Those Elusive Spiderwebs!

I bet you thought I was never going to get around to posting these spiderweb quilts in progess! Well, it's only been a week...so here you go!



String Spiderweb Class NCQG 2010

The weather here in Maple Grove, MN has been quite rainy today, which didn't bother us a bit. We gathered at my Uncle's house where my mom, her siblings, and what cousins could joined for an indoor BBQ and lots of family reminiscing. When I come to MN, there is only one item that will do for BBQ...BRATWURST! My Aunt says her best way to cook them is to boil them to remove most of the fat and to cook them completely through...and then you put them on the grill until they are golden brown. OH YUM..they were so good!


This morning before the rain started I was able to get up early, put on my running shoes and go hit the greenbelt area that is around here. This is off the little bridge near my aunt's house.....what a peaceful morning!



This is the purple that greeted me on the pathway! I have no idea what it is, but it sure was vibrant and pretty!

The paved pathways wind through wooded areas, through wildflowers and trees, and I always look forward to coming here and spending time with the surrounding nature.



What's not to love about wooded shady paths, the sounds of birds, the smell of early summer in the air? (Even if it only was about 55 degrees when I was out there this morning! I passed several other walkers and runners (or they passed me) and there were bikers out there on the paths too. These paths go for miles!



At one point I crossed a bridge that went over the high way, and then down and into more woods on the other side.....there were power poles above, and I got a big kick out of this sign:



SENSATION OF STATIC ELECTRICITY!?? Well, I didn't feel anything, but it sure made me glad that I wasn't on a bike this morning! I did walk about 3.5 miles, and was ready for breakfast when I got back.

Tomorrow is my cousin's high school graduation...so it's been a fun family filled trip with lots of good memories as well as the more heart touching ones. We are all unwinding around here....my mom is popping popcorn (that was always her job, and she makes the best!) and we are settling in to watch the DVD of "HAIRSPRAY" with John Travolta. It's only fitting since we watched (and sang along!) to Mama Mia night before last!

Maybe I'll get some hand quilting done......or.....maybe not!

Gathering Thoughts in MN...

I'm writing from my Aunt's house in Maple Grove, MN.

It's wonderful to be with family, even during such a difficult time as saying good bye to a loved one.

I was met at the airport by my 2 crazy Aunts who I love dearly. My mom is the oldest child, and has 3 siblings, and we are a crazy bunch!

My mom's flight didn't arrive from Idaho until a couple hours later, so we could do one of two things...go to Mall of America (been there, done that!!) or go wander around IKEA!! IKEA won out, and we had a great time looking at goo gahs and doo dads and dreaming of completely gutting our homes and starting fresh with all new furniture and things. What is it about places like that that just make me feel like I need to totally reinvent my house?

IKEA also has a nifty cafeteria with good food at decent prices, so we ate a bit of dinner, picked mom up at the airport.....and because she hadn't eaten yet, we drove her straight to Culvers (oh yes, this was my big fat idea! *LOL*) so she could get something to eat while we all topped off our IKEA meal with peanut butter cup custard, the flavor of the day!

It's so fun to see how my mom interacts with her sisters. Funerals are hard, and sad, but they do bring us together and family ties are strengthened and enriched.

In the van on the way to my Aunt's house, I was asked if I would play the piano for Grandpa's memorial service. (!!!!!) Let's just say that I hadn't really played for a few years. When we moved to NC, the piano did NOT come with me because there was no room for it, but after missing it more than I thought I would, I bought a yamaha electric piano last year. However, you know how good intentions go....if you've followed my teaching schedule you'll know that there has been NO TIME for any piano practice of any kind, so it's sat there....(sometimes buried in fabric and projects! OH NO!!!)

Of course, I said yes, I would play. Sheet music was located. A trumpet player was going to accompany me, and arrangements were made for us to practice before the viewing, before the service. It all came together.

I think I mentioned before that my Grandpa loved to play his trumpet. So it was very touching to have someone playing trumpet in honor of Grandpa. I was also involved in helping write up Grandpa's life sketch, and it turned out that I was designated to be the reader at the service, because I was probably the only one who could get through it without bawling. Something about being one generation removed I think...My aunts, my mom, and my uncle all didn't want to be the one to do it. So..tada. In helping to write his life down, I learned so much! I feel so much closer to him now that I know what his youth was like, surviving through polio at age 3. His early years working his way through dental school, starting his practice in Brewster, MN...accepting chickens, eggs, and produce in payment for services rendered...this was my Grandpa.

