during the summer. We saw the stone foundation of his grade school, and the quarter of land that his uncle bought for $80 in 1936. He enjoyed the day and our company. We stopped at The Sugar Shack to get ice cream on the way home.

I had to shake my head over the lack of "farm safety" during the parade. Check out the little girl in the loader. Each tractor had about three kids hanging on the back, standing on the bar behind the driver.

There was an antique dealer selling the cutest little cut glass salt and pepper shakers. She had old-fashioned cooking utensils, pottery, jewelry, and linens. To me, the prices seemed very reasonable. I didn't buy anything, but enjoyed looking. The farmer pointed out an old barber chair (not for sale) that was the same kind as one we saw on American Restoration last night. That one was bought for $500 and after restoration, sold for $6,500. Who knows what is in the old buildings on the farmsteads nearby?

This has been a busy time in the garden. The farmer is doing something new this year. He dehydrated the seedless grapes to make raisins. They come out of the dehydrator warm and a little crispy on the outside, and full of flavor.

The black beans were a request from Rhonda.

we added some to a batch of salsa. Delicious.

This year's wine has been started, both white and red. We have really enjoyed the finished product from the past two years.

The watermelons are a lovely apricot color inside, and very juicy. We have picked the apples, but haven't done anything with them yet. I made a peach/raspberry cobbler out of the last of the Colorado peaches and fresh-picked berries.

The insects and bees are all over the raspberry patch. At night, we can hear the raccoons chattering as they raid the grapevines. They should be fat by winter.

I am slowly improving at the health record, but I still find it frustrating. Instead of saying just what I want, it gives me snippets of canned text. I learned more this week about the pharmacy (e-prescribing) and ordering lab and xray. Because the hospital is on a different computer program, the lab and xray live in a different world, and until the programmers can build a patch, the results don't automatically come into the record.

I feel like the doctor has taken the place of medical records and transcription, without a bump in pay and only frustration at the finished product. Once upon a time, the whole note could read: Sore throat and fever. Strep screen positive. IM Penicillin 600,000 Units. Now it prints out four pages long, but doesn't convey any more real information. Sigh.

In the quilting world, I am trying to restore Mom's clamshell quilt (some pieces of satin have frayed badly) and then will send it to a longarm quilter. The quilting should stabilize the fabric, and hold it in place. Hopefully, it will be stronger and more useable. I did take off the bright pink border, and will do a simple one, so the focus is on the quilt itself. I will put a label on the back to record the information she had on her border. I promise pictures when it is done. It will likely be next summer, but I think it is worth the effort.

We are going to a threshing bee in Meadow today. The farmer says it it time to get ready. He is right.

Cute Chicks

Don't these city chicks look cute in their hen house in Aunt D's backyard? They are paying attention to the noisy dog over the back fence. I had a good visit. The scenic spot below is the view as you cross the bridge before heading up the trail to where we scattered Mom's ashes. It was a pretty spot.

Chris tied a few flies out of the hens' feathers and a little fuzzy hair from Sophie, the yellow lab. He works quickly, and it reminds me of quilting with the creative use of hands and materials.

Garden harvest is overwhelming. Melon, yellow watermelon, grapes, apples, cucumbers, zuchinni, black beans, onions. There is literally no more room in the freezer. We are thinking of building a cold storage space or buying a second refridgerator. Road trip to Fargo tomorrow to share the harvest with Rhonda and to visit M. at UND.

Fruitful Harvest

I have never counted how many things the farmer grows in the garden. Just when I finished processing the onions, he came in with a pail of plums and a melon. It is always a contest between us and the birds who will get to the ripe fruit first. We netted the grapes over a week ago. The apples are usually safe. The rest we share.

