It's hard to believe it's been over two weeks since I've posted but a lot of things have been sucking up my time.

It was a frustrating experience getting the internet service back online at the cottage. They kept trying to tell me it was our equipment and I kept trying to tell them it wasn't. In the end, it was theirs! Once that was taken care of, I lost the internet service at the store. I really couldn't complain since I was tapping in on an unsecured network at the hotel next door.

We've also had another tree come down during a thunderstorm. This one on a Friday evening and landing across the driveway. It was a big monster and I had to work the next morning so there was a little panic in trying to fine someone on a Friday night to come over and cut up the tree. All ended well that night and I was able to get to work Saturday morning.

My grandmother passed away the following Thursday. She was 103. I was close to her growing up. We had lunch at Herpolsheimer's Tea Room almost every Saturday and then went shopping. She was always ready to lend a hand. Scrubbing my first house from top to bottom and peeling apples every year when I froze applesauce, corn, green beans or whatever. She bought my china when I got married and lent money to our struggling young family when our furnace needed to be replaced and we were still paying hospital bills from the birth of our son. It was difficult being in Traverse City with all of the funeral arrangements in Grand Rapids.

I drove home on the first to take my Mom to the doctor for a physical and check up for me. Seems like she fared better than I did. No tests lined up for her but I've got a blood test on Monday and then a chest x-ray and MRI in the next week or so. I'll have to come back to Grand Rapids for that but guess it's time to really find out why my arm keeps going numb. It makes it tough to even brush your teeth not to mention stitching.

Now for happier things - today is my 30th wedding anniversary and as I said in the newsletter I hope everyone received, I thought it would be fun to have 30 days of applique in honor of the anniversary. We can all get a jump on the blocks for the Sally Post Floral Sampler quilt. They are small enough to make a great hand project for the summer. I've seen some of your blocks and they are so beautiful! I'm going to get working on the gallery so they can be shared with everyone. It's wonderful inspiration. If anyone has pictures of projects from the site they'd like to share, please email them to me. I'll get them online.

There will be one block from the quilt each day for the next 30 days. I'll leave each one up for 24 hours because we're working with so many time zones. I'll allow some extra time for the first two posted so everyone has time to get in the routine of visiting the site to pick up their pattern. Each day on the front page of the web site within that day's post you'll see a picture of the block for that day. Click on the block name under the picture and the pattern file will open for you to print or save.

I'm back on the road tomorrow to Traverse City and Rob celebrates his birthday. How many people can say they were born on 5-5-55?
I've lots more to share but everyone is outside enjoying the weather without me so it'll have to wait.