BLIZZARD!

We had a real live blizzard here this week. Visibility near zero due to blowing snow, total snowfall around 12 inches, freezing temperatures. The whole works.

This is our third snow day. The kids are getting antsy, and I think that they are ready to go back to school. (Or is it that Mommy wants them to go back?)

I've spent most of the time just reading and cleaning the house. I did get some quilting done, but not nearly as much as I would like. On my frame right now is an Advent Tree quilt featuring a large Christmas tree; when it's finished, I'll attach 24 gold star buttons all over the Christmas tree, and the kids will be able to hang one of the little 3" quilt block ornaments on the tree each day. That's the theory, at least. By the time I finish this quilt, it will probably be too close to Christmas to actually use it this year, but there's always next year.

I'm close to finishing a quilt for my former commander, too. If I'm lucky, it will be done by this weekend, so I can deliver it to her while Steve stays home with the kids. It just needs binding and a hanging sleeve on it, so I'm going to make a big push to finish it after I clean up the mess in the living room today.

After that, I am making a Double Irish Chain lap quilt as a Quilt of Valor for the close friend of one of the men killed at Fort Hood last month. It's going to look really nice, but I just wish that my friend's brother hadn't been killed in the first place. Why, oh why, did that man have to kill so many people the way that he did? I'm glad that he didn't die, though. I am looking forward to him facing the consequences for his actions.

When I can't quilt, I've been looking on eBay for new bicycle parts. I'm not happy with the components I used for my custom bicycle (the rear hub clacks loudly when I'm coasting, which sounds absolutely awful). Unfortunately, I can't just replace the hub with another brand, since everything has to work together, so I'm watching for good deals on replacement parts for the entire drive train of my bicycle. The only things that I can keep are the frame (obviously), the handlebars, the saddle, the pedals, and the brakes. Everything else has to be replaced. Probably about $1500-$2000 retail cost to get what I want, unless I can find it for less on eBay. It's fun to shop. :)