Weather in the Tries:

MOS (more of same), i.e., hot, hot, hot, sunny, sunny, sunny, more triple-digit days than double-digit days. The really hard part is it doesn’t cool down all that much at night, even the Brave Dog is sleeping on the floor. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room on the floor for the both of us. The things I sacrifice for my dog.

My first foray into FMQ:
Well, technically, it’s my second foray into Full Motion Quilting on a domestic machine. I took a short journey into FMQ about 25 years ago. Not much of a journey. Not even sure I got more than my big toe wet.

FMQ means one drops the feed dogs on their sewing machine, attach a “hopping foot” (on some machines it hops with each stitch, on others it just sits there and looks at the sewist as s/he moves the fabric back, forth, right, left, anywhere in between. It goes where the sewist wants it to go. Well, it goes where the sewist’s direction pushes/pulls the fabric, which, in my case, is not where I want it to go.

Got my new machine all set up, ready to go, and the presser foot brings the hopping foot too far down, compresses the sandwich, and I can’t move the fabric at all. I managed to do was hold the presser foot up the measure of a gnat’s ankle to knee, and I could move the fabric/sandwich. Alas, I could only move it with one hand and couldn’t guide it. 

The sewing machine dr. is out of the office until at least Monday. The Toe dr. comes before machine dr., though.

Why I’m seeing a toe doctor:
When I lived in Albuquerque, I broke one of my toes, twice. At least I think I broke it twice. I broke it once, and about three days later, I broke it again. I think. I taped it, but the tape drove me nuts, so I pulled it off, and wore one of those flat shoes they gave me when I broke my ankle bone. So, my toe healed, and I forgot about it until about 2 years ago when I realized it wasn’t bending like it should. Thomas was alive, and when I told him, he thought I should immediately go to the dr. Yeah. Right. I had enough on my plate, didn’t need to go see a dr. about my index toe (well, whatever the toe right next to the great toe is called). And I forgot it again.

So last fall, it really began to bother me. I had an appt with the podiatrist for my neuropathy, and he looked at the toe. I have a double hammertoe. One part is growing down, and the very end is growing up. He said it would be an easy fix (Note: Definition of minor surgery, don’t you? Yeah, when they cut on someone else). Great, sez I, in your office? I can watch! He heard the question mark, but not the exclamation mark. “No,” said he, “in a surgery center, we’ll put you to sleep. I have to break the toe in two places, and we have to take x-rays.” Uh, no. I’ll shop around some. I mean, wouldn’t it be easier to move my foot if I could help? And if I faint, how far am I gonna fall? 

I know. I’m truly weird—and curious. But, isn’t that why you love me?

So, I’m going to see a different dr. today. One who I hope is more reasonable than the other guy. I decided last fall that summer would be the perfect time for this mutilation to my counting-buddy digits. There will be a steel rod placed under the toe for about 6 weeks, and it’s warm enough I can sleep with my foot uncovered. Always thinking, I am. 

He shot the OP!
By now, you know the OP has been shot, and is missing, I presume, the top of his right ear. He’s lucky he isn’t missing the top of his head! I wonder if he’ll leave the ear and wear his scar as a battle cry, of if his narcissistic self will have it surgically repaired/replaced before showing it to his adoring followers. Either way, I’m actually glad he survived and didn’t become the Great Martyr for the cult. Wonder if any in the GOP will vote for a ban on assault rifles now?

In the meantime, I think the authorities should refrain from publishing the (alleged) shooter’s ID. If shooters received NO named publicity for their acts, maybe others wouldn’t try to outdo them. We really don’t need to know the name of the shooter. The only thing we use their name for is salacious gossip.

Photos of the Week:
Well, I had hoped to show you my first FMQ pieces, alas y’all gonna have to wait until next week. BUT I can show you the finished top to my friend’s wee quilt. I’ll quilt it when I’m comfortable doing the FMQ. I’ll show you that, too. Someday.

Video of the Week:

A very interesting almost-an-hour video that shows and compares old Japanese homes, and new ones. Interesting differences between Japanese culture and European/American culture. But the architecture is what caught my eye.

Quote of the Week Sent to my a friend.

“If life must not be taken too seriously,

then so neither must death.” ~Samuel Butler