Saturday, January 15, 2011

Project 365, Week 3

It's another scorcher here in the southern hemisphere. Not sure how hot it got today, but at 8 p.m. it's still 95º. Believe it or not, that's cool enough that we've opened our windows and pushed the curtains back to let in whatever slight breezes there might be (after having closed them at 9 a.m. to keep the worst of the day's heat out). I've pretty much carried a small fan from room to room with me all day. Some rooms have ceiling fans but that's not enough in this kind of heat. And since a couple of our fans are over at the Centro, it leaves us short-handed here at home... hence the carrying from room to room.

Anyway, despite the heat I've had a productive day...laundry caught up, the fridge cleaned out, all the floors swept and those needing it were also mopped, bathroom cleaned, cookies baked, and quilt top finished! Excuse me while I pat myself on the back... on second thought, it's too hot for skin-to-skin contact so forget that.

This week has had its ups and downs, like most weeks. We started out on a high note with eight young people heading off to camp...
Come on guys, turn around!
That's better!
We've been hearing good things and look forward to the group's return tomorrow night, just in time to share during our Sunday meeting.

Monday Ivan finished painting and putting together the butter yellow cement mixer.
[Notice how it matches the cabinets?] Now we need to find the time to go work on the casita. Just did not happen this week. *sigh*

Tuesday found us making a day trip to Sta. Rosa, mainly to meet with the older couple who has been handling the house for Ivan's folks for many years, but also to see a few other folks. Toward the beginning of the trip we pulled over to take this photo...
That's a LOT of kilometers!

And along the way I snapped a picture of this guy on a homemade three-wheeler. Isn't that a hoot?
 This is on a state highway :)

Shortly after that we heard a funny noise under the hood and pulled over to discover the alternator belt had broken. Ivan cut it off so it wouldn't sling around and mess up anything else, and we drove the rest of the way to Sta. Rosa with the air off and the windows down. Hot trip! Thankfully we were able to leave the car with our favorite mechanic who not only fixed it but delivered it to our door when he was finished. Now that's service! Meanwhile another friend loaned us his car so we could get around to everyone we needed to see.

I was COMPLETELY grossed out to wake up Thursday and find that marauding ants had done this to the banana I had planned to eat with my yogurt and granola:
I have NEVER seen ants do that before! Has anyone else? What kind of mutant ants are they?! DOUBLE ICK.

Even though we won't be able to build for a year or three, I'm having a great time drawing floor plans, looking through home building magazines and snapping photos of houses I really like...
Speaking of building a house, I haven't shared any photos lately of the construction next door. Looks like they're getting mighty close to being able to move in!

I mentioned finishing the quilt top today. I am so pleased with how it turned out!
I found this pattern incorporating pinwheel blocks and prairie points on the Moda Bakeshop site and since I didn't have the requisite charm packs, I used what I had. Our friends don't know if they're having a boy or girl so I decided to go with bright, happy colors (close to 20 different fabrics!) that would work for either. Here's a close-up:
I haven't decided for sure but I think I'm going to use red for the binding.

If you're not familiar with Project 365, visit Sara who is hosting this fun meme once again. Basically we [try to] take a photo each day and then post once a week, linking up to Sara's so we can all visit one another. It's a great way to document the year AND make new bloggy friends :)

22 comments:

Tiffany said...

I'm jealous...it looks so warm and we're freezing here in south Georgia. I love the pics! Looking forward to Project 365 this year. Thanks for sharing.

Mari said...

Great post - I hardly know where to begin! The quilt looks great! The house next door has really changed. The banana - disgusting. Glad your van could be fixed so quickly and I like that 3-wheeler!

sara said...

oh my word those are some banana eating ants....there must have been more of them to do that much damage in one night!! yuck!

that quilt is gorgeous!! I love the colors!!!

The Bug said...

You guys sure are resourceful - much more so than I am. Glad your car was able to be fixed while you were down there. Love the quilt!

Samantha said...

Enjoyed visiting your blog and great photos. Wow, never seen a banana like that, interesting !
Blessings to you !

Kathy said...

