AQATW Challenge - Song Title

I have been participating in an online art quilt challenge for about a year now and today is the reveal of our latest work. The challenge was to create a quilt based off of the title of a song. For a long time I've had Adele's song "Set Fire to the Rain" going through my head, but  just couldn't figure out how to create that idea into fabric. 

I then saw a really cute baby quilt that had a fish blowing bubbles and I thought "Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho. But then I was like "nah, that really doesn't appeal to me". But I still wanted to do something with water.

About this time we were getting a fair amount of rain, which took me back to my initial thought of "Rain". Suddenly, I had a brainstorm (no pun intended) and came up with "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head". And this is what I came up with:

I have to say that even though the song is fairly depressing, this quilt just makes me smile. Here are some close ups:

And while I don't currently have any green in my hair, it does frizz like that when it rains!

Coyote Wannabe

The other day I was walking Leo and he did the funniest thing.

Normally, he is completely oblivious to nature and the 'wild' creatures out there. There will be a rabbit not five feet away from us and he will not even notice it. He may become curious if we are walking past a bush and it rustles, but in general he is NOT a hunter. And yet....

We were walking along and out of the corner of my eye I saw a road runner.

Surprisingly, Leo also saw it. The bird, bless him, took off at a slow trot and Leo took off after him. Sadly, Leo was on a leash that only lets out about 16 feet so just as he was picking up some speed he reached the end of it and it snapped back and almost jerked him off his feet. I couldn't help but picture Wile E. Coyote when this happened.

I couldn't help but laugh at the confused look that Leo gave me and the sad look he gave as the bird trotted off and I swear I hear a "Meep Meep" as if he was laughing at my poor Leo. 

Let's Try This Again

"What?" You may be asking are we trying again.

Well, we are trying the "getting healthy" thing, again. My last promise to my dad (aside from keeping an eye on Mom) was that I would lose weight and get healthy and go out and enjoy living my life. So, you can't back out on a promise to a dying man (and yeah I know that is a different way to spell dying but my computer won't accept it any other way and I'm too lazy to go figure it out).

Since, I can't back out on my promise, I have to accept that it is going to be a long and slow and probably painful journey but one that I'm willing to take. I've done so much damage to my body and metabolism that it is going to be hard to even start the weight loss but I refuse to give up. I have met with a nutritionist who broke it down for me that I need to cut certain things out of my diet for now so that I can get my 'gut' healthy first. These things include gluten (shock) and artificial sweeteners and potatoes and beef and eggplant (which really doesn't break my heart). Some of these things are going to be really tough for me to do but I'm going to hold myself to it.

The other part of the map to improved health is as you all know....exercise. While, the weather has turned lovely and I'm able to get out and take Leo for a walk, it isn't going to be enough so I have signed up to take yoga. Last Saturday my friend Jennifer took me to a 30 minute class and while I about died (it was pretty much all core work and not what you typically expect when you imagine yoga) I felt really good afterwards...sore, but good. And that convinced me to join up and keep at it. So, today I am going to my first 60 minute hot yoga class...hopefully I won't pass out.

So, this is my current journey. Like I said earlier, I know it is going to be a long journey and I can't expect "The Biggest Loser" type results, but I will see small results each week and over time these small results will add up to a big result. 

30 Days

I can't believe it has been a month since my dad passed away and a month since I've posted anything. 

We had his memorial and internment at the National Cemetary yesterday, which is probably why it is all really hitting home now. People ask me how I'm doing and in general I'm doing fine...yes I have those moments when I just break down in big sobs and my heart just aches. These times are typically when I think about things that he didn't get to do or finish or when I think of some question or piece of advice that I would seek from him and boom it hits me that I can't ask for his advice anymore. I know that eventually these aches will fade but for now, even a month later, I still feel fragile (if I can borrow a term from my mom). 

The service yesterday was really moving...and I thought it wouldn't affect me as much as it did (even though on the drive over to my mom's house I started crying and just kept asking to get through the day and I'd be alright). We had an Honor Guard present my mom with a flag and then they played Taps, which I've heard thousands of times, especially on the A&M campus, but yesterday....whoa...it brought the house down. We then had a friend of my parents speak a few words about dad and his life and that was it. Dad was never one for a big to do, and I think we honored him in the way he would have wanted it. 

After the ceremony at the Cemetary we all headed back to my mom's place where she provided a luncheon of bar-b-que served up with a side of laughter. My uncle, aunt, and three cousins were able to make it in town from Tucson, Kansas City, and Portland so we had a great time catching up and laughing and telling stories. We could not have asked for a better day. And I didn't realize until today, when I took a two hour nap, how draining all those emotions had been. 

But, we are moving on at this point. Yesterday was the first stop on the Dick Dodds Farewell tour. So, do I miss him? At times, yes, very much but I know that part of him is always with me as I am very much my father's daughter.