It was like BLAM! -- and then there were fingers and toes everywhere! lol

No, no, no! It really wasn't fingers and toes everywhere but ...

I was busy working on getting (well, still trying to get) the blog links and things to work when I heard the kitchen door skreek open and a voice, "Can you help me?!?" Not panicky just a little impatient like I was supposed to know he needed something - and know it via telepathy or smoke signals or whatever ...

I knew Peter had gone out to take down his laundry off the makeshift clothes line he had put up in the garden. Did he want help folding it? Had a bird decided to mark it and he wanted to know how to get rid of "the mark?" Did he want to know where to put it all -- upstairs or downstairs where he keeps most of his t-shirts and slacks because they're closer to the shower and it's easier to get ready for school after the shower at 5:30 in the morning?

Once I get to the kitchen, he's sitting in the cat's favorite chair, rocking slightly and one hand clasped around the other very tightly. Red splotches on his t-shirt. Oh no! He had "done a Dan!"

He had presence of mind to make sure he had his wallet, and therefore his medical card, as we headed out to the van. I asked if I needed to get some ice and go looking for a bit of hand; "No, no. It's just the tip." Then, I did about 60 almost all the way to the ER about 7 miles away. On the way he said it had stopped hurting ... I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

Took him in to the registration desk and then went and parked properly. Got his insurance info into the system and off they walked him to the ER and then we went for me to join him. He was already hooked up to the monitors and they had put a gauze or something around his thumb to help soak up the blood.

Normally, when they stick an arm to either draw blood or to hook up an IV, they've had to come clean the walls as blood splatters are everywhere -- he's a "gusher." But, this time, no such problems. **Phew**

They finally got a doctor to him, who shot him full of Novocaine at the base of the thumb (one of the shots apparently was painful getting stuck with the needle as there isn't much room before they hit the bone in that spot). But it worked because they had him soak the thumb in a bowl of saline solution to help clean it and before long he couldn't feel it at all.

The the doc came back to perform some tailoring work. About 12 stitches (though I did my best to not see any of what he was doing and we forgot to ask how many stitches he did) just to stop the bleeding.

Just a few layers of skin and the nail were lost in the mishap. **SIGH** I've threatened to take away all his "toys" unless we can work out some kind of "spotter" arrangement (remember gymnastics in gym class?) -- but I'm not sure that will actually work. He didn't complain when I said I was taking away his toys ... so ...

However, there is one "good" thing about it all -- found out from the woman at the registration desk that they have two openings in Registration -- basically need to know how to use a computer and she says the pay scale is very good for Amery. The shifts are 2nd or 3rd. She got an application for me and I'll get it filled out and returned. Who knows ...

Well, that's what's up here (except for the thunderstorm strolling on through right now) ... how are things at your end?

Recent Photos -- Como Park Conservatory -- Tropicals under the Dome -- Original Burlap?

The Silent Killer - Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Camy Tang is celebrating -- and wants to give you ...

[I know I said I would try to not add any other posts to this blog until the end of the month, so that the DO THE BLUE Book Tour's Virtual Quilt Show wouldn't get lost in the postings. Well, I found out about this today and it is just too good to not share with you ...]




Camy Tang's first book, Sushi for One, just came out. To celebrate (and to generate interest in the book) she is hostessing an awesome contest. The grand prize, first place winner, will receive an 8 GB iPod! Plus a lot of books (I didn't count them all ...)

For more information, and to enter, go here:
http://www.camytang.com/contest.html

You will need two things
- you'll need my email address to put in the contest entry form -- SuseADoodle at gmail.com. Please be sure to use that, okay?
- a Yahoo ID so you can join her Yahoo Group, Camy's Loft. And you will WANT to join her Yahoo group because every week she gives away books!

An author who whole-heartedly believes writers are readers too!

The contest runs till October 31, 2007.


