"...and you know what THAT means..."

Um, well, apparently not.

See, I had a nasty sinus infection around Thanksgiving, that mostly went away, then came back with a vengeance around New Years, and, with another round of antibiotic, mostly went away. But I just couldn't shake that last bit.

Dry air and all, I thought.

But a routine set of blood tests turned up an out of balance liver enzyme. I looked at the results, and thought ,'well, maybe now I can try something other than statin drugs for the cholesterol issues!' and made an appointment to talk to my Dr. about it.

Well, the first thing she said was that statin drugs do not affect that particular enzyme; it's symptomatic of another problem. So we're good with the statins. Sigh.

She continued, have we ever checked your gallbladder?

Um, that was removed back in '01.

Bone density was good at the last test 18 months ago; vitamin D is a bit low but serum calcium is good so it's probably not osteoporosis...

At that point she went and got her little reference book and looked up that enzyme and began reading down the list of things that could affect it.

It was stuff like hepatitis, chemotherapy, a bunch of drugs that I don't take...and in the middle of the list was mononucleosis.

Wait. Did you say mono? I've been having this low grade yucky stuff going on for a really long time...

Well, she did the blood test and the results came back Friday afternoon: positive for active mononucleosis.

So, my friend said when I told her, 'And you know what THAT means, right?'

Well, no, not really.

Apparently it means I'm basically supposed to do nothing for the next 2 -3 weeks. Sounds lovely...but how shall we manage that?

I've stepped out of choir for the remainder of the month, put myself on inactive on the new Bible study I just started attending, and basically am trying to figure out a way to eliminate all non essentials. Once I figure out what they are. ;)

Back from the Break...

Wow, that went by fast...except, when shall I find time to read the 766 posts that have accumulated in Google Reader????

I didn't get as much sewing done as I wanted, but I did have one 'wait up while the kids do homework' night in which I made knit tops. I finally made the boat neck top from the Sept. (oops) Feb. '09 issue of Burda Style...and I made a total of three of em in about a day and a half. I haven't gotten my review written yet, and these photos were taken all at once, but I have worn each of the tops already.

The first one is short sleeved because that's all the fabric I had. I fell victim to a sale, but I determined to sew the goods quickly. However, the vendor from which I ordered my first batch of '11 fabric has gone to the little sticky notes as order sheets, and the information was truncated by the edge of the note. So the '.5' on the order got lost and instead of getting a yard and a half, I got a very scant one yard of the royal paisely print. It's an ITY jersey, which I ordered mostly because I wanted to see what all the buzz is about ITY fabrics. But I didn't have enough for long sleeves. So, I made a short sleeved version.


For all it's slick and drapey, it's still very much polyester. The fabric feels cold when I wear it. It was ok as a bottom layer, but I think this is going to go to the back of the closet until the weather warms up.










I did have a yard and a half (again, rather scant, but not a half yard scant) of the rayon/lycra blend turquoise brush stroke knit. It's super yummy, and I love-love-love the colors. But, to my surprise, those brush strokes are horizontal. Since there was ample stretch in the length as well as the width, I just put my pattern on crosswise, so the stripes are vertical. This may be my new favorite top.




However, I still hadn't made the top as intended, so I pulled a 'why did I get this?' pink floral cotton/lycra knit from the stash and made one more top, since they went together so incredibly fast. This one gets zero style points, but it's nice to wear so it's a good 'change into after Sunday services' shirt; it may get worn more than the others after all. Or, if I can come up with a suitable bottom half, it may turn into a PJ top...


I'll get my review written up in the next couple of days and talk about the fit. I did have to do some tweaking to the neckline and the underarm, but by and large this is going to be a workhorse pattern for me. It is definitely instant gratification, and I was in sore need of some of that.

It's good to be back; I've missed the blogsphere... ;)

Let It Snow!!