I am picking up speed on the medical record loading. I spent Monday trying to customize my page of "physical exam" so it includes what I usually say if a patient is healthy. Then as I see the sick ones, I can adjust that portion of the text and let the rest be as is. The whole thing is very logical, and broken into bits of information the computer can track. By the end of the visit, it will calculate how to code the visit (create a numerical value that translates into the bill). Thankfully, the billing portion is not turned on yet, as we are still in the learning stage. I think eventually, there is also a health maintenance function that gives you an alert if the patient is due for shots, or health screenings like mammogram. There had to be more time to get every one's baseline data in first. This whole adventure is something we did not cover in medical school. It is part of being flexible and adapting to technology and new ways of working, even though the human body has not changed.

Happy Anniversary

It has been eight years since I came to live on the farm. We have a joke that I am an FWIT (farm wife in training). It came about when I mistook a grain cart for a combine, because it was red and had an auger on the side. I am still "in training", as I struggle with bushels per acre and weight per bushel and protein (30-58-14 I think). I have come to appreciate the sound of the prairie, and the beauty of snow scape, and the anticipation of the harvest. I race home at noon to make sandwiches, drive south and feed the farmer and help move to a new field before going back to work, always late, but my employers understand.

I am thinking about the option of giving up my clinical practice when the new pediatrician comes next summer, and finding another role at the hospital. There currently aren't enough patients for two, if she wants to be full time and busy. I think I could download charts for at least a few years (3,000 done and 30,000 total in the system. Those who were helping have dwindled away to a few faithful). I'm not sure of the future of the quilt shop, as Laura is wanting to work for the electronic record company, and it would require a move to Vermont for a year. I hope it falls through but chances are good she will get the job.

Life is always changing, and the best approach is to be flexible, and good natured. Who knows what changes the oil development will bring to our little corner of the world? So to all of you who are up in the air about your future, I am with you and believe in you. Tomorrow is unknown, but life is full of wonderful, unexpected things, like my farmer. Who knew?

Big Weekend

We took Mike up to college this weekend. We helped him move in, and walked around the campus. It is fairly spread out, with a pretty stream running through it. All dorm rooms like alike, and his was no exception. We didn't get to meet the roommate, who didn't arrive on day one. It is very quiet at home. Even Tucker is subdued. It doesn't seem real that we are empty nesters. It will take come getting used to.

This is my favorite time of year. I love the color of the cut straw. Sometimes I take out drinks and ride around with the farmer. The sky is blue, the clouds are puffy, and the view from the cab of the combine is beautiful. There is still the "what if" of weather, and protein, and bushels per acre, not to mention prices that fluctuate. So far, so good.

Purple sage

This time of year the sage blooms in our island garden. It is beautiful. I take no credit for choosing it since the farmer worked with the nursery to pick out the landscaping plantings. This was how I spent my Christmas money from Mom a few years age. I think she would be pleased. Labor Day weekend, I will go back to Colorado to scatter Mom's ashes with my brother and sister. I had promised Mom I would publish her quilt story, and it is done and ready to be shared. What a remarkable woman. I do not feel remarkable, or gifted or as full of life as she seemed even in her ninties. I have another forty years to work on it. :)

Home-grown harvest

This is a great time of year to live on the farm. I made two batches of raspberry jam on Tuesday. We have green beans, onions, peppers, cucumbers and zuchinni. Grapes, tomatoes and potatoes come in September. The apples are turning red.

The wheat is almost ready for harvesting. The farmer combined a sample to check for moisture and protein yesterday. If it is warm and sunny today, he may start this afternoon. He has one week before we make the college run to Grand Forks. Then it is back to business.

My schedule is heavy this time of year with physicals and immunizations. I am getting better at the computer record but have not yet had it customized for my practice. The others need to settle in first.

Lots of change coming, with two physicians leaving and a gap before the next set can come. I have to set aside my emotional feelings about my jobs, and not take the ups and downs personally. I realized I cannot stand in the gap and make everything good. I can do my part and let the rest do their part. I am not in control. (Really? This is news?)

Day off?