I learned about what things were like as my mom and her siblings grew up, and what life in Minneapolis was like during the 50's and 60's before I came around.

I met some of my mom's cousins and highs school friends....and it was just wonderful. Our bodies might get old, but the people we are inside them are still the same. It's fun to see my mom giggle with her girlfriends. She has a lunch date planned with this group of high school friends later in her visit here.

(This is getting really disjointed, but this is what is coming off the top of my head)

Grandpa played trumpet in big bands, and just loved jazz and jitterbug and all of those old big band favorites. His nickname was "Hot Lips". And it is so sweet to hear other people he knew reminiscing of things they remember about my Grandpa and his music.

We had the softer big band sounds (Think string of pearls) playing as prelude, and when the service ended and the people were filing out, the music changed to more peppy sounds of songs that Grandpa loved, as in A-Train. I just love big band music and always have because of my Grandpa.

Grandpa would have really gotten a KICK out of this service and the stories that were told. And there were smiles and laughter all the way to the cemetery......there were BALLOONS all along the route!! (Someone had a 5k run for charity or something and their were helium balloons all along the route...rainbows of balloons!) and we thought Grandpa would have even loved to know that it was like a parade going to his resting place.

It was very touching there at the grave side, seeing his name and his dates finally added to the shared headstone with my grandmother who passed away in 1966 when I was only 4. The sentiment Grandpa had chosen himself for the headstone was "Together Forever" and it just felt like finally this piece had been put in it's right place. It was just such an emotional day.

I haven't spent much time quilting, needless to say, but now that the funeral is past, we can get rid of the "eral" and just leave the "FUN" and have some of our own. We plan on relaxing and enjoying each other and since extended family had come in for the services, we are throwing together another family reunion BBQ of sorts for Saturday and make the most of this that we can. My cousin Bethany is also graduating from High School herself on Sunday, so this is a memorable time to be here.

Still have those pics from the spiderweb workshop to upload..but this is already extra long, so I think I'll have time to write another post tomorrow.

I've been thinking of a phrase that was spoken at the service yesterday "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience."

I think that also can be said about our quilting!

Do quilts happen while life is going on around us? Or does life happen while we are quilting through it?

Latest Quiltmaker Issue...

The July/August issue of Quiltmaker is hitting new stands!

My "Addicted To Scraps" Column features the block "Twin Sisters" and I know you will want to play with this one! it uses BRICKS! And you end up with two different blocks for your efforts.

Bobbi just sent an email saying:

I'm really enjoying your series of scrap blocks in the Quiltmaker Mag. I know you are heading out today but would love to see the block (twin sisters?) from the latest issue in a layout like you had posted previously.

Gosh you are such an inspiration to all of us!

Bobbi

So I went and typed "Twin Sister" into the search box at the top of my blog and it brought up the whole post!! And yes, to my chagrin, tho I have made more blocks, it's still not a finished top yet! *LOL* You can find the way I was setting them

HERE

...along with pics of an antique quilt that inspired me to try this block pattern.

What's so fun for me is to send Quiltmaker the block, and see how THEY want to set them! Look at this diagram here! It looks so different set on point!

The Iron Quilter!

Do you watch Iron Chef??

If you do, you would have died laughing (as we all did) when we closed symposium on Saturday night, packed into the auditorium, and watched 2 quilters QUILT OFF!!



They even dressed us in chef hats, since Johnson & Wales University is a culinary school! *LOL!!!!* (What was even more funny was afterwards, everyone walking back to the dorm was still wearing their hats...hehe) Doesn't Pat just look FETCHING in hers?? ;c)



The beginning video presentation was a HOOT....with music, graphics...and our Contenders! KAREN STONE as "Chef Daisy Blade"!!!!

(I am her biggest fan, and she really put me over the moon when she told me not once, but TWICE, (on two separate occassions no less *blushing*) that she is MY BIGGEST FAN too! :cD Giddy is a good word for how I felt!)



Robbi Joy Ecklow as "Chef Goddess Of The Last Minute!!" (this title cracked me up, it sounds like my life..heheh)



And let's not forget our Judges! David Taylor! Elin Waterston! And the Fabulous Laura Wasilowski! They had a tough job to do, (and big hats to fill! *LOL*)


Karen and her chef helper plotting how to win!