The NWS and all the local weather people have been prophesying sigNIFicant snowfall for the Tennessee Valley for the last few days; tonight is the night when all their predictions will be tested. Will we really get a shut-the-city-down snowfall? Or just a near brush with winter? According to the radar, it's been snowing in the Rocket City for an hour or two already, but I've not seen a flake. Apparently the air is still too dry for it to reach the ground. We'll see if the predicted Gulf moisture actually makes it this far.

But...the photo directory pictures are all finished, as of yesterday, and we hustled around and made sure all the bank deposits were recounted and hauled off to the night depository before we left church today; I can access the data base online and finish up my routine weekly data input from home at any time.

So...I'm hoping for a real snow event. One in which I can actually let myself thread up the machine and make something. I'm overdue for a sewing fix.

But, wouldn't you know, tomorrow begins our annual time of fasting and prayer at church...and I'm going to be hitting my geek fast of staying off the computer for everything but email (and weather reports!). I'm not fasting sewing...can't fast something I haven't been doing much of anyway.

So, I'm hoping for snow...and I'll be back in three weeks! ;)

Foiled by a Lack of Preparation

I got an email today from Michael and Sherri...the entire website is 50% off.

I don't have extra money to spend on wonderful fabrics right now, but I looked anyway.

Oh, my friends, I was undone by a piece of rich red double-faced Armani wool that's listed at $60/yd.

I *know* that discounted price is an amazing price for such fabric. I was sorely tempted.

But I closed the window because...I don't have a jacket pattern ready to cut out. Oh, I have one in the muslin stage, but nothing proven.

And I already have about three pieces of wonderful wool that I want to make jackets from before the moths find them (which has happened once already...to a piece of Armani wool...aaaiiieee, that still hurts!). I don't want to buy another piece to just put in the bin to wait on the pattern to be ready for it.

I must muslin this year. I must, I must. I don't want to pass up a lovely piece of fabric for lack of preparation again...

So much for resolutions

Well maybe I'm only partly non-compliant.

See, I told myself I wouldn't spend any money unless it was on wedding-related items.

So, when I purchased a swatch of fabric, and some on-sale Vogue bridal patterns, if a couple other items found their way into my shopping cart...well, no fabric can travel alone...

The Princess is still fairly adamant that I will not make her dress, but I'm thinking I'm plan B if she can't find what she wants for a price she can afford. So, I'm swatching and picking up patterns on sale...just in case. Anyway, I hit up Fabric.com for a swatch of Duchess Satin fabric. Since a $.75 charge on the credit card was ludicrous, I also ordered a couple of pieces of printed knit (I'm going to try an ITY knit and see how it fares) and a bamboo/cotton solid for some much needed PJ's. That got me free shipping. ;)

Later in the day, I stopped by Hancock's to take advantage of the Butterick/Vogue sale this weekend. $4 isn't too much to invest in a slight possibility; Vogue 2842 has some things in common with a dress that she tried on and loved; notably the front draping. However, the dress in the boutique also had draping in the back and a train, so there would have to be some significant modifications in order to replicate the ~$1K dress....

I also picked up Vogue 8569, which might actually get used, as she agrees with me that $250 is a ludicrous amount of money to spend for a comb and some polyester tulle. Along those lines, I also picked up Vogue 7009. Rosette patterns should be handy for about anything...including future costuming...

But, there's more than one dress at a wedding, and I'm starting to mull over the MOB dress. It's going to be an early afternoon wedding, so not too formal; no long dresses. I have a few patterns in my stash that I'll be pulling out and mulling over, but today I picked up the Kay Unger design, Vogue 1182. That's a striking dress, although I'm not sure how easy my standard 'lower the bust an inch and a half' adjustment will be on that. Might get tricky.

I looked through the Butterick catalog, too, since they were $1.99 each, but didn't see anything really wedding-y. However, Butterick 5559 and Butterick 5523 both came home anyway. Just because.

The wheels, they are a' turnin'...I'm sure there's going to be much more discussion ahead...