The book sounds like a wonderful read. It is on my list of "GET THIS SOON!" Books and I've scheduled an afternoon to read it cover-to-cover. Want to know a little more about it? Check out:
http://christianfictionblogalliance.blogspot.com/2007/09/sushi-for-one-by-camy-tang.html
or
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310273986
or
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=273981&netp_id=479128&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW

DO THE BLUE "Virtual Quilt Show" Appendix

First, Thank You for stopping by for Marilynn's DO THE BLUE Book Tour stop here for the Virtual Quilt Show. If you just happened to stop by and are visiting without knowing about the DO THE BLUE Book Tour or the Virtual Quilt Show that is now in progress here -- well, you are quite welcome here too. A great big huge welcome to everyone who stops by.

If you haven't yet met Marilynn Griffith, you just have to! Stop by her blog "Rhythms of Grace" by clicking this link http://www.marilynngriffith.typepad.com/rhythmsofgrace/ [I haven't figured out that nice little trick of turning a link into words like "here" that you can click and fly away someplace else -- eventually my computer savvy / HTML savvy hubby will teach me -- in the meantime, please bear with me :-) ]

There are tons and tons of photo-sharing sites on the Net. I chose to use some of the photos from Flickr for this show. Photo Bucket and Snap Fish are just two of the many others out there. Each photo that comes from Flickr will have info under it about the photographer and you can click the photo to go to that person's Flickr page and see more of their work.

Now, back to Marilynn and her Book Tour. :-)

At her blog you will find the link to the first stop on the DO THE BLUE Book Tour -- an interview with Marilynn. A great way to be introduced to her. One of the fascinating things I learned about Marilynn, from reading through the archives of her blog, is that she used to make soaps (seasonally) and when it came time to make soap one year, she had gotten ill and temporarily lost her sense of smell. It was this event that got her to get writing. In the interview, I found out that Marilynn's first book debuted in January 2006. In the 18 months since then, she has had a total of six books published and she is hard at work on the next one. WOW!

I got to "know" Marilyn through a link to her blog form another author's blog. While there I read an entry of hers about winning some gourmet brownies. Hmmm ... my hubby loves brownies but I never bake them (neither of us really "needs" them). There was a hitch -- you needed to read her latest book, TURQUOISE, and send her an email about why it was such a "sweet read' by the end of August. This was about 12:30 AM, August 29th.

I went to Amazon and did the "see inside" for TURQUOISE and immediately sent off an email to Marilynn. Quite "scary" (LOL) was getting a reply within a few minutes! We've emailed back and forth from time to time since. (I'm trying to not pester her, but let her keep working on her new book -- but she is a very interesting and wonderful woman.)

Which is why TURQUOISE is such a great book to read. It is the fourth of a series. I hadn't read the first three (YET) but was able to connect with each of the characters quite easily and become part of the story. (I got the book in time and spent an afternoon reading it -- and it was an afternoon well spent!)

It is the story of Chenille Rizzo whose husband Lyle has died of cancer. Some time has gone by and out of the blue, Chenille receives an email telling her there is a new post at Lyle's blog!

Chenille rides the waves of emotion as she wants to fall in love again and is afraid that maybe there just isn't enough love inside of her to give to someone else again.

TURQUOISE is a sweet read, but ... you will need a box of tissues next to you as you read. It's worth every tissue, though. It really is.

Next question you are asking, how do quilts fit into this book tour? As TURQUOISE opens, Chenille is carrying an armload of baby quilts into the hospital. They are for the babies in the NICU.

Visiting one of the local libraries last week, I saw a notice for a group of women that meet monthly to make simple quilts for our returning wounded soldiers. One of the local churches hosts a group of women who make quilts for all the babies born at the local hospital. Another church hosts a group who make quilts for a women's shelter.

Quilts can be as easy as 12x12 inch squares sewn together to intricately pieced works of art. (I've left out the very intricate patterns for this show -- I want to encourage you to think about getting involved in a quilt donation program near you, and I don't want to frighten you away). Quilts can be quilted, stitched to hold the layers together, by hand or by machine; or they can be tied with yarn or floss at regular intervals to keep the layers from shifting during use.

