I woke up this morning with this completed quilt in my brain. Now that happens a lot. Many of my quilts are given to me in dreams. Opening the door to my stash of fabric, my eyes were instantly drawn to this gorgeous blue print that has these gold dots on it. The dots sort of look like zillions of distant stars. Striking fabric. Not sky blue but a dark, rich blue. The fabric itself is high grade with a high thread count. Wow, I must have paid big bucks for this fabric. OK. I want to use this as the background fabric.

I am not sure what is going on here in this newsgroup these last few days. Maybe it's because the foggy brain syndrome is clearing a bit (we can only hope) and I am not as egocentric as I was in the first week (and the tears are drying up long enough so that I can see the computer screen more clearly), but I am beginning to wonder at the latest posts that I have been reading, with folks snipping (and sometimes being downright rude in their language) at one another. I must be confused as to why we are here in this newsgroup.

(Now there are probably many of you who are wondering what does this paragraph have to do with quilting. Hang on. We Chahta's are known for going all the way around the barn before we get to the point. I'm Chahta. Come on and follow me. I promise to get to the barn door.)

Wow, look at that yellow fabric. Oh, I don't know if I want to use that in this quilt. Yellows are so hard to come by that I may just want to hang onto it for a bit. But damn! That yellow goes just right with that shade of blue and aren't stars yellow? Humm..... But oh, I am really attached to that piece of fabric? I hate to use it up. Well, OK....

Now I understand that inherent in a newsgroup is freedom of expression, freedom of speech. And what that means to me is that we get to say what's on our (pea) brains even if what we have to say is intense in nature or even if nobody cares to hear it. I am not one who expresses anger verbally or physically usually but I've been around enough of it my WHOLE life to recognize that dangerous emotion. And there is a difference between "intense" discussion of ideas and angry exchanges.

Oh Pat, look at that green! It's the perfect shade, just about the color of those Cedar trees that you love so much. Oh boy, wouldn't that make a wonderful set of tree blocks right here off to the side of the quilt to give those yellow stars some balance. Hmmm.... now say....

In my way of thinking, whatever comes out of my mouth has already traveled a long ways; creating and using a whole lot of energy in the process. Brain synapses, recognition of speech patterns, neurons carrying all of that to my vocal cords, and by the time it rolls out of my mouth, I have already created a great deal of energy that the Universe probably doesn't need from me. Add intense emotion to that and it increases to another energy level. Add anger and now the Universe is really going to react. Because for every action there is a reaction. That's the Law of the Universe.

There is that red there too, just staring out at me. It's red but it also has it's own pattern imprinted on it. It's not a very expensive piece of fabric. The weave is so loose, you can see through it. I must have purchased this at the discount store. I can feel it wants to be included in this quilt, though. But where? How does that color fit into the scheme that has already been chosen? Humm.... wait a minute.... what about making flowers out of that red? And putting them down here at the bottom of this quilt. The pattern that is imprinted on the red will create a depth to the flower. I hadn't seen that right away. Oh my, now I can begin to see where this red fabric will add to the vibrancy of this quilt. Where's the sewing machine?

You differ from me how? We don't seem to agree on....? And why is it so important that we agree completely on any one issue? And when I hear some of you stand in your "position", hollering at the top of your lungs AT SOMEBODY, I gotta wonder why are you doing that? What's the payoff? You've just created more chaos in the Universe that's gonna boomerang around and come right back and hit you tenfold and what did you gain by that rigid stance? Humm....?

OK. Yes, this quilt is lookin' good. I can see how all of the colors will intermingle with one another and yet be separate in their own right. The blocks that I will make from each color will compliment one another so that one gets a sense of harmony and flow. But there is something missing, it seems. Humm.... What color, Pat? Looking around at all of the fabric.... Seeing the lights, mediums and darks of each color.... looking at the blacks and whites and grays.... and blacks and whites and....grays??? Wait a minute.... I got it. I need a house in the center of this quilt. I can use this black for the roof, this gray for the sides and the white for the windows and for the puffs of smoke that is curling out of the chimney. Oh, how homey this house is gonna look. How welcoming it will feel with the black and the white and the gray combined together to make one structure.

(Well, this Chahta is about to hit the barn door.) This quilt, made out of many different types of fabric (cost and thread count), many different colors, some with imprinted patterns, different blocks and each block a different size; when they are all put together, it creates one masterpiece of harmony. If any of you have quilted, you would know that one color that is either too loud or the print is obnoxious or one color is weak while the rest are bold, the quilt is out of balance and it doesn't work. It's the quilt where harmony exists that you want to crawl under for warmth and comfort.

Now one last note here and then I'm going to let you go take a p break or grab another cup of coffee (for me who loves the stuff, this is where I'm headed). When I see this group of people who have the potential to make a difference in another's life by supporting their efforts, thought provoking

dialogue, providing needed information or just plain offering friendship, I for the life of this newbie can't see where in this newsgroup there is room for criticizing, hollering, finger pointing or name calling. Maybe it's not me who's confused at all. Hummm....

Let's party and have some fun in here. You start the conga line and I'll be right behind you. Come y'all, it damn near got too serious in here.... giggle.... a one anna two anna three anna four, skip..... a one anna two anna....

Pat
1 week, 2 days, 6 hours, 19 minutes, 5 sec, 185 not smoked and boy, oh boy, am I looking forward to hugging those grandbabies tomorrow and seeing the surprise on their faces of how good grandma smells. <vbg>