Robby Joy and her helper, Leah Day were working with all things "fishy!" (you just had to be there!)

It was the perfect entertainment for a lovely June night in Downtown Charlotte, NC!

I spent yesterday doing household errands stuff. You know? Car tags about to expire? Ran about to get my car inspection, went to pick up Jeff's prescription from the doc and drop it at the pharmacy, went back to take the inspection to the licensing office, saw the line was OUT THE DOOR (looks like I wasn't the only one putting it off! *LOL*) and decided to mail mine in and risk driving without stickers for a few more days, snuck in a massage (oh I needed it!!)did the banking and other assorted errands...I walked back in the door here at home around 7pm. Where did the day go? I had plans for at least binding something, but nope. Didn't happen.

My flight for Minnesota leaves this morning around 11:45am so that gives me a couple hours to get some more ducks in a row. I'm working on pattern writing for the next book, one down, eleven to go? But I'm eating it like an elephant, one bite at a time!

And I'm looking forward to sitting on that plane and putting some more hand quilting stitches in to Dreamsicles! I haven't touched it since I got home from Decatur Illinois! (I wonder why!)

But OH...least you think I'm slacking....I bound ONE bedsized quilt at symposium, and got all the way down one side on another WHILE watching "Iron Quilter" (I had to avoid the streams of silly string flying and green hair dye spraying, and the whipped cream pie in the face hilarity that was going on too!)

I've got some pics from the spider web class coming up too...they are on the laptop (duh) and I'm typing on the desktop this morning...so those will come next blog post.

Happy Tuesday Everyone! If you can't sew today, at least go fondle yourself some fabric and DREAM!

Home Home Home!

I arrived home from Charlotte, NC and the NC Quilt Symposium this morning!

I dropped Pat Sloan off at the airport, and made it home before 10:30am!! Now did THAT feel weird, or what? Taking someone ELSE to the airport...and then being home 80 minutes later? PIECE. OF. CAKE. Very nice indeed!

So nice, that after unpacking the car, tackling mail and a few other things, we decided to play hookie and go see "Robin Hood" as a matinee in Greensboro. Lots of action for hubbies who like that kind of thing, and I love "period" type movies where I can study costumes and sets and things like that. I think this is going to be the beginning of a series of "Robin Hood" movies...just by the way it ended. Pretty gory in parts, but it was interesting. I wonder what life was really like in England in the year 1199?? The whole "Kingdom, Queendom" thing fascinates me and how politics and religion were so intertwined in those days.

Note to self...remember to bring a sweater to the theater even if it is 90+ degrees outside! I find myself always freezing inside buildings in the summer, and it takes me a few times of being COLD to remember to always have a sweater or other cover up with sleeves in the car!

I came home....and took a much needed N A P ! To be honest, I have to tell you that it is noticeably quieter around here without Buddy's tail thump thump thumping to beat the band when you walk in the front door. No sound of his panting. No sound of his munching his food. And poor Sadie still doesn't quite know what to do. I got her a new, smaller bed that she can really cozy up in. Buddy's bed was bigger, and more empty...and she was always snuggling up against HIM. She seems to like the new one, it has walls on it...it looks like a little padded swimming pool :c)

I've got more catching up to do, and more blog to write, but it's 11:35pm and I'm needing some more beauty sleep, so I'm going to send you over to Pat's Blog where you can see pics of our fun adventures! START HERE....but then click the header after reading the "daily post" this will take you to, so you can get to the full feed and then scroll down and read about the last few days and the fun we had together!

My fabric from Mary Jos is still in the bag, I'll get a pic of what goodies came home with me tomorrow....Night night all!

In Charlotte!

Here I am from Johnson & Wales University, in beautiful downtown Charlotte, NC!

I've had the best time! Yesterday I left the house and went to the airport in Charlotte to pick up Pat Sloan. I was one nervous nelly, as I was afraid I'd be late for her arrival, not know where to find her, not find a parking spot, you know all those things one worries about when playing driver to a REAL Quilt Celeb! ;c)

I texted her when I got in, her flight had just landed, and we met at the baggage claim....and off we went!