2010 in the Rear View Mirror

2010 was not a stellar year for me, sewing-wise. But one brightish thought is that, while I was 21 yards short of sewing parity, I did manage to curtail my shopping to only 78.5 yards...just 28 pieces of fabric...which is the lowest my annual intake has been since I started keeping rack of it 6 years ago. Maybe I'm learning self control?

In a less hectic time, I would've easily sewn 80 yards up in a year; this has just been a crazy year.

I suppose the high point of my sewing was the project I did in the early part of the year in which I tried to make 12 garments in 12 weeks. I didn't *quite* make the time line but I did get twelve new garments for the Flute Player and myself that were needed in the wardrobe.

So, here are the final stats:
Fabric In: 78.5 yds
Fabric Out: 57.5 yds
Last fabric purchase: 10/4/10
Garments made for me: 24
Garments made for other people in my family: 7
Home Dec items: 1
Muslins: 3

Miscellaneous Church-Related Sewing:
Six Black/white liturgical stoles

Team Effort:
3 baptismal robes

I still have a few baptismal robes in the bin under my desk at work that need to be finished out; I *think* all they need are side seams and hems.

Maybe that'll be the first 'As soon as I'm done with the church directory photo scheduling' project, just to get it off my conscience ;). We have one more weekend of photography this week, to make up for a day we lost last month due to freezing rain, and then that portion of our directory project is DONE. The next step...editing the directory info itself... should not be so time consuming. I hope, anyway.

'Cause I have total chaos in evidence just about everywhere and somehow I need to get dug out of it. So my sewing plans for 2011 are rather on hold; all I know for sure is that I'll be doing some wedding sewing. Still don't know exactly what...but I should have an idea soon.

I hope. ;)

You got that right...

...From my Christmas morning stocking...not that I'd ever actually TEST the theory, mind you!

Got nowhere near the sewing machine this week; just didn't happen. So I'll have one muslin carry over that I hope to sew up as soon as I can...before I do any more cutting.

At the moment, the cutting table is buried under gift wrapping supplies anyway. We're doing our nuclear family Christmas tomorrow, and our holiday snacks of choice will be decongestants, expectorants and cough syrup night caps.

So, Happy New Year! And, for those who are, like us, somewhat non-traditional in observance...Merry (7th day of) Christmas!

Clearing the Queue

I'm determined not to carry over anything from 2010 if I can possibly help it...so, whilst the laundry was running today, I put together the knit (Loes Hinse) Oxford pants I cut out back on October 2....and I'm holding off on cutting out the last two pieces of the white long-sleeved camp shirt until after Jan 1!

As many times as I've made Oxfords, I've never tried them in a knit before. But, you know, there are times when you need pants that can function as sweat pants, but need to look presentable (I'm particularly thinking about days when I have to leave work, go to the chiropractor, then return to work). I ordered some poly/rayon/lycra double knit at a super duper sale price back in March for just such a purpose...glad I got 'em in the closet before the year was up. ;)

I think these will fill their intended function very well. The knit is very, very nice; I've got 2 more yards but I might make a dress...or some pants for The Flute Player (she needs some black knit pants for drama).

Now, I'm going to get through Christmas, then see if I can get that jacket muslin put together before midnight on the 31st....then I'd have a clear queue for January 1 AND a tested jacket pattern; I'd REALLY like to jump on the 'jacket a month in 2011' bandwagon.

So, Merry Christmas to all my sewing buddies! I hope your holiday is spent with people and events you love!

A Quarter Century...

I thought, in honor of celebrating 25 years of motherhood, I'd do a little retrospective of the various garments I've sewn for my firstborn down through the ages.

I got the highlights of the first five years. Several of those garments I'd totally forgotten about. Wow.


Sometimes I matched her to me...sometimes to her brother...sometimes to her cousin.

And that's really only about half of it...just the better things.

I didn't realize I accomplished so much!

But I had a hard time finding photos that showed the clothes; I guess I was more interested in taking pictures of the kids! Imagine! LOL....

It's Official...

