THE DANGERS OF CAPITALISM.

After spending several minutes looking for a link to delete my facebook account,  it magically appeared.  I think when I finally got through to whatever person is in charge of this at FB ,  I got the link. So now in 14 days my account will be deleted.

But what will they do with my information in that 14 days. Are they sitting around their desks at the FB offices thinking... How can we make a bit more money on this person who has deleted her account?  Who can I sell her data to? WE better do it quickly because in 14 days it will be gone.

This is what I envision happening at Facebook.  Do I have a problem with trust?? You bet I do.  I recently read "Shock Doctrine"  and :'No"  by Naomi Klein, and if you want to see how we are losing our democracy and our comfortable middle class lives,  read either of these books.

tt is pure unadulterated capitalism, at the cost of everyone,  and even the planet that will bring about the end of our world. And even for the very rich, who have the money to relocate to an AREA  of the country that is safe from rising sea levels. Eventually their lives will end to

But the point is,  if we all work together,  if the wealthy invest their massive resources in working toward a solution, then we will all be better off.  But in the end I suspect money,  greed and private enterprise will win out. And we have been brainwashed into thinking that privatization is better. Well it is not better. There is no accountability in the private sector,  other than to keep growing the bottom line. So whatever has to be done to do that... cut corners,  refuse health care,  put toxic substances into the air, water and food supply, to increase production,,, then that is ok in their world. But it is not ok in yours and mine.  WE have to get away from this idea that the private sector can do everything better.

How to make money on the backs of gullible women.

I just don't get it.  Everyone seems to be getting into the skin care business.   Paula Deen,  JoAnna Gaines,of Fixer Upper,  Duck Dynasty's momma, and I thought I read Faith Hill was jumping in as well.

Are we so superficial,  that the promise of younger looking skin is worth breaking our budget to achieve.  I fell for it on a sample trial,  and today discovered somewhere in the fine print I had agreed to joining auto delivery.  and was billed $83.00 for one product, and there were two notifications  in my Inbox this morning.

News Flash.  I buy a large jar of Retinol for around $15.00 at Sam';s and it does as well as any other over priced cream I have tried.

If you want an interesting look into just how foolish women can be.  Read  "Crimes Against the Book Club"  which deals with this issue......

Finished piecing the top today. Quite proud of myself.  the sides all measure the same.  Amazing when I think of how many seams are in this quilt top.

I began working on a Bonnie HUnter scrap quilt,"Carolina Chain"  several months ago. I kept it in a box, and worked on the blocks when I wanted to sew something small and quick.  Somedays I feel like I want to be with my sewing machine, but I do not want to begin a large project, I have so many "large projects"  already in boxes waiting to be finished or quilted or bound.  So in my quest to finish some of those UFO's I pulled out the Carolina Chain. Making the blocks is fun and easy, and NO Triangle blocks.

Although I love the look of triangle blocks in a quilt. Those are the blocks I have the most trouble making uniform. After trying several different methods I have found that my accucuquilt dies are the most helpful in getting my blocks uniform in size. But of course I only have a limited block size with the accuquilt die.

Since last week I have been laying out the blocks on this project. The pattern calls for them to be set "on  point"  and I have only made one other quilt with blocks on point.  This week I discovered why.  Since I have no space in my sewing room for a permanent design wall  ( too many windows)  I must use a temporary one, of a flannel backed vinyl table cloth I purchased at the Dollar Tree.  It works great for small projects,  but this quilt is too large to layout on the table cloth.  So I start a row or two on the table cloth then sew those blocks together, and move it all to the floor of my sunroom. I have spent a lot of time "unsewing"  and re stitching because keeping the blocks in the correct order and orientation and the correct number in each row is a challenge.  But today I finished sewing all the blocks in to rows, tomorrow I will stitch the rows together,., And Voila,, I will have a quilt top.

Oh BTW the ladder. That is in waiting for me to take the snowmen off the shelf above my windows.  But now that I think about it...Heck it is April, so I just may do what I did last year... Leave them up and they will be ready for next Christmas.

Winter of 2017

I hardly no where to begin this one.
After deciding not to return to AZ this winter, Paul decided Florida would be the place.
Given the fact that I do not like Florida ,  I begged off.  So he left mid NOvember, and I planned to fly down for the month of January.

