Running with March Quilts

My sinuses are telling me that spring is definitely here in PA~ ugh ~ Such a major drawback to enjoying the newly warmed air, to also feel like a balloon-head with a dribbly nose.

My 16 year old daughter & I have embarked on long-distance running with the dawning of allergy season, which means gulping pollen-ladened air, thus exacerbating my balloon-headed feeling, but alas, the running-bug has been caught.  I used to run in high school & even back when I was popping out babies, but the busyness of mommyhood eventually waylaid my best efforts.

So I've been gearing up all winter to start this. I knew I needed to wait for the air to be warmer so as not to throw my lungs into asthmatic fits, since they're not used to running in the cold air anymore. And we've been going to the gym, lifting weights, doing the elliptical thing trying to get my legs back. And now we've begun actual running, using Ian Macneill's walk/run method. It's been good to review some techniques & read the advice after being out of it for so long. And the book has been a good reminder for me to start slow, because nowadays I have a tendency to run with my brain thinking about what my bod *used to* be able to do & then end up with sore muscles. I'll keep you posted !

Back to quilts, the actual purpose of this blog...

LOVE the colors in this Scrappy Stars Top; QUILTED with Loops & Stars (Freehand)

Next up is this Purple/Green Pinwheel Bed Runner; QUILTED with Meandering Butterflies (Freehand)

Last but definitely not least is this Stepping Stone Sampler Top; QUILTED with Leafy Swirl (Freehand)

There's been a small lull in quilting work, which has been a blessing with all the interviewing & running around I've been doing with the 16 year old, but it also has my mind cranking out ideas of things to make, things I need to clean, and all the projects I hope to tackle over the summer. For some reason I always have grand hopes of getting lots done over the summer because we're not "in school", but my family just laughs & shakes their collective head when I start yammering on about all that can be tackled. It never truly pans out that way, but at least if I have a list, when there are unexpected gaps of unscheduled time, my thoughts are more organized about what needs to be done. This is my mental version of spring cleaning I think. Mentally I sweep out the cobwebs of my winter-webbed mind, overused with working & teaching through the holidays which leaves me with a 2-month hang-over feeling, and I emerge feeling renewed around springtime ready to tackle things beyond the basics.

Does putting my upcoming goals out there in bloggerland make them more official? Does this mean I'll actually follow through?? It remains to be seen...

Take care everybody!