I didn't get my clinic work done yesterday so I went in early this morning to finish. I found out the nurse can't enter her shot documentation until I order the shot. I will try not to clog up the work flow for others. I tried going to the refresher training today, but there were two others who needed more attention than I did, so I left early.

The farmer picked raspberries this morning, all morning. Green beans were last night. I have to go blanch and freeze them. I can here the water boiling.

Semi-live

Well, week one is over. The trainer got stuck in Denver, so we didn't get the refresher session. I choked up my computer trying to do electronic prescriptions, and gave up for the day. The next day, they really didn't have patients scheduled for me, so I did more pre-loading of other charts. Friday, I was supposed to be live, but the trainer only works thru Thurs, so I again saw all the patients and then at the end of the day, I did data entry. It will take a while to be comfortable and quick at this. It is a good thing I am good-natured.

Watching Wheat

This time of year, we watch the wheat grow. When it starts changing from green to gold, then harvest is approaching. Lots of change coming. One traveler returns this weekend, soon five return to schoolwork, two are left home alone, and one dog will be seriously confused.

I haven't quilted all summer and had one day at the quilt shop in the last two weeks. So far, I have kept ahead of the charts that need to be loaded. I "go live" next week, giving up the paper chart and using the electronic record. The stress of change, even good change, is real. Hope it goes smoothly.

July on the farm

Part of the ritual of farm living is the "crop tour". We get in the pickup and drive around to the different fields to see how the crops are doing. The farmer checks for disease and insects, studies the head of the wheat to see how the kernals are filling, and checks the amount of moisture in the soil. I go along, take pictures and shout words of encouragement to the wheat. I love crop tours.

I also love the clouds during a storm. This is from Monday . It built up southwest of us and gradually filled the whole sky. The different layers have different shapes, and move in different directions. Tucker doesn't like the lightening and thunder, but I do. This storm brought 1/2 inch of rain, and no hail. I am amazed at how many colors of gray there are.

Summer storm

Last night I hurried home from work because a storm was brewing. It split in two and went past us to the north and the south. It poured in town, but we didn't get enough to register on the rain guage. To the south in Bison, there was baseball-sized hail.

It was impressive enough to grab the camera and capture the moment. The weather this year has been so unusual. High humidity, high heat, and a late start for planting. Who knows how things will turn out. Sometimes it seems like getting hailed out and collecting the crop insurance would pay the best. If the crop is harvested and other places do poorly, the demand goes up and the price we sell at is higher.

Now there is a sprayer from Cenex stuck in the mud at the bottom of the cornfield in front of the house. Farm-fresh quicksand.

Picking Peas

Today was 101 degrees outside. The farmer went out early to pick the peas. After we got them out of the pods, we had 1.25 gallons. They are safely in the freezer for vegitable-loving company.

The flowers are the lilies that Mom gave me for Christmas one year. The first year, the deer ate the blooms. Now they are safe behind the deer fence.

We are going to a Twins game next weekend. Hope it cools off first. When I get back, it will be my turn to "go live" with the electronic health record. I hope I get efficient before all the athletic physicals hit the door. Help!!!

Honey in the Making

I have noticed this year that the sweet clover (yellow) and alfalfa (purple) are especially lush. When I stop at the mailbox on our county road, the air literally smells like honey. On the farmer's land in South Dakota, the beekeeper to the south of us has his hives sitting on the hill surrounded by yellow clover. It is an invisible harvest. Since we get a portion of the honey, there will be more than enough to share. Let me know.

A. has 2 1/2 weeks left of his adventures in India. An unexpected benefit is that I am learning as well. I google the community he is in and search for pictures so I can better visualize what he is experiencing. It reminds me of a computer game "Where in the World is Carmon Sandiego?" that the kids and I enjoyed when they were younger. Did I unknowingly encourage this lust for adventure that runs so strongly in each of them?

