Football | Suzanne Earley

Well, not really, but that’s what it sounded like the boys’ weekend consisted of: football practice Thursday and Friday night, homecoming game at the high school Friday night (our team won!), game on Saturday (the boys’ team lost…), followed by a trip to Wal-Mart where they each got a new football, plus a football movie…and then they watched a game on TV Saturday night….plus lots of throwing the ball around and practicing field goals….

Before leaving for my trip, I had asked if there was anything they might like me to bring from Seattle (I’ve picked out t-shirts before that were never very popular) and the requests were a Seattle Seahawks t-shirt for one and a Seahawks hat for the other — in other words: more football stuff.

Last night we watched the football movie they had bought – We Are Marshall. I really enjoyed it. I was in tears for half of it, though. It must have been because I was so tired.

My weekend, on the other hand, consisted of all quilting all the time. I keep saying I went to Seattle, but that’s not technically true — I flew into Seattle, but the conference was actually in Tacoma, 20 miles south. The sky cleared up enough that I did get to see Mt. Rainier off in the distance on Friday, but that’s pretty much all I saw. I touched down in Seattle in the dark and then left in the dark, and didn’t get to see much more than the airport and the Interstate.

I did get to see some beautiful quilts — although most of the time I was at the show I was in a classroom or vegging in my hotel room. Pam Clarke was selling some of the quilt tops that she has collected over the years and for some unknown reason, 2 of them decided to come home with me:

The first was a really cheerful Lone Star. It seems to be pretty well-pieced and in lovely shape. When I pinned it up to take a picture, I did discover some issues with the side borders, so I think I’ll be taking those off to redo them. I’m not usually a fan of 30s fabrics, but this one is “my” colors and it just seems like such a happy piece. With any luck this will be an entry in MQS this spring…

The second quilt top is a huge (90 by 102) appliqued quilt:

Again, it seems to be pretty well done. I really don’t have any idea on the actual age of either of these, and that wasn’t really important to me — I just thought they were both nice looking tops, and I know I’ll never get as much needleturn applique done as I would like to, so I might as well take advantage of te work that someone else has done….

On today’s agenda: a nap, filling some book orders, another nap, mail my journal quilt, and then maybe early to bed. I was tired but not sleepy last night: I’m paying for it all today, though, as I slept in until 7:45 (thankfully we made it to school on time…). My head is achy and I can’t stop yawning, so even though I’ve only been up for an hour and a half…I think I’m going back to bed for awhile.

I hope all of you had a great weekend, too. I’ll yak at you some more later!

TTFN -

Suzanne

Yes, football equipment.

The boys are playing football this fall, and we had to go have them officially weighed and pick up their equipment tonight.

Mark took some pictures of them, the jersey was his from high school.

When I first looked at them I laughed right at loud and said something to Mark about Joe’s picture being funny. Then I realized that it was actually Will. Once they are all suited up, I’ll only be able to tell htem apart by the green sticker on Will’s helmet.

I’m pretty sure they are too little for this. But I suspect I’ll think that even when they are grown up and wanting to do crazy things.

The shoulder pads they have on are actually ours — well, Mark had a set from when he was little and one of the boys got a set for Christmas one year. We weren’t able to get the official ones tonight: they had run out of their size. But — that means that the sets they do get will be brand-new! The jerseys they wear for the games will only be given to them right before a game, and taken away (to be washed by a team “mom,” — or Dad I suppose…) directly after the game.

Helmets — check

Pants — check

Pads — check

Mouthguard and chinstrap — check and check

Mom’s sanity — ummm……..

I’m not sure they really realize what it is going to be like to be hit on the football field. I’m wondering how long their excitement will be sustained once it makes contact with another player…..

Quilt content

In between trips to the pool, numerous phone calls trying to straighten out an issue with a shipment (why couldn’t it be easy? why??), and various other adventures of the week) I have been doing a fair amount of sewing this week. I’d go take a picture, but it’s all the way on the other side of the house, and the light isn’t very good, and….yes, I’m lazy right now. Maybe tomorrow.

Response to some comments

Vicki asked about the neat garage. As my Mom (her name is Mary Ann, by the way) stated, my husband is VERY neat and VERY organized. Poor man. He’s married to me (some day I’ll have to blog about the sermon the pastor gave at our wedding: it was titled “The Odd Couple.” I was mortified). The amazing thing about the garage is that it is Mark’s workshop right now, too. It is extremely neat, but it is also PACKED with his tools and stuff. I don’t mean packed like he’s a packrat and it is full of junk. And darn it, he knows exactly where everything is out there.

Ronda wondered about my height: I think it is either 5’10″or 5’11″. It’s funny, I don’t really THINK of myself as tall, even though I KNOW I am tall. It’s a body image thing I guess. Mark is 6’4″. Our boys have feet like puppy dogs. They are 8 years old and the next shoe size for them will be the smallest men’s size — they will soon outgrow the “youth” styles, and of course — the “youth” pricing….anybody want to donate to the Earley Boy Shoe Fund?

Well, it’s getting on toward my bedtime and I still have a few things to do, so good night for now!

Suzanne