The New Years weekend found me in the hospital being treated for acute CHF.  I was released New Years day,  and was flying out to FL on Jan 7.

That went well and I spent the month in Florida. Able to visit with my sister and see some old friends we made many years ago in Florida.

I returned home around FEB 9.   Things went well for about a month.  Until Paul called telling me he was having chest pain.  Finally convinced him he needed to go to the hospital,  which he did,  but did not call the squad or ask a neighbor to drive him.  He got into his truck and drove himself the several miles to Waterman HOspital in Eustis FL. Unable to find the cause, they decided to admit him. So that meant another trip to FL for me.  I few to FL the end of FEB and planned to drive back home with him in the RV   as soon as he felt able to travel.

That happened the first weekend in March.  WE left Florida heading north on a Sunday.  Arrived at our usual first night stop in Perry GA around 330 pm.  While setting up the RV  I went in to use the bathroom. and had a bad fall coming down the two steps from the bathroom.  As I was hurtling through the air, I remember thinking... WTF just happened.  I had not experienced any dizziness, and did not feel like my legs gave out....After landing with a thud. and injuring both ankles I saw the culprit. A large can of soup had escaped from the box under the table while we were en route. It ended up at the bottom of the steps, and I did not see it.  Stepped on the can and took flight.

A trip to ER.   which was not an easy task ,  getting me into the truck. Since my left ankle was already swollen to twice its normal size, and I was pretty certain I had broken the right ankle.
LOng story short.  I did, break that ankle and sprained the left.  so the ER in Perry GA put on a temporary cast on the right and a boot on the left.  Sent me home in the dark with a spouse who was not going to be able to do much to get me out of the truck and back into the RV.  And with a prescription for pain meds that we could not fill at that time of night on a Sunday. After trying three Walgreens stores , which were not open 24 hours,  we just said forget it and went back to the RV.  

WEll as I said,  I was unable to help get myself from the truck to the RV.  It was dark, and no one was moving around in the RV park.... The office was closed... And here we were. I had resigned myself to sleeping in the truck all night,,, but remembered what the discharge nurse had told us. To call 911  and ask for"Lift Assist"  .. So we did that and two EMS people showed up and carried me into the RV.  I sat in the recliner all night, without pain meds, other than the Ibuprofen I had in the RV.   The next morning,  nothing changed I was still unable to move myself. and my husband not able to help get me to the truck for our trip north.  About the time I was getting hysterical my daughter who lives in Knoxville called. I was so upset I couldn't talk to her.. But she and her husband got into the car immediately and headed south to help us.  Five hours later Melanie and Dirk arrived. Loaded me into her car, and he and Paul drove the RV back to KNoxville.  Melanie had already called an orthopedic doctor and made an appointment for me for the next day.

I was taken to surgery Tuesday night,  now I have a plate on one side of the ankle and screws in the other.  I did a real number on this.  Broken in two places....So I spent the next two weeks until the post surgery follow up  at my daughter's home in Knoxville.  And I am so thankful that she and her daughters and husband took good care of me.  Meanwhile our other son drove our car to Knoxville and picked up the RV and returned it to OH.  Paul left for home a few days later and I was cleared on my two week follow up to travel home. My oldest daughter drove from LIma to KNoxville to drive me back home.

So here I sit.  Unable to bear any weight on my right ankle.  And looking at another couple of months of the same.  But at least I am home. And Thankful for all the help our kids have given us during this time.  

Two things I have to pass on.   When you are living in an RV you do not buy in bulk because there is no way to store those items safely.  All those canned goods were in a box under the dining room table, and during the travel time one got loose and caused all this.  I have been trying to convince my husband that we do not need 24 cans of fruit... to have to store while in the RV.  The second thing is that if my spouse had not taken ill, ( which is still undiagnosed)  I would not have been in Florida at all.

So now we are seriously questioning how much longer we will be able to do this RV thing.  I had hoped to take a long several month trip this summer to visit places we have not yet seen. That is pretty much off the table  now. And whether we go anywhere at all next winter is unlikely.  

Now I seem to be stuck with this Madeline Island Blog and would rather be posting under something titled about quilting.

Quilting is my passion.  Recently since returning home from our summer adventure in the U.P. of Michigan I have been sewing every day.  My spouse calls my sewing space,  the sweat shop, as I only come out to grab a cup of coffee or use the bathroom.   But I am not getting paid for this work, except in the joy and contentment I get from it.