We headed toward Mary Jos, but decided to get some lunch first. Now if you've been to Mary Jos..you may remember what it looked like a few years back. If you haven't been lately, you would be amazed at how the whole shebang is taking on a NEW look thanks to a new facade and facelift...I had to explain how the mall was taken down around Mary Jos..just leaving her and the Harris Teeter grocery store standing. THey have added strip mall parts all around with brand new shops and restaurants. It looks REALLY updated and nice, where it used to be so dumpy before!

We stopped at a new McAllister's deli they built across the parking lot and enjoyed our lunch out on the patio.

From there we headed to Mary Jos.......what fun to watch! Here is a pic of the new facade on the south side of the building, and showing the old facade on the west side....see the new NAME PLATE in stone on the new side? So much better than those old green letters!


And who is THIS..taking a pic of me while I take a pic of her taking a pic of the building showing the old vs new?! LOL!!! I am in AWE of this big green traveling purse, let me tell you....NEED one..if you travel alot, you know what I mean! This purse is the bomb!

I did a bit of damage at Mary Jos...most of all, I bought 6 yards of solid "schoolbus"..otherwise known as my favorite cheddar. It's a staple. What can I say? Just have to have it! I also bought a few remnants and some FQs...and got out of there for under $25.00. Not bad. Not bad at all!

Knowing that Pat had just recently acquired a vintage type writer at an antique place in MN....I thought about taking her to "Sleepy Poet Antique Mall" here in Charlotte. I've found good deals there in the past.

This time nothing came home with either of us, but it was fun looking!



Just look at the colors in this Pennsylvania Dutch style "Sugar Loaf" Quilt! Isn't it amazing? It was pretty spendy, but definitely worth a photo op.

And here is Miss Pat, checking out those fabrics and the wonderful stitching!


Goose In The Pond is another favorite pattern....here it is in traditional blue and white, hold it up, Vanna!! :cD




Broken Dishes in red and white! Lovely stitching...still a bit pricey, but I love being able to see the quilts up close, and even touching them. Can't do THAT at a quilt show!

The diamond quilt here took my breath away. Early to mid 1800's fabrics. Many of them shredding..but what was in it was AMAZING. Just studying the fabrics was a joy! I think Pat got better pics of the fabrics in this one....so if I can get them from her I'll post. I just LOVED this one, but it was too damaged to really want to bring home for the price it was selling for. Still...great to touch that piece of history.

The pieced poppy pattern next to it was also really cool. We could see the pencil marks for the quilting designs on it. Probably it's never been washed....what a great day for quilt eye candy!

Since we arrived, it's been a whirlwind of activity. We are sharing our fun dorm room style accommodations together, two bed rooms connected by a bathroom....we both taught classes today, Pat a design class, while I taught a string spiderweb class. I had 16 students, and it was a flurry of flying scraps and stories of how old the fabrics were and where they came from and what was going on in their lives when that fabric first entered their stash. Just really a great group of ladies.

We are about to take off for supper...and unwind tonight! Tomorrow we do it all again, and home on Sunday...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thank You....

My heart is very full at the love and support you've shown over our ordeal with Buddy, and at the same time, I keep reminding myself that there are even more things going on in the world that need our prayers and concern. Like this mess in the GULF for instance.

I listened at the gym today as some news report asked where the support from hollywood was as far as this disaster is concerned. And I thought to myself...wait a minute....Katrina was a natural disaster, mother nature at her worst. Same thing with the Tsunami that followed not long after, and the earthquake in Haiti. Lots of help from Hollywood's actors in those messes....and I applaud the many that went out of their way to help both with hands-on and monetary donations.

The gulf mess? Why should hollywood's wealthy famous have to foot the bill for THAT?! Isn't that BP's problem? I just don't see that natural disasters, and this one are one in the same. I know it's bad.....but you just can't ask and demand that those in the eye of the camera stand up and clean up.

And this is about as political as I get. If there was something I could do, I'd do it...after all that BP can do first. (Please don't make me don my flame proof pants, I'm already down about a run away cat, a grandfather's passing, and having to put my dog down..you don't want to mess with me!)

It was really hard to be home alone yesterday. Jeff had gone to school and DH was at work, so I got in the car and off I went for a pedicure. Anyone else cry during a pedi? The little Asian lady working on me just kept patting me, there was a language barrier, but I think her heart could feel mine. It helped. Any kind of human touch helps.