Wow, those must be some ants!
I love the quilt--and the yellow cement mixer!
It's funny to think of it being hot where you are when it's freezing here in the US!

Rosalyn said...

I love the quilt top! I love all the bright colors. One day I would love to learn to quilt.

The Cyber Hermit said...

I love the quilt! My second granddaughter arrived in the world at the end of December and I am debating trying to teach myself how to do a small quilt or learn how to knit so I can make something for her. 'Cause I am not an artsy-type person at all.

Amy said...

the quilt is beautiful, and the homemade 3 wheeler is too funny.
you talking about the heat reminds me of my recent (november) mission trip to africa. it was in the mid 90's wen i was there. i know there are mission fields that stay cold, but to me its not a 'mission trip' without a little sweat....or a lot, as it were. :-)

Skoots1moM said...

how in the world can you get so much done in that heat? you're a superwoman!!
great work on everything!love the quilt ;)
girl, you got some AMAZON ants...i don't want to be around those bad boys...could you eat the half still in the peel or did they dig down in?
HAVE A WONDERFUL SUNDAY, JubiSista!

That One Girl said...

And here I thought I was going to like you.... ;-)

The quilt is beautiful! Hopefully *fingers crossed* I will be able to start quilting here very soon! I helped make one in high school to donate to the local Childrens Hospital, and I'm pretty sure that I could do it again, I just might need a little bit of help! :-)

Jacque ~ Life Along The Way

Teresa said...

Love the fella on his three wheeler, and I really love your quilt! I have always wanted to try prairie points. I think they're so pretty.
Enjoy your warm days....I'd be happy to trade hemispheres for an hour or two!

STILLMAGNOLIA said...

I am so jealous. I am in central Alabama and we are having a winter here like never before. We have already missed two days due to snow and it snowed Christmas Day night! That has not happened in like 100 years. Loved the three wheeler picture and those were some interesting ants. They looked like the kind they use for cartoons.

RaD said...

Again I say, I love to look at your quilts in progress, so cool.

Oy, I'm glad it's not time for the summer heat just yet. I may not enjoy the colder temps we have been having, but I don't really dig the heat either.

We've been having problems with ants in our house, but no they haven't done anything like that to our bananas! :)

riTa Koch said...

I agree with Skoots--you are SUPERwoman for all you accomplish in one hot day, and you are a SUPER talented quilter!
So exciting to see the camp group photo! Camp had a huge impact on us young folk, I remember.
The house next door looks great.
Can't wait to see your ideas and plans.
Curious about outcome of SR visit.

BTW, I lost the blog name/address for the slip cover ideas. :(

Mimi said...

What an amazing quilt top you've made. There's nothing better than a handmade quilt!

Especially when you live in Michigan like I do.

Have a great week,
Mimi

Amy said...

Oh my gosh that quilt is BEAUTIFUL. I love the matching paint and he is a man after my own heart OR he had a spare bucket in the garage.:) Glad your car woes worked out ok and I would love to find a mechanic I liked and TRUSTED!!

Great pics and I hope you have a wonderful week!!

Robin Lambright said...

Great restoration job on the cement mixer, looks brand new!

Your quilts are alway so awesome!

Blessings
R

wish it was 90 degrees here!

Angie said...

The banana was totally gross. I think I would've skipped breakfast. I've never seen ants do that much damage in a few hours. Wow.

I'm just starting to get into quilting. I finished a small project on my vacation in Oct, but my next one is a queen sized quilt for my soon-to-be daughter. A big project.


Have a great week!

Pamela said...

Looks like a busy week. We had the addition of a funeral 2 hours from where we live and had van trouble, too. We bought a new battery and got home but found out the real problem was the alterator when my husband stalled 2 miles from the mechanics.

Your quilt is amazing and I love the points on the edge.

Lhoyt said...

Those look like regular leafcutter ants, but I never imagined they liked bananas, too. There was a salvageable part, though!! LOL I've seen what they can do to a lawn or a ligstrum bush overnight!!
What would the people here in the States say or feel about their privacy if they knew you were taking close up pictures of their house? And to think most houses are that close down there!

Oldfangled said...

What a pretty house next door! And a pretty quilt, too. My mom has made one like that.