Gourds and quilt

 I found these interesting gourds at a vegetable stand in New Jersey.  To me, they look like a gaggle of geese.  The bowl is also a gourd.  I got that one on sale at our local birding store a few weeks ago.

The other photo is the beginning of a quilt that I am trying to produce.  I picked out the fabric this summer at my favorite fabric shop in Hammondsport, NY.  Kate was with me and helped figure out how much to buy.  This week, when I was stuck at home with no car, I finally finished cutting the pieces.  Now I'll be arranging and re-arranging them until I find a pleasing pattern.   I do not like the one pictured - too much emphasis on the green.  Since I am a novice quilter, the quilt will probably not be finished until I go to visit Kate in February.  I might get the pieces stitched together, but will want Kate to advise me and remind me of the steps as I go along.  Meanwhile, I'll have fun playing with the pieces.

I finally got my car yesterday AM.  The problem was a strange one.  It seems that there is a heater in the back of the mini-van.  I never turned it on, as no one ever sat there.  However, it may have been on from this summer.  The kids sat back there and fooled around with all the heat and A/C controls and I never thought to check on that.  Anyway the pipes for the heat back there had rusted or corroded and the heat was, I think, getting into the engine.  Anyway, it caused the heat gauge to register very hot.  It would have cost $600 for the part, plus labor to fix this.  So, I just asked the mechanic to remove the whole thing.  Since no one rides back there, I don't need a heater in the back.  The cost was significantly less to just remove it.  It's good to have transportation again.  I was going a little stir crazy.  I can walk to the post office and grocery store, but that's about all.  Bus comes once an hour to either Columbia Mall or Laurel Mall.  So, it's not as if I'm really trapped at home.  However, it's good to have wheels again.

In November, I am getting new floors.  Vinyl in the kitchen and master bathroom.  Laminate in bedrooms.  New carpet for the stairs and upstairs hall.  I shudder to think about having to box up all the stuff that is on shelves and dressers.  I'll take photos of the work in progress.  The installers will be here for 3 days, week after next.