Grapes 2011

Things are moving along. You can tell the clusters, but they look more like itty-bitty peas than grapes. The garden doesn't wait. The weeds grow, the birds hover looking for treats, whether or not I feel like being a farmer today. My heart longs for my sewing machine. I have fabric calling me. The laundry and dishes are calling too, but I am ignoring them. Sundays should be sewing days.

I heard from my traveler this morning, and he is having the time of his life in the shadow of the Hymalayas. There are monkeys swinging from trees in the rainforest, and his fellow student is from Wheaton. So many stories, which I didn't get to hear yet because the phone died. Sigh. At least we know he is live and well, and happy. I am amused by the facebook friends he is accumulating on his travels.

Lindsey is working on her application to Physical Therapy school. It must be that time of year. Remember her in your prayers tonight. I continue to load charts, and pick berries, and sneak in sewing now and then :)

Garden Tour

It's the fourth of July, and time to show the progress in the garden. Our landscaping has filled in and the flower boxes look great.

These are the blooms on the raspberrys. It means lots of berries in two to three weeks.

The blueberries aren't tall but they are making berries. We usually don't have many, but the ones that we get are great.

Romaine, lettuce, spinach, peas in the foreground.Raspberries, then grapes in the distance.

The strawberries just won't quit. We are up to 64 gallons and I know there are more that could be picked today. I will probably go out in a little while and pick. I may even make a pie in honor of the fourth. Happy Holiday!

Life is Good

Sometimes there is a perfect storm of happiness, when all things good seem to align in unison. My son got his scores back for the medical school entrance exam. Wow! Seriously! We are still giggling with joy. All my children make me proud. What a pleasure to be their Mom. Its the best!

We are up to 35 gallons of strawberries picked. My fingers are permanently stained. We take two gallons a day to the bakery. The rest have been going to town to be distributed to little old ladies to make jelly.

I continue to enter chart data for our Electronic Medical Record. It takes me about an hour and a half per chart. I believe it is going to make our transition smoother, which will make me happy. Anything which helps our clinic increase productivity and decrease stress and panic makes me happy. I am tired at the end of each day. It is a learning process about the elderly and the chronic problems they face. Is it my future as well?

Today is a quilt shop day. Fabric therapy. Who cannot be happy in a quilt shop? Beauty and creativity just oozing everywhere. Life is good.

It's here!...Strawberry season

We picked a gallon of strawberries on Sunday, and three more gallons this afternoon. I was ready to be outside after eight hours of loading charts. It is getting easier, but I know I'm in trouble when they bring me Volume 4 of someone's chart. Its a lot to summarize.

Betty K.'s birthday is this week. I'm thinking strawberry shortcake. Hmmmm.

The Mission

I have committed myself to spending as much time as possible pre-loading charts this summer. I think of it as sandbagging. You do it because it needs to be done, and the better I do, the more peaceful the outcome will be. I do have a trace of obsessive-compulsive personality when I approach a current interest. Everything else gets placed on the back shelf until I come up for air. I will try to maintain balance between work and home. It is not easy. "The right path is not always the easy path" is a lesson not forgotten.

June storm

I love the shades of gray in this photo. The clouds were very low, and moving fast. Rain and wind followed but no harm to home or crops. It did increase the size of the puddle at the end of the corn field. I see ducks swimming where sprouting corn should be. Poor farmer.

A. has been working on his application for medical school and it is finally submitted. It will not be reseased to the schools for another 4-6 weeks, because the application has to be cross-checked against his official transcripts first. By the time requests for secondary applications or interviews come, he will be home again. What a long and detailed process.

Speaking of long and detailed processes, I have started helping enter data into the electronic health record at work. I'm hoping they find a way to scan in the immunization records. It took me 45 min to do one chart on a healthy child. Some of that is learning curve, but I am praying for short-cuts. I think the process will try everyone's patience by the end of the summer. Also, once entered, you can't erase, you can only amend the record to say "oops". Oh, help!

Wedding

Friday was Terah's wedding. It was short and sweet, with her dad as the pastor. The groom was handsome in dress military uniform. L. was a bridesmaid.