From there, I decided that since my eyes were already red and puffy..I'd head off and have my brows waxed. At this point, Michele asks me....."Hey, want me to do your upper lip too?" What do you MEAN my upper lip? Does it need it? and then I got the dreaded words..

"Well you know....when we women reach a certain age, certain things start to appear..." (*&@#$(*&(*&(*&!!! I've grown peach fuzz! And I asked her...if she removed it...is it going to grow back in darker?! Ratz.

We did kind of laugh about it. I mean, who else can you laugh about it with other than another woman of the same age? Which reminds me...I better go pluck the long hair that keeps returning from that mole underneath my chin :c/

This morning I was up to hit the gym early. I really missed the sound of Buddy's tail thump thump thumping to greet me good morning as I descended the stairs. I hit the elliptical trainer with a vengeance, and my floor workout was brutal. I figure since I was sweating so much, and breathing hard, and that my face was red with exertion, that no one would notice the tracks of my tears as well. I came home, took a long hot shower, and got to work.

I've done most of my packing for tomorrow. I'm ready for my jaunt to the airport to pick up Pat Sloan! Several girlfriends are also going to be at Symposium this week, so I think this is just what the doc ordered. I'm SO happy this trip is close to home for me, (About 80 miles) and at the same time, I'm a relative newbie to North Carolina. Having only lived here 2 years, I am looking forward to getting to know the Charlotte guild ladies who are in charge of the whole shebang. They've done a ton of work behind the scenes...It's gonna be GOOD!

Rest In Peace, Buddy

Feb 14, 2000 - June 1, 2010

Blood work came back that Buddy was also battling cancer. It's just too much. He's lived a good life. I will miss him every day.

Antiquing in Decatur...

Sharon J and I spent last Wednesday after the guild meeting taking my quilt bags to Fex Ex to be shipped home...and, out antiquing!

The antique mall was a large refurbished train station, and at first glance, we weren't sure we were going to find ANYTHING..it was quite "prissy" for lack of a better word. Lots of depression glass and fancy dust catchers, not much of the stuff I love such as old tins with cool labels, beat up housewares, crocks, chamber pots, baskets...the stuff that "daily life" was made of.

I did fall in love with this Brunswick Treadle machine....at a really reasonable price! But alas, it would not fit in my carry on and my other baggage was already over weight limits..lol!

But upstairs in one corner of the antique mall...we found:

It's made with 30's 40's prints and solids...and what I love about it is the purple background! I also love how not all the kite shapes are string pieced in the same way and direction, but several are more crumby!

It's a youth size...for a whopping...$40. :cD And the hand quilting stitches in the purple areas are minuscule!! Who ever made this was not a haphazard quilter by any means.

And because I'm a contrasting binding girl (rarely do I ever do a binding the same fabric as the border, it just disappears) i love that she bound this with that pea green. It's seen a lot of use. I wonder who used to drag this around, make forts with it, play superman with it...or cops and robbers, cowboys or indians...

I'm packing up for the NC Symposium, and gathering samples for my two classes. I'm teaching string spiderweb, and crumbs, so all the samples I can grab of how different quilters did different things, then and now..are being packed in the car.

I almost feel like I'm getting off easy because I don't have to do a trunk show at this venue..just relax with a couple classes, and enjoy the symposium with everyone else!

Sharon also found a goodie! on this trip! (Look close, you can see my purple string quilt hanging on the cabinet door behind her!)



This churndash variation (I think they call this Grecian Cross?) is all shirtings and indigoes and in GREAT shape! Not only that...HERS was 50% off, and my purple string star wasn't! And, I probably would have snatched this one up too if she hadn't been quicker than I was! *LOL*

Here is a detail shot of the fabrics:


Of course, we had to follow up our antiquing adventures with the ultimate refreshement...Culvers ice cream! I have to hit Culvers every time I visit the midwest. And this time did not disappoint...the flavor of the day? JUST DRUMMY! It was like those drum stick frozen ice cream cones (waffle cone, chocolate, nuts) all crunched up into vanilla custard...unbelievable!


I also took some pics of quilts that did NOT come home with us, but that will have to wait for another post.


The studio awaits. It's time to clean it again, some how over the past few days my muse has been quite reckless! Time to clean it up again....it never ends!