He proposed and she said yes; we will have a son-in-law sometime around the middle of September if all goes well with the scheduling.

There will be sewing...even if it's only a MOB/SisterOB kinda thing.

Stay tuned.

Finally...something done...

I finally finished McCalls 5522, sewing on all 11 buttons while sitting in the endoscopy waiting area at the local hospital whilst My Sweet Baboo endured the Routine Over 50 Health Procedure Everyone Hates.

I have to say, the shirt looks better than I expected. At various times in the process of constructing it I was sure it was gonna be a wadder. I don't think it's a wadder, but I'll have to be careful when I wear it, as it's definitely Not There Yet, fit-wise.

The first issue I had was when I sewed the horizontal seams; I was sure those stripes w/their near-matching would just be too jarring and was really wishing I'd cut the lower pieces on the bias to minimize that. Then, when I added the front band, I found that the stripes were not quite matching up vertically there, either...and I was afraid that'd be jarring. Oh, if I had only added the ruffles, they would totally have masked the variations in stripe widths at the band seams. Then I realized the collar is cut on the wrong grainline; those stripes should be horizontal, not vertical. That's the way it's marked; it just didn't register that, for a striped shirt, I'd really want them going the other way.

And so on.

But, once it was all together, it didn't seem as bad as I thought. Except for one slight problem.

The dreaded Binding Sleeve. That is All. I. Can. Raise. My. Arms.

I've hit this problem over and over again on regular fitted shirt sleeves. It feels like there's not enough fabric in the sleeve, and too much fabric in the shirt, right at the underarm. When I raise my arm, as you can see in the circled spot, the shirt pulls and the sleeve twists over the upper arm.

But I went through several of the reviews for this pattern, and I didn't find anyone else who made the long-sleeved version who mentioned this problem.

I've read several opinions of what causes this but I haven't really seen a solution...a pattern fix...for it. I don't want the sleeve to be looser; it really isn't tight until I move my arms.

Aside from that, I found that I hadn't added enough ease in the back just above my waist (that old lady back fat thing is starting to happen...sigh), and I don't think the stand is high enough for the collar. It's not intended to button all the way up, and it's a good thing, because if it were buttoned at the band the collar bends and crinkles unattractively. Open, it's fine.

So, yeah, this one gets a C+ for fitting, although that's not really the pattern's fault. It's not really drafted to fit a pudgy middle aged lady, and I haven't been a pudgy middle aged lady long enough to have the fit routine nailed down.

I'll get the review done and explain the alterations I did in more detail later on tonight (I hope).

Meantime, it sure feels good to put something in the 'done' column!

Trying to tell me something???

A couple of nights ago I had a dream in which I had taken my Kenmore sewing machine and my serger to a high school or church (not sure which...it was neither the high school my kids attend nor my church) for some costume sewing and while I was away from the area my old beat up weighs-a-ton Kenmore disappeared- footpedal, accessories box, crumbling owners manual, the box of spare bobbins and carrying case all gone with it.

I couldn't believe it. The serger wasn't disturbed, buy my trusty old friend was gone.

I spent a good bit of the rest of the dream trying to find it, or find someone who knew what happened to it, but I woke up with out having located it.

I've been vaguely uneasy ever since. I have so much sewing I want to do, and I can. not. get. to. the. machine.

That's gonna HAVE to change.

Somehow.

Just Past the Halfway Point

We've now passed 16 out of 28 days of photography; it's downhill from here. I've figured out a workaround on printing the labels for the sitting ID's from our data base that lets me just print the labels I actually need instead of a bunch of duplicates, which makes me very happy.

My two younger kids were puking today, which makes me very nervous. I haven't shown any one else how to print the labels...what if I pick up that nasty virus? Hmm....

I emailed the label template to my home computer; if the unthinkable happens, I can sit at home and generate all necessary paper work, then email it to a co-worker to print for the photographers.

Maybe I should be glad I don't have company coming for Thanksgiving this year after all...