It is foggy today so we wil run to Bowman for "parts". It is a farmer thing. Farmers are always working on machinery to keep it running. They have a large skill set. Yeah farmers!

Graduation 2

This past weekend was spent with my oldest daughter to celebrate the end of year 2 of her creative writing program. So much fun to hear their readings in a cozy bookstore with wine and snacks. The next day was the ceremony, an intimate gathering of students, faculty and family. What a nice day. The rest of the time was vacation, ending with a Mexican dinner on our last night together. Congratulations!

Reports from India can be found at www.scrapsfromindia.blogspot.com.

It will be a learning experience for me as well as my traveller.

Today I am back at the quilt shop and tomorrow at the clinic. Life goes on. The corn is planted and the wheat is up. We planted late tomatoes and peppers yesterday. Hope they will grow quickly.

Cool and rainy. Typical spring.

India

My son called me from India today to tell me he arrived safely. He spends the next two months doing a medical internship shadowing physicians in both urban and rural areas. I am glad the first stage of the adventure is behind him. There are interesting days ahead.

His big sister has a presentation of her writing at a local bookstore as part of her MFA program in Creative writing. Middle sister will be job shadowing a medical classmate of mine in rural Nebraska this summer.

Me? Waiting for the strawberries to ripen, catching up at the quilt shop and trying not to think about the transition to the electronic health record. I cling to my delete button to erase my oops and ouch as I type. Pulling weeds is looking like a good time. Love to all.

Graduation

Does this bring back memories? Funny how time flies by. Enjoy the process of learning and reaching your goals. Just because you graduate doesn't mean the learning stops. Read, and think and then read some more. I am proud of all my graduates.

Now we are empty nesters. It will not sink in until fall. Enjoy your summer!

Barbeque

A toast to the first barbequed steak of the summer. It is one of the things I look forward to after a long winter. That is the farmen's home-grown wine in the glass. Beautiful color! I have been out weeding around the grapevines this morning. I try to help but the farmer does by far the most.

We are glad to have the college kids home. We had to laugh at the movie theater last night.

Another college friend told us, "This is the last summer I'm coming home. Its boring and my parents are always telling me what to do." (She just finished freshman year). I do appreciate family visiting the nest, even after they can fly.

Drama at the clinic when we found out this week that the government incentive for moving to the electronic medical record shifted the bonus ($44,000 per physician) to cover only the portion of medicare that we don't see. That means no financial support or benefit for all the investment and hard work. We did decide to move forward, but it was not a unanimous vote. Its the first time in forever that I can remember us counting the votes before knowing the outcome. I wonder if there will be rumblings down the road. I feel a fierce loyalty to the practice and I believe in the mission. I just don't have very much influence and insight to offer.

I want to share a sentence I found that struck me as very wise. I don't remember where I read it: "Make sure that your limited resources and income are used most effectivily to attain your highest priorities." It is my thought for the day.

Blooms

This is the finished quilt I made for a friend to be given to her granddaughter for her wedding. I really like how it turned out, simple and contemporary. I have extra fabric to play with for a second project if I can decide what to make.

The purple flowers are from bulbs that Mom gave me. They just look like the first day of spring. We got a good rain last night, and the dandelions exploded. Wow! I wish they were daffodills, they would be beautiful.

Today I worked on birthday and graduation and wedding stuff. The birthday and graduation are
Mike's, the wedding is for a childhood friend of Rachel's. I found something for a wedding gift. Now I need to find a box to mail it in. Nothing is easy on my day off "things to do" list. Sometimes the work days are the easy ones because they have a set structure and you just do what needs doing. At home, I have to choose priorities, and struggle to avoid getting off on a bunny trail.

I did decide to order a sewing table which will allow the work surface of the machine to sit flush with the surface of the table. It makes it easier to move the project around when I am trying to quilt it all together. I have a backlog of things I

want to do myself rather than pay a long arm quilter to do for me. The decision about buying the longarm machine is still on hold. Maybe, and then maybe not. We'll see.