PS..Dropped Buddy back off at the vet this morning. He had a really rough whimpery night. He's not eating, he's hardly drinking (this worries me the most, dehydration)and so we wait while they do more tests. Fingers are crossed..he still thumps his tail. I've read all I can on the internet about dogs surviving snake bites.. :c/

Wishing for a Dog...

....to get WELL. But things do not look good. Even with the antibiotics and the pain meds, Buddy is struggling. The inflammation has gone up into his shoulder now and he is having the hardest time getting around. He still thumps his tail. He still eats (and drinks, which is good) and does his business...but other than that, he lies there, just so uncomfortable, just so NOT BUDDY. The struggle he has to go through just to get down the easy few front steps out into the yard is excruciating.

I hate this "Basically there is nothing we can do but just watch" thing. He has been a member of our family for nearly 11 years. I have never had a dog as wonderful as Buddy, never a problem, always a joy...and this is just breaking my heart to watch him fail like this.

And then I am reminded of the fact that he "CAN" pull through, that he still has fight left in him...and I try to rally around that.

And I dreamed last night that Emmy the cat is also gone, maybe she got bit by a nasty snake too? This living in the country thing has gone down a few notches for me :c( I'm afraid to go walk my yard. I'm afraid to go down by the creek.


So...last night I finished kitting up what I needed to take today to my bee sew-a-thon at Leanns!

I dug through 1.5" strips, pressed them, cut them to size, they are stacked and ready. I did the same with 2.5" squares..and it STILL didn't make a big enough dent. Some of these strips are REALLY OLD! I'm having to eat my own words of "fabric has no expiration date" because some of this stuff really should be gone by now..lol!

I also have THIS baggie of UFO parts that should be turned into a quilt top in short order if I can just make myself work on it. It's been languishing since our Bee Retreat in January. I just find it very hard to work on red and green in MAY!

SO...which to work on first?

I'm getting personalized service this morning...Jeff is washing my car inside and out because I have a VERY FUN date planned with a VERY FAMOUS quilter on Thursday! Pat Sloan and I are both teaching at the NC Quilt Symposium, and I get to be the lucky girl to pick her up at the airport....take her to lunch AND...to the infamous Mary Jos! She has never been! Oh, this is going to be fun fun fun, and I can't wait.

So when Jeff asked "Mom, is there anything I can do for some cash?" (You know how it is with 20 yr old starving students)I handed him my car keys and told him "Inside and out...VIP style!" Of course, it will probably rain now that my car has been washed, but....the inside will be clean!

Dash for the Churn Dashes!

I'm kitting up!

Yep...I've got some fun sew times coming up in the future, and I really do better when I have to travel with my sewing stuff if I just take time to do the pre-cutting as much as I can before I go!

In celebration of my being home for (almost) a week...I made a complete mess digging through 2.5" strips, light and dark...1.5" strips, light and dark (Trying to purpose the short ones that were extras from a log cabin quilt I cut out for long ago...)and 1.5" squares!



I matched the light and dark 2.5" strips with right sides together and cut 4 half square triangle pairs from each strip set...these will go with the 1.5" strips which will be sewn into connectors and cut to size, and the 1.5" square is the center.

How fun is it to match a civil war repro kind of thing to a debbie mumm to a 1970's calico (I had a dress out of this in highschool!!)and a scrap of shirting fabric, and a random 1.5" square? The crazier the combinations the more I like them.

I pinned each block set together, but we'll see if that helps me keep pieces in order or not. I'm thinking, knowing me...NOT!

I tell you what...kitting up 42 little churn dashes does NOT make a dent in anyone's scrap bins, and certainly not mine. If anything, the drawers are harder to close now that I've stirred them all up!

However, it was great to just play with color and pattern and texture and just make these little mixed and mis-matched guys ready to sew up at my bee's Memorial Day Sew-a-thon on Monday! Actually, these blocks are going to be so cute, they finish at 5". I love little blocks!! I might have to make more, but I think 42 will give me what I want for this thing I have floating around in my head.

I spent yesterday upgrading my windows vista to windows 7. I was afraid to do it, but....tada! IT SOLVED MY PROBLEM! I was able to load EQ 5 with my EQ 6 upgrade (not sure about going to 7..)and my block base and other software with NO ERRORS. Hallelujah!

Not sure what Sunday will bring for me, but I really REALLY should spend some time reorganizing my cave down here... :c/