Friday, August 6, 2010

Five 'til Fifty! - Giveaway Day 5


It's the final day of Five 'til Fifty!

Are you as exhausted as I am? I kind of wish I had a photo that conveyed my exhaustion, but lucky for all of us, I don't. I've been writing these posts late at night, and let me just say that is not when I am the most chipper critter in the forest!

Earlier this week, I tossed out some random things about me. Here are a few more:

11. I have been a blonde. Unfortunately, it was before I could remember if I had more fun.

12. I gave a graduation speech. I was utterly terrified. Sometimes I wish I could remember what I said, but I was so relieved when it was over, I destroyed my speech.

13. I did not play basketball.

14. I am the only one in my family who has not had a knee dislocation. I attribute this to #13.

15. Some hymns make me cry and I can't sing them.

16. I stuck a butter knife into an outlet when I was a toddler, leaving me with a healthy respect for electricity ever since.

17. I have number form synesthesia. Up until a couple weeks ago, I didn't even know there was such a thing. I just thought everyone had the same convoluted mental map, imagery, and spatial locations for months, years, numbers, and centuries. Huh.

18. My dad discouraged me from going into the computer field. He said it would be "so boring."

18-1/2. My brother is in the computer field. He does not seem to be bored. (That's my brother Russ and I above, about 1983).

19. Horses are beautiful. They also kind of scare me.

20. I am fascinated by mummies.

Okay, that's entirely enough random bits to put anyone through at one time. On with today's giveaway!

I made this table runner from strips of Sheri Berry's 12 Joys of Christmas fabric, left over from my whirlygig Christmas quilt. Amy Smart from Diary of a Quilter posted the tutorial here. It was easy and fun!

I'm definitely going to make another one of these for myself!

It measures 18" x 30" and is straight-line quilted.

Here is the back.

To be entered for this Christmas table runner giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. Be sure to include your contact email if it's not visible on your profile, or if you're set to "no reply" or commenting anonymously. One comment per person per giveaway.

You can also enter any of the other Five 'til Fifty! giveaways by leaving a comment on any or all that you're interested in, up until noon Central Time on Sunday, August 8. I'll post the winners on Monday, August 9.

And finally, before this thought disappears from my weary brain, I wanted to share a quote with you from author Madeleine L'Engle which really resonated with me. I first read this a few years ago in her book, A Circle of Quiet:
I am still every age that I have ever been. Because I was once a child, I am always a child. Because I was once a searching adolescent, given to moods and ecstasies, these are still part of me, and always will be... This does not mean that I ought to be trapped or enclosed in any of these ages...the delayed adolescent, the childish adult, but that they are in me to be drawn on; to forget is a form of suicide... Far too many people misunderstand what "putting away childish things" means, and think that forgetting what it is like to think and feel and touch and smell and taste and see and hear like a three-year-old or a thirteen-year-old or a twenty-three-year-old means being grownup. When I'm with these people, I, like the kids, feel that if this is what it means to be a grownup, then I don't ever want to be one. Instead of which, if I can retain a child's awareness and joy, and "be" fifty-one, then I will really learn what it means to be grown up. --Madeleine L'Engle
Thanks for visiting, good luck on the giveaways, and Happy Friday everyone!

14 comments:

Penny said...

That's the runner I spied on the other day! Lovely! Straight line quilting is 'my thing' Still not brave enough for free motion ;)
Thanks for the trip down your memory lane. And continue to write about it for the next 50 !
Hugs, Penny

Leslie said...

What a cute table runner!!! I love seeing all the things that you create. It almost motivates me to sew (almost I said LOL).

Having you seen the show Mummy Chasers on the Discovery Channel? That guy is a hoot.

And in case I didn't say it Happy Birthday!!!!

Doina said...

Great giveaway! Please count me in!

Sarah Craig said...

Love the quote! At last, an excuse/explanation for the way I feel sometimes! And, I don't know for sure if it's still there, but did you know that there used to be a mummy upstairs in the library at Southern Seminary in Louisville?

Have a happy happy birthday, P.!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing all your pictures & memories this week and for the beautiful projects. Have a wonderful 50th birthday! Luv your website. lak

Michele T said...

I love table runners but the ones I make are given as gifts, so it would be awesome to win the one you made! Thanks for the chance. Happy half a century birthday.

SueWis said...

I love this table runner! I'd love to win it!

Love that quote, too. I like to think I am able to be all sorts of ages to fit whatever situation at the time. Thanks for sharing it. :)

GaAm said...

I love that book, Circle of Quiet. The little random bits about yourself are great. I didn't know you were fascinated by mummies. Maybe you should have been an archaeologist.

Michelle said...

Lovely quote. As GA-P said, I'm enjoying the random facts about yourself too.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't that runner look great on my island! Once again love the fabric combination. Happy Birthday!

Miri said...

Terrific table runner! I just love that photo of you on a horse.

Have a very Happy Birthday!

Sherrie said...

I am using that quote, how perfect and absolutely wonderful. It does describe how I feel. Thanks so much for sharing. Now I have to ask about the curtains in the first photo. Love them. Were they made from Bark Cloth? Wouldn't you like to have them now? Thanks for the good thoughts for my birthday and now for yours. It is funny we didn't do anything exciting, and I feel exactly the same way I did the day before. So I guess it is only just a number. Oh yes, please enter me in. Us girls, at out age - lol, we know how to party. Have a lovely birthday.

SixBalloons said...

Love those family photos. That table runner is good year-round too! So festive and fun.

Elizabeth said...

P., I loved reading all your random thoughts. More, please! Commonalities between us: sometimes hymns make me cry and when I was young, I stuck a metal barette into an electric outlet.

The table runner is beautiful! Thanks for a wonderful week of giveaways!

xo -E