But I have a turkey defrosting in the fridge just the same. Hopefully everyone will be well and the turkey will be enjoyed by all.

On the sewing front, I haven't touched my white blouse in an entire week. It's still waiting for about two pieces and the interfacing to be cut out. As I mentioned in the comments on last week's post, I ended up at our photo session wearing an old favorite blouse that, unfortunately, has ink stains on the cuffs. We folded our cuffs back, so the ink stains were inconsequential.

But, with two days next week that are both days off and have no photography happening, maybe I'll at least get to finish cutting that blouse out. ;-)

Gettin' Real...

Ok, I'm just gonna make do with whatever white shirt I can come up with tomorrow; the Camp Shirt is still partly on the cutting board.

Just too much goin' on! After we got home from church...and that was pretty late; the two younger kids had puppet team practice, so My Sweet Baboo and I had a very nice lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant whilst they did the puppet thing; consequently it was mid-afternoon before we walked back in the front door ...I had a choice.

I could throw myself into sewing that shirt, making something that should be relaxing and enjoyable into another deadline, or I could face reality and acknowledge that I'm just not gonna have time to do it well and have a restful Sunday afternoon.

I think, since the lesson I taught my high school girl's class this morning was on the value of rest, my decision to chill out for a while was a necessary one.

I'll just make one of my other white shirts do somehow. ;)

And I will freely admit, hopefully with simple honesty and no whining, that I will be personally very glad when we've finished with the directory photography...

One...stitch..at..a...time...

That's what it feels like, anyway. I've got the collar and sideseams on the black and white stripe blouse; it has some problems and more than once I thought it was going to be an unsalvageable wadder, but I'm determined to finish it if only to be able tweak the fit.

And I'm *trying* to start a new project...we are doing OUR share in the church photo directory on Monday and I've told everyone under this roof that we'll all wear white shirts w/blue jeans (the background is black). It's going to be the Christmas Card photo for this year, and if the picture wasn't going in the directory, I'd put us in Dickens costumes, just for fun(I'd have fun, anyway).

But, since it *is* for publication, we'll be conservative. And everyone has a white shirt, thanks to a quick shopping trip with The Actor and The Flute Player over the weekend.

'Cept I'm not terribly happy with MY long sleeve white shirts. Given the lack of sewing time, I actually stopped by the mall on my way home yesterday to look at white shirts.

Counting the one I tried on when The Flute Player was trying on shirts, I've tried on a total of SEVEN shirts.

None of them worked.

I thought about going to my usual If-I-Buy-RTW-It's-From-Here shop, but when I looked online at their white shirts, I noticed that just about every one of them needed a FBA to fit the lithe young model.

I don't think it would've been worth the trip to try any of those on me.

Anyway, I dug through my Pile (the fabric waiting to be swatched and put away...I'm WAAAAYYYYY behind on that) and found a lovely piece of white cotton twill from Textile Fabrics in Nashville. I think I'm gonna just use Louise Cutting's Town and Country Camp Shirt, and put long sleeves on it.

The fabric is all ironed and laid out on the cutting table...I'm gonna guess about 8 hours of sewing time for it.

I don't know if I'll get 'er done or not. But at least I'll give it a shot.

Considering the '11 SWAP...

I haven't participated in the annual SWAP contest since 2006; high school theater sewing has largely kept me too busy...plus, that was the third year in a row; I was about wardrobed out of the closet!

But that was 5 years and about 12 pounds ago. My wardrobe is beginning to need some overhauling. Maybe I should jump into the SWAP...

But I have a couple of caveats. The first is, simply, time. I'm not done with the High School Production season of life yet; there's a production of Romeo and Juliet AND the spring musical looming just after the holidays...and life has been so busy in general that my sewing production for the fall has been limited to a piddly 5 garments since school started; I've been trying to get that black-and-white blouse put together since Oct. 1. Granted, the directory photo shoot will be over after Christmas, but everything else is so backed up and behind that I really can't guarantee myself much sewing time.

