A to Z Blog Challenge - Q

I thought letter "Q" would be quite hard, but it was actually quite easy!

Letter Q

Quilts

I think quilts are so very beautiful! I have quite a few of them! Some are old and some are fairly new. The old ones are some that either my grandmother or my great-aunt made. Then, I have one that my mother started and never finished. David's mother made each of my girls one and also one for David and I. One of my favorite trips that I went on was when I flew up to Philadelphia to visit David's mother. She took me to Lancaster, Pennsylvania where the Amish People live. I took many pictures of the quilts that I saw! They were so pretty!! I can quilt a little and would love to learn more about it someday.

Quiet

This is something that I REALLY enjoy! I love having my quiet mornings to myself each day. And on the rare occasions that I am home alone during the day, I usually like to enjoy the quietness and not turn on the TV or radio. I read better if there is quiet rather than noise, too.

Qualify

When I hear this word, I think of when we lived in Atlanta. David used to be able to get tickets thru his company to go and watch the Nascar race cars, race around the track in order to qualify for the upcoming race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. We used to have SUCH a good time doing that! We got to sit in the company's private suite and were able to get free food! We also got a special pass to go down to the "pits" to get up close and personal with the drivers and the cars. It was great fun and I wish that this "perk" was still available.

Quarterback

Football is my VERY favorite sport!! Of course, the quarterback is one of the most important players! I don't really have a "favorite" quarterback. I just have a favorite team --- The Atlanta Falcons!!!

Queen

This word comes to mind because the "Royal Wedding" is in the news so much right now. I heard today that the Queen finally got to meet the young bride's -- Kate Middleton -- parents today. I wonder what they thought of each other!

Bucket List #70-72

#70 --- Take some cooking classes --- I have never "enjoyed" cooking. I have always looked at it as a "chore". Well.... maybe I have enjoyed it a time or two. But, I have also never really been very good at it. At least I've never been told that I was a good cook. Although... I think I have my friend, Valerie, fooled into thinking that I am! Haahaaaa! The other day, we were together we saw an apron... kinda' like this one, but much cuter!....   

.... I joked that I needed this apron, because it was true!

I think cooking lessons would be fun and a VERY useful thing to do. I think Hubby and the girls would appreciate it, too. I'm sure that they get tired of eating the same 'ol thing, week after week! I know, I do!

#71 --- Take salsa dancing classes --- I have heard that the latest and greatest thing is ZUMBA. I don't know exactly what ZUMBA is, but from what I understand... it is basically.... SALSA DANCING, which I think would be fun to learn and GREAT exercise!! I am pretty sure that Hubby would NOT agree to going with me. Guess I gotta' do this one on my own! OR.... Maybe if I told him that you get FREE SALSA with every dance, he'd go with me!! He loves SALSA! ~ Nah. I don't think that would work.

                                                              

#72 --- Learn how to quilt --- I kinda' already know how, but not really. I know the basics, but have never really sewn a quilt. I did make Dtr. #1 a quilt one time because she wanted a "Bug" room... (Yes... you heard me right!) ... and we couldn't find a comforter or "quilt" that was "cute". This was several years ago, when "Bug-themed" things were "in". So.... I decided that I would make her one! It actually turned out rather cute! It is a "Tie Quilt", meaning that you tie the fabric together with pieces of thread to keep the batting from "bunching". --- I know... lots of "quilting" words being thrown around, here! Here's a photo of it ---

                                    

Recently, while going thru some of my mom's things... I came across her quilt that she had been working on for as long as I can remember! It was stored in Hubby's shop, along with her other things that she doesn't have room for now that she is in a nursing home. I pulled it out of it's box and got to looking at it, and thought... "I can do this! It's not hard AT ALL!"  There was a rather good-sized piece that was done, along with some smaller pieces and LOTS of extra pieces of material! I decided to sew the pieces together ... (HAND sew, by the way!) ... and then add some other pieces until it made a "throw blanket" size quilt. Here is the finished result --- 

                                        

This is called a "Cathedral Window" quilt. The colored pieces of fabric are very special to me because many are from dresses that my mom made for me when I was little. Other pieces are older than that and I am sure have some sort of family history behind them, as well.

Dtr. #1 and I have been working on making another quilt, like this one, for my mom. I am keeping this one for myself because of the sentimental value of it... and I really wouldn't want something this special to be misplaced in the wash at my mom's nursing home, or ruined by who-knows-what!!

Anyway.... back to my original thought here... I would like to learn to quilt so I can make quilts like this. This kind is done on a machine, which is something that I've never done.

                                 

I love quilts! They are so beautiful and colorful! Some of the most beautiful quilts that I have ever seen were up in the Amish area of Lancaster Pennsylvania!! Now, THOSE ladies know how to quilt! My Mother-n-law makes beautiful quilts, too. I'll have to post pictures of the ones that she made for each of us (and the ones that I saw in Lancaster!) on here at some point. ~ Beautiful!