Quilting Mojo

Every once in a while I get a strong urge to make a quilt. (Don't we all?) The two quilts I have in progress weren't calling to me (one in particular because it is still in storage, in an undisclosed location.) A few weeks ago I armed myself with a 25%-off coupon for Joann's and went a little insane due to the fabric overload. After being stuck with the meager fabric selection at Walmart for the past few years, I was pretty excited to have access to fabric unrelated to John Deere.

This is a small quilt; I guess you would say it is baby quilt size. But, since there are no babies nearby, I will stick to my "small quilt" label. In fact, I started this quilt with the intention of giving it away, but I like it so much that event is not looking very likely. I don't really have any use for it, but then again, I don't really need anything I knit either.

As we begin month 3 in Maryland, the job search and the house search continue. I have become more patient as I've aged, which is paying off in this situation. I'm not one to compromise, and I know that eventually everything will work itself out. Meanwhile, I've been playing with paint colors using the Sherwin-Williams color visualizer. For the longest time, I wanted a cobalt blue kitchen. I finally got it, so now I have moved on to obsessing over a yellow and teal dining room. Whether or not I will eventually have an actual dining room remains to be seen, but it can't hurt to plan.

(And lest you think I'm smoking crack with my color choices, know that after I put the yellow on the walls, the color visualizer actually suggested teal for the accent color. Disregard the red on the walls in the background. Also, I would never put that style of furniture in a room this color. Think unfinished pine and Moroccan colored glass lanterns. Not that I'm a fan of pine in general... but I digress.)

Cherry Blossoms

As new residents of the Washington, D.C. area we were required to go see the cherry blossoms. I knew it would be crowded, but figured I should drag myself over there this year so that next year I can legitimately make sarcastic comments about the invading tourists. I know it is probably illegal not to be impressed by the cherry blossoms, but I was just "meh" about them. For starters, I'm not a huge flower person, and in general I'm suspicious of things that a lot of people like. (For example, Twilight. Seriously? That book sucked. As does American Idol.) There were also a ton of strollers creating a nerve-wracking situation, what with the crowded path and lack of barrier at the edge of the water.

You should ignore me and look at these pictures instead.

Rock Creek

A month ago, I moved from a house across from a pecan orchard populated by deer and wild pigs to an apartment 100ft off of a 6-lane road, next to a strip mall populated by constantly running air conditioners. While I am greatly enjoying the convenience of my city life, the "courtyard" at my apartment has proved to be sorely lacking in said "yard." Last week, we attempted to find some green space at the southern end of Rock Creek Regional Park.

First we walked around an old horse barn (old in age, but still in operation) - something I really enjoy about the east coast is the architecture. (In fact, I wrote my master's thesis on it! But I digress...) It wasn't even that stinky. Also, horses are huge and scary. People think they are cuddly and friendly, but seriously, those things could easily kill you.

Most of the trail was too close to the road for my liking, but there was one portion where the woods suddenly became scary. The sky was overcast, and the overarching mood made me think I might come upon a witch's house made of candy that she was using to lure children (which she would later COOK! Does anyone else find that fairy tale totally creepy?)

The bridge kind of looks like an old railroad bridge; the trail which runs on it is the Capital Crescent Trail, which was not the one we were on. (Another trail for another day.) We did figure out how to get onto the bridge though, because for some reason walking on bridges is extra fun.

We probably walked only 3 miles or so, but it was a good scouting trip that has revealed future potential. I've spent the past 5 years exploring the west, so now I hope to take on the east. I know that there are plenty of trails, mountains, and lakes to see - suggestions? (Do not suggest any mills. Long-time readers will recall the Mill Horror of '05.)