The other caveat is the 'twist' -- that is, the little extra requirement to make everyone get creative with their sewing. This year, EVERY garment sewn for the SWAP has to include a new (or not perfected) technique. Granted, we're allowed to use (I think) 3 previously made or purchased garments in the wardrobe, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around a 12 11 - piece (Ok, 9 8 -piece) wardrobe in which EVERY garment has some particular detail about it that's new to me or something I'm working on getting right.

If I make a SWAP wardrobe, it's because I need clothes I can wear in my everyday life. And I've been sewing for a long time; most of the techniques I need to sew everyday clothes I've mastered.

I'm looking at couture techniques, or embellishments, or some such thing to meet that requirement. Stuff that really doesn't go in my day-to-day wardrobe.

I need some basic things that fit the body I have now. I'm going to have very limited time in which to make them.

So, as much as I'd love to participate this year, I'm really thinking it's just not my year to jump in. I may do a sew-along and see if I can SWAP in my style...that is, along the original idea of the SWAP, which uses TNT patterns to generate a wardrobe quickly.

I won't win anything, but I'll have some clothes in my closet. ;)

I Got Mine!

Ok, it's the second printing...I'm late to the party.

But better late than never!

Can you say 'inspiration'?

Lots of cool ideas; I've only skimmed through it, but I've already seen a couple of things that I'd never noticed on the PR website.

Now if I can just squeeze in some time to sew...

Not Sewing. Is. A. Bummer.

Haven't wandered near the machine for a couple of weeks now.

See, we're doing a photo directory at church and, well, somehow it landed in my office.

So, I suppose the good side is that I'm working extra and so bringing some extra cash into the exchequer...bad news is that there is no time.

It's almost like costuming a show.

My black-and-white striped blouse has had all the fusible interfacing applied, and that's where it's been. And I really need to get it made...if it fits well, I may make another one out of solid white (with the ruffles!) for our picture...which is scheduled for Nov. 15.

But before I can sew a stitch, I've got to dig my way to the bottom of Mount Washmore...we're almost completely out of clothes.

Sewin' ain't the only thing that ain't been happening...

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. We'll get through this... ;-)

Sigh. I've been looking at fabric sources...of course!...but have so far managed to not buy anything. Why add more to the stash since I can't seem to get anything at all sewn?

Costuming the One Act

It is The Actor's Senior Year; to my surprise he elected to be the student director of this year's competition piece rather than audition for it.

The piece is The Metamorphosis. I do understand his reluctance.

Last year, the one act was a hysterical comedy that was a tremendous hit with the audience...but the judges didn't like it. So, this year (under a new drama teacher, btw), the play selection was of a genre that seems to go well with judges...dark, broody, depressing. Yay.

However, I am not responsible for the cockroach costume; I believe that is actually falling under the tech crew/set design/make up folks. My only assignment was to repair one dress that was aged and falling apart.

I spent Monday evening working on it and it's done. I don't know how well it will hold up...the fabric is nearly brittle...but it's repaired for now.

So I'm done.

Other than finding some pieces The Flute Player needs for her costume...black tights (shouldn't be hard) and 'character shoes', whatever that means. She plays the first maid/housekeeper. We'll find something at Shoe Carnival.

However, as soon as we get back from Christmas break, they're going to begin production on their major drama production, which will be Romeo and Juliet. Not done in Elizabethan garb is all I know about the costuming at this point...

But, it's 'funny' how things work out. I have a big project going on at work that will run through at least the end of November. Sewing for a show would be nearly impossible at this point...

Something REALLY different

I normally play along with the Random Dozen Meme on my other blog...the one that talks about faith and other things that I don't feel quite free to talk about here. But...I'm feeling a little adventurous tonight, and sewing Will Be Mentioned, so...

Just for grins I'm answering the questions on this side of the dashboard. For newbies, welcome to Second Cup of Coffee's Random Dozen (minus one this week).