So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read TURQUOISE (better yet, why not read the entire SHADES OF STYLE series?), visit the entire Virtual Quilt Show here (all the way to the post about Chocolate -- and if you like chocolate, read that one too), visit Marilynn's blog "Rhythms of Grace," and consider becoming part of a local quilt donation group -- through donating fabrics or by helping cut and piece the quilts. You'll be glad you did both!

[PS -- go here http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=9952&netp_id=474938&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW to find the entire Shades of Style series! It's the best price you'll find on the net.]

Welcome to DO THE BLUE Virtual Quilt Show

Marilynn Griffith's fourth book in the Shades of Style series, TURQUOISE, finds Chenille Rizzo carrying an armload of baby quilts into the hospital to donate to the NICU for the preemies there. In honor of Marilynn's Do The Blue Book Tour via Blogdom, here is a Quilt Show that I hope you enjoy. :-)

[It wasn't as easy to round up photos from around the Web for this show as I thought it would be. At my own Flickr site, it gives me the URL to embed a photo here. And I thought it would do the same thing for every photo I visited. Nah ... but most of the baby quilts I visited did allow me to choose to "blog this" ... one at a time. There are quite a few separate blog entries for the Show. Sorry about that. Just keep going until you come to the blog entry about chocolate -- that is where the Show ends -- but you might be interested to know more about chocolate, so keep on reading; he he he.]

First, before we jump into the quilts, I'd like to share a web site that is designed for artists and crafters to showcase and sell their works. Much easier to use than eBay, http://www.etsy.com/ features all kinds of art and craft items. A quick check there this morning revealed they have (right now -- it changes all the time) 208 pages of quilts (15 items per page) ... 3110 items it says at the top of the page. WOW! http://www.etsy.com/category_top.php?top_tag=quilts

991 baby quilts are part of that total: http://www.etsy.com/category_sub.php?tags=quilts.baby

I've only browsed through the listings at etsy so far and cannot give an opinion about the sellers, buyers or anything else. It is a great site for inspiration if you are an artist or crafter. And, so far, prices I have seen seem to be reasonable -- so Etsy is bookmarked for me to go back to do some holiday shopping there ... :-)

Okay, now on to the Quilt Show!

[OOPS! But first, I did say here (http://suseadoodle-pms.blogspot.com/2007/09/do-blue-book-tour.htmlpms.blogspot.com/2007/09/do-blue-book-tour.html) to try to figure out what is different about TURQUOISE than most romance novels. If you think you know, or have an opinion about what makes Turquoise different, e-mail me (SuseADoodle at gmail.com) by October 1 (I don't want anyone to give away the end of the story for the sake of those who haven't read TURQUOISE yet). On October 2, one winner will be chosen to receive a CD of 6 original pieced fish designs and 12 digital "fabrics" that you can use for creating your own virtual quilts, paper crafting, scrapbook layouts, etc. A few samples of the fishies and the digi-fabrics are on display in this post.]

Edited 9/18 to add: Click "Home" below to go to the "Appendix" and work through the "older" posts till you hit the Chocolate Post or go here http://suseadoodle-pms.blogspot.com/2007/09/do-blue-book-tour.html (through the Chocolate post and back through Newer Posts till you get to the Appendix). I know, I know. Awkward. Sorry about that. Had to do each quilt as a separate post and not as one long post as originally planned.

Baby Quilt Finished!!

Baby Quilt Finished!!
Originally uploaded by EB Me

This is an ambitious quilt (I think). But I wanted to find something to share that was fun, colorful, and not blue or pink. Sort of reminds me of that song I keep hearing on the classical radio station "Pictures at an Exhibition." :-)

Finished baby quilt

Finished baby quilt
Originally uploaded by Mercys Mama

What a simple design to make! And it sure is cute and colorful. I think even I could make this small quilt!

Baby Quilt

Baby Quilt
Originally uploaded by brianinsanfran

Click on the photo. When the Flickr page opens, click on one of the yellow thumbnails in the photostreams. That will show you the quilting detail on the back of this bright, fun small quilt.

Blue Baby Square Quilt

Blue Baby Square Quilt
Originally uploaded by hoobaleedoos

This quilt measures 33x33" -- perfect size for a baby.