Frosty!

Three gals were here for their "personal retreat" last Sunday, and before they left on Monday we were chatting. In the conversation, we were talking about books. They highly recommended The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I had a dental appointment in town, so I ran to the bookstore on the way, grabbed it and started reading in the waiting room. Big mistake.

I am such a sissy about going to the dentist! I've recently gone to a young-friend-dentist for a consultation, because he thought I should get a second opinion on something. I pre-warned him about how I become a total idiot in the dentist's chair. So on my first visit there, he jokingly told the chair-side assistant that he may have to sedate me to do the exam. She didn't realize he was joking. At least I THOUGHT he was joking. He did offer to sedate me when we have to do some real work, to avoid having to have the novocaine. I started to explain that I'm not at all afraid of the needle -- it's the lights. "The LIGHTS?!?" Yeah ... it's the lights. They remind me of hospitals, the things I've seen and the reasons I've been there. Starts a flood of tears.

Anyway, I got to page three in the book, and came to this: "... Took three months fore I even look out the window, see if the world still there. I was surprise to see the world didn't stop just cause my boy did." (One of the main characters's child died, obviously.) Oh dear. Now the people here are going to think I'm bawling because I have to have my teeth picked at. I've learned to just let people think what they will. It's easier than trying to explain how stuff like this triggers a meltdown for me.

So ... back to the gals who were here to quilt! Between them, they finished eight quilts and two pillow shams. Not too shabby! But I cannot say who they were, or show any photos. I'm sworn to secrecy. I can only say there will be a few people out there who should be very happy to receive the gifts they're going to get from these gals! And, by the way, the book is good. Once you get past Page Three.

Weather Report: we got our first frost in the garden last night. No complaints here. This is about a month later than usual for our little corner of the world. I gathered the last of the produce in anticipation of the first frost. (Got a wheelbarrow full of squash, tomatillos, a few tomatoes, a couple of eggplants, broccoli, peppers and herbs. It's always a sad day when we wake up to find everything blackened by frost. But in some ways, it's a welcome reprieve from all the work involved in gardening. Had it not rained so much last week, I'd be out there preparing for next year's planting. But that will have to wait until it's dried out some more. I guess I'll just go quilt something!

Speaking of quilting something ...




















(it's Cathy's '30s quilt)