You can click the icon to see the original prompt and the linked up answers:



1. Is there a word which you initially mispronounced? Were the circumstances in which you made the faux pas embarrassing? By the way, that's not "foax pass." (I know you know that. Just jokin' with ya.)
I pronounced 'Sword' as 'swoard' for years and years, to distinguish it from 'soared.' Finally I looked it up in a dictionary and found that 'swoard' is not even an alternate pronunciation and ate humble pie and stumbled over the pronunciation for years. But Terry Woodrum saved me from total humiliation in my 10th grade Driver's Ed class, when, while reading aloud from the textbook,he read the word 'Yosemite' and pronounced it 'Yo-sim-i-tee,' thus saving me from a thousand deaths when it was my turn to read...I totally was going to say 'Yose-mite.'

2. How do you feel about the use of texting shortcuts and trends? (ex: "I've got ur notes. Get them 2 u 2morow.")
You won't believe this, but I actually spell words out in my texts. I only use those shortcuts for dramatic effect...which is usually totally wasted.

3. Tell me about your high school senior picture. Please feel free to post.
Just because this IS the sewing blog, I will point out that I made the jacket in my senior photo from blue polyester doubleknit crepe from Ben Franklin's in Brownsburg, IN, back when Ben Franklin's was a variety store. It was part of my ORIGINAL wardrobe capsule sewing, although I didn't know that at the time. I also bought some navy and white houndstooth poly double knit, and I made the blue jacket, a blue skirt, a houndstooth skirt, a pair of wide-waist trousers from the houndstooth, and a reversible vest using both fabrics. You can't really tell from the photo, but the jacket has short, puffed, banded sleeves (I *think* there was a long-sleeved view, but I'm not sure). This was the second jacket from this pattern; my mom used it to make a cream linen-look jacket for me, too, my freshman or sophomore year. As I recall, she has not sewn anything for me since that, although she has done a wee bit of sewing for my kids (remember the napsacks, Mom?). Um, I *have* been actively resisting stalking vintage pattern sites for that jacket.


4. Since Linda left off number 4 I'm making up my own. *Clears throat* What is your favorite variety of doughnut?
Dunkin' Donuts (would someone PLEASE open a DD franchise in the Rocket City again? Pretty Please?) vanilla creme filled. Yum. Powdered sugar everywhere....

5. Share a high school or college homecoming memory.
My high school consolidated w/another high school my junior year. That was also the first year for our varsity football program. We Never.Won.A.Game. Every away game we went to was the home team's homecoming. I wish I had a sawbuck for every time I heard 'Sweetheart of Sigma Chi' before I graduated.

6. Linda at Mocha with Linda wants to know: "Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?"
Yes.

7. Lea at Cici's Corner asks, "What is something you have not done that you desire to do?"
See the Northern Lights

8. Carol at Wanderings of an Elusive Mind ponders, "If you could come back [in another life] as an animal, which would it be?"
Some rich lady's pampered poochie.

9. Joyce from The Other Side of the Pond is curious: "Where were you 10 years ago?" Please feel free to elaborate more than just your physical location.
10 years ago my kids were 4, 7, 12 and 14; the four of them were attending 5 different schools. We were still in our denominational church, although we were beginning to pull out. We were in a cramped little house...and I had not yet discovered the online sewing community.

10. When you are proven to be correct in any contentious discussion, do you gloat?
Who, me? Um, depends on with whom I am in contentious discussion. ;)

11. What is your favorite food which includes the ingredient "caramel?"
Caramel turtle brownies.

12. From my 17 year-old daughter to you: "If you could be part of any fictional family, which family would you choose and why?" (She's so cute. And clever.)
I think this is a life-stage question. When I was a kid, I thought it would be neat to be part of the Jetsons, because robots took care of everything. Then I thought it would be neat to be part of the Ingalls family, because they were so close. When I was in my late teens, I wanted to be part of the Murray family (A Wrinkle in Time), because they were close AND brilliant. Now, I think I'd be one of the Incredibles...I need to stretch reeeaaaaallly fffaaaaarrrr...