Sunshine and Showers

Summertime in the south means lots of hot, humid days and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. We have had that in spades!  Thank goodness for a swimming pool to cool down in, after doing outdoor chores.

Indoor chores, besides laundry and decluttering, means finishing up various quilting projects.  First, I finished assembling the gray 54-40 quilt from a recent Sew Sampler box.  I chose a darker gray from Connecting Threads which shows off the light aqua and yellows. This quilt came out smaller than I expected but will be okay for a throw. Aha - I forgot to add a gray border strip. Will take care of that quickly.

Next, I sewed the July red blocks for my RSC18 Squared Away.  

Now I am trying to figure out what my next sewing project will be. Should I make blocks for ongoing UFO projects (Lady in the Lake, Garden Party, Pine Trees, Green Irish Star Chain) or should I start on my quilt guild challenge? My goal for this year is to clear out at least half of my UFOs, so there's my answer.  I need to continue to work on UFOs. After all, I did plan to finish three before starting a new project.

On a more serious note....do you do volunteer work?  Do you have a cause you are passionate about? In the past I was a volunteer for Girl Scouts and animal adoption, and I am currently doing volunteer work related to aviation. But I have been searching for opportunities to make more of a difference in the world. I contribute financially to certain groups, but I want to provide more personal support. I enjoyed mentoring young girls involved in Girl Scouts. Maybe I could be a mentor to teens to help them take a longer view in life, to set goals and resist bad influences / distractors. A teenager is basically a sponge. Sponges will absorb both clean water and dirty water. The trick is to surround the sponge with clean water, to find good influences. If you are having trouble getting along with your parents, absorb the good things they can teach you and find or study another person with admirable qualities and learn from them. Pressures will squeeze out clean water and you can start the cycle again by finding more clean water. That's my analogy. Obviously I am passionate about being a good influence for girls as they face peer pressure and are impatient for the independence they really aren't quite ready for.  I have a 21-year-old daughter who has made choices with which I don't agree, but I love her anyway. She is an adult now and I am supporting her efforts to steer her life in a better direction. Maybe I can help a young teen choose a good path, too.