Inventory

Now that I am home full-time I thought it best to take inventory of the projects on the go. This pile represents what I would call active UFOs. That is, as opposed to the ones that have long since been abandoned... From the top to the bottom:

The crayon rock inspiration quilt. I now have the top done and backing cut. On to basting. I might get to it this weekend, if my knees are up for it.

My Slaveship quilt. Inspired by the novel The Book of Negroes it got to this point and I stopped. Then I picked up some African fabrics to add to the top at Quilt Canada, but I haven't put it together.

Water quilt.  Oh the water quilt. I haven't touched this in a year, but I think about it constantly. As soon as I get a semi-permanent design wall up and a full day to myself with no interruptions I plan to get the top done.

Values quilt. This was my first values quilt using HST, a la Katie. I love, love, love it and really wanted to get it basted. I already know how I'm going to quilt it.

Improv Sampler. This is one that should be at the top of the pile. I want to teach Improv again and this quilt should be finished. To be honest, I might bite the bullet on this one and get it done by a long armer.  Maybe.

The Low Volume Circles. This top came together so quickly in the late winter, and I even got it basted quite quickly. And I know how I'm going to quilt it, but I just need to actually do it.

So, now what? I refuse to pressure myself to finish, nor do I give in to the pressure to have something new to blog about. If you've read here for a while, you know that I like to talk about quilting as much as I like to quilt!

I do believe that it is good to stop, take stock, and prioritize every now and then.  Considering that I'm doing that in the rest of my life's activities, it only seemed appropriate that I do it here too. And I'm happy with where I am.  Sure, I wish the pile was a bit smaller or I had the ability to get through the basting process a bit easier. But it is what it is.

And really, it means a little time to stop and savor the process along the way.

In My Dreams

When I started blogging I had only in mind a medium in which to practice writing, something I hadn't done regularly since I was a teenager. My on-line presence was a chance to share my creativity, getting it out there in the hopes that someone else was inspired. 

About a year ago, however, things changed for me. Writing, creating, and thinking about those things became a compulsion. I attended the Okanagan Food and Wine Writers Workshop last September. And while I was blown away by the food and highly entertained by the company, the experience gave me a clarity and focus to my future. I was driven to find a way to change my life to make this my work, not designing energy efficiency programs. 

Today marks the first day of that life full-time. Over the past 8 months I've been building up a freelance writing base. Have you seen me at What's Up Family yet? Or at Simple Bites?  What about Babble? But it is time to do more, to be more. I've quit my job and my networking chops are already being tested. I will now call myself a freelance writer.

But not only this, I also be home with my girls. You could call me a work at home mom. (In all honesty, I hate that term.) In between bed time and morning, and during the naps that still occur you will find me writing, creating. When my girls are awake you will find us in the kitchen together, or around the table creating, reading, chatting, living.

To celebrate this momentous morning I turned to another of my dreams. Quite literally, this was a dream.  The more I've been on line the more I've found myself dreaming of people I've never met. It seems I'm some sort of unconscious stalker. The last dream I had involved Kim, her in-my-dreams-only rooftop garden in NYC, and these peach basil pancakes.

It seemed only fitting that I pull out everything from my dreams on a day when my dreams are becoming a living reality.

Peach Basil Pancakes

Makes 12 small/medium pancakes

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup corn flour or light corn meal

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp chopped basil

1 peach, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 cup butter

1 egg

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss the basil and peaches in with the dry ingredients.

2. Stir together the wet ingredients. Mix the wet into the dry. Stir until just combined.  Let rest while your griddle or frying pan heats up on medium/low heat.

3. Pour the batter into the griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Cook until the bubbles on the surface form and start popping.  Flip and cook on the other side for another minute or so.

4. Serve with cherries or syrup of choice.