So far since mid summer,  I have finished three large lap sized quilts and one crib / toddler quilt that is waiting to be quilted.  I may hand quilt that one on our way to Florida.   I usually machine quilt my  pieces unless it is bed sized and that is just too much fabric to jostle around on my home machine.  So when I do stitch a bed sized quilt I send it out to my friend who has a long arm and pay to have it professionally quilted.  that sort of takes  the "my piece"  feel out of it... But I really do not like the quilting part of the process.  

I was up early this morning.  Came downstairs to start the coffee at 5 am.  Somehow that is just too soon to turn on the sewing machine.. IMHO.  But now it is nearly 730 and that is an acceptable time to  continue on with my latest scrap quilt.  

I made a vow to myself over a year ago to use up the fabric I already own before I purchase any more yardage.  Well  that isn't going to happen and I knew it when I made that little promise to myself.  but I have done fairly well at this.  I have like I said pieced 3 or 4 quilts using only fabric I own.  

But today my quilting buddy and I are going to go to lunch and then drive to a small quilt shop about 20 miles from my home..... That is actually a short trip for us.  About once a month we will exploire shops in a defined area of state of OH.  And even Eastern Indianna, and Southern MIchigan.  Still have not adequately explored southern OH,  but that will happen.  

Here are two qults I have made to gift to special people in my life. The top one a scrappy is going to my sister in Florida. the bottom one going to a long time friend we met years ago while RVing in Florida.   Now beginning to start one for a special cousin.  I would love to find an outlet to sell some of my quilts,  but so far have not been successful.  Although I have not really tried to hard either.

I do not like to do craft shows,  It is too depressing to sit there all day and look out at the people walking by your booth, and trying to hold back the words.  : "OK tubby come in here and buy one of my quilts."  Gee do you think it may be my attitude.

I admit I do not have the personality for a job in sales.  I am not an outgoing ,  perky pleasant person who draws people in with my bubbling personality I guess that proves out by the way I spend my days.  alone in my sewing studio with my sewing machine.  

Grand Marais MI

Just playing around with this site.
I am sitting in our 5th wheel at Woodland RV Park in Grand Marais MI.
Since Madeline Island is in Lake Superior thought it appropriate to check in, as Grand Marais is a quaint little town that sits on Lake Superior.

Lake Superior is my absolute most favorite place on the planet.  My spouse and I try to get up here at least one a year.  I am so enamored of this little town, that I have suggested to Paul that we find a small  house in town and rent it for a year.  I think it would be an adventure to experience the winter way up here on the shores of Gitchee Gumee.  This suggestion will likely go un-heeded as most of my wishes are.

My vision is to get a small house in the main shopping area of town, and open a small quilt shop.  the shop would really be more for my own gratification than as a money making venture.  I would set up my sewing machine,   And spend the days in my favorite activity.  QUILTING.   I would hope to entice the locals and tourists in to the shop to sit and talk quilting or U.P. lore over a cup of coffee and a muffin.  But the liklihood of this becoming a reality is slim to none.  It does keep me dreaming and imagining though.

WE will be leaving Grand Marais on Monday to travel west to Munising,  A three day stay at the Munising Tourist Park,  also on the shores of the big lake.  At least in Munising we have access to restaurants and a grocery store and other shopping options.  As far as restaurants in the U.P  go,  we have found in our quest for a meal out there are not many options.  I must clarify this,  there are options but so far we have not found the food offered very palatable.  This is what drives us to pull an RV up here. We can prepare our own meals and sleep in our own bed every night.

After a few days at the Munising Tourist Park,  which is run by the city of Munising,  we will travel a few miles West to The little town of Christmas and stay at the National Forrest Campground, Bay Furnace.   WE have stayed in this campground a few times and like the remoteness of it.  It does not offer amenities like water and electricity at the camp site. But for a few days we can rough it.

Then we will head out for Ohio probably leaving on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.  Hoping to avoid the mad rush out of the U.P.  on Monday.  Traffic heading south from the bridge at the end ot a normal weekend is bumper to bumper, and if we plan to make it home in one day which is normally doable,  won't be doable if we get stuck in that traffic.

Today the plan is to hike to the Au Sable point lighthouse.