Window Garden

The last time we went to the city I splurged in the Easter aisle and bought a cute tiny flower pot with an equally tiny packet of cilantro seeds. Now they are in slightly larger pots and doing well in my kitchen window. The weather outside is still too wet and cold to start spring planting. My farmer is restless. Tucker has given up on being a runaway dog and is content to find a patch of sunshine on the carpet.

We are at the end of week one with the electronic medical record. The scheduling desk converted first, and the first few days were rough. I delivered coffee from the bakery on Thursday, and made a point to go visit and cheer them on. I think it will be a good thing in the long run but painful as we learn how to use it. You are blessed to be born into the electronic generation. Your fingers dance across the keyboard at lightning speed, while I wear out my delete button trying to spell.

My latest search is for the perfect sewing table with a recessed opening to allow the sewing machine arm to sit flush with the table. After looking at prices and workmanship, the farmer said he would build one for me if I was willing to wait. I printed him a picture of my first choice.:) Hooray, farmer.

Just for Alex

Look who showed up at the back door this morning! What beautiful plumage. Of course he didn't stay. I love the wildlife that is a daily part of country living.

The farmer is talking about cleaning grain this week. The snow is off the strawberry patch. The sun is even shining today. I think spring is on its way. Like the pheasant, it may not stick around but its nice to catch a glimpse.

Sunday Whimsy

I found these dry hydrangea blossoms in the back yard this morning. I love the subtle tans and brown. The cube is Lance's work, his first sample of dovetail joinery. Cool, huh!

These little squares are the beginning of my next project. I decided to teach myself how to paper piece. It is a kind of quilting using a pre-printed pattern. I am still at the confused stage, but there are beautiful quilts made this way. I am too stubborn to quit until I figure it out.

The farmer and I are enjoying the coffee shop and bakery on a regular basis. It is a gathering place. I like it, and the people who run it.

More Icicles

We have a frozen waterfall. I couldn't resist the pictures of the crooked icicles. They drive me crazy when I look out the window. I am waiting for spring.

Spring in North Dakota

This icicle must be 4 feet long. We had warm and melting weather, then it started snowing and blowing. The icicles form leaning away from the wind, so when you look out the window, it looks off balance. My farmer is restless. There are grape vines to prune and maintenance to do on equipment before spring planting. The good news is my little car is handling the sloppy road.

I still entertain myself with fabric. The farmer made me a custom frame for my stitchery. He is learning to make dovetail joints. I love the first practice piece, but of course he says it isn't perfect. He thinks I look at the world through rose colored glasses. Is this a problem?

New Project

This week, I began helping A. get the paperwork details in place for India. He is doing two medical internships, one in Mumbai and one north of New Delhi in a more rural setting. The paperwork is not hard, but means collecting various documents and sending them off to Chicago for a visa. I located the travel clinic where he can get immunizations, and will work on needed travel gear next. He is madly studying for his MCAT exam which he takes the end of May. College is flying by. Pray for safety and a good experience for the son and grace and peace for the mother.

I have adventurous children leaving the nest.

Today is a quilt shop day, where I am surrounded by beautiful color and unending possibility for creativity. It is a good place to be. Snow outside, but not the foot of snow that the majority of the state received. My car made it up the county road and driveway! Life is good.

Quilts and Dogs

Helping with the email customer service at the quilt shop is never dull. Last year, we had a "tablerunner of the month" quilt kit program. Not everyone completes the projects as they arrive month by month. A customer wrote to ask for help since her dog chewed the labels off her remaining kits. She had all the fabric but no way to tell which kit went with which pattern in the book.

I wrote back and described the contents of each kit and the pattern to use. In her thank-you response, she mentioned the dog had since passed away and sent us a picture of the dog. I do not think the glue on the labels was the cause of death. It made me realize how much of a "quilt family" we have become. I like it.