I got the rainbow quilt sandwiched and basted and started marking it. It is now decorating our dining room table, until the marking process is finished. I am hoping that will be the next couple of days. I am really looking forward to sitting with the quilt and quilting it, that is a time that I find peaceful. I like the process of spending quality time with each hoop sized section of the quilt. By the time I have completed it, I feel that I know each square personally, and there is a lot of 'me' in the quilt. There is also a lot of my thoughts, prayers, meditations, hopes for the person for whom I am making the quilt. In this case, it is for my daughter who has recently graduated from college. I feel that the quilt is so appropriate to this time in her life, a rainbow for me is a sign of hope; at this time when she is embarking on the next phase of her life after 16 years of being in school (since Pre-K) it seems to be such an appropriate metaphor.

The rest of the week was spent in a much more mundane way, a Kaizen session to improve the forecasting process used to manage the budget my company's portfolio of IT projects. For those not familiar with the process (as I was not) here is a description of Kaizen:

Kaizen (Japanese for "improvement" or "change for the better") refers to philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, supporting business processes, and management. It has been applied in healthcare, government, banking, and many other industries. When used in the business sense and applied to the workplace, kaizen refers to activities that continually improve all functions, and involves all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. It also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross organizational boundaries into the supply chain. By improving standardized activities and processes, kaizen aims to eliminate waste. Kaizen was first implemented in several Japanese businesses after the Second World War, influenced in part by American business and quality management teachers who visited the country. It has since spread throughout the world.

It was a structured, facilitated process that used several interesting tools to assist the group in identifying the current process then identify issues, rank them, identify root causes then develop short, medium and longer term resolutions. It was intense and required a lot of concentration. It was a cross functional group so many perspectives were represented. It was a great learning experience. The plans that we identified for resolutions are exciting.

The process that we worked on is one of the more difficult parts of my job, and most months I spend about 4 days on it, so I am personally very invested in improvements that will help to ensure that the results we get are accurate and meaningful. There are many of us who do this work, probably at least 50, so it is a costly process that today does not produce reliable results.

Of course there is now a task force to carry out the actions, and yes, of course I will be a part of that. This afternoon I came back to a rush of questions about the project we are rolling out over the next week, so this week has really flown by. I look forward to working at home tomorrow and catching up as best I can.

Life in Chicago

The vacation trip was great, and I will probably come back and write some more about it. But now for some thoughts on everyday life.

I have been working on a quilt for Gloria for a long time now. She asked for a log cabin quilt in rainbow colors. First stumbling block for me was to figure out the order of the colors in a rainbow. Gloria set me straight on that, she learned it in grade school: ROY G BIV (red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet.) My interpretation of that has green/blue in between green and blue. Then I drafted my particular pattern, figured out exactly what colors should be in what squares and how large it would be. The next part was to gather the many, many colors I needed to make 30 blocks in these colors. I used approximately 20 colors per block, and used scrappy fabric. I bought fabric everywhere I went, asked friends for scraps and collected colors over several years. In particular, I was light on yellow, red and orange. I realized as I gathered fabrics that those are colors I use rarely, so I did not have a stash on hand.

After doing all of that, I began to assemble the squares. Over about a year, I made 10 while continuing to gather fabrics in the 'missing' colors. Realizing that at that pace it would take really long, this spring I stepped up the pace and completed the remaining 20 in a couple of months. I have now added the borders and prepared the backing. I have obtained the template I wanted for the hand quilting pattern (Baptist Fan) and marking pens. This weekend I hope to 'sandwich' and baste the quilt, then begin marking the pattern. I am really looking forward to starting the hand quilting process. I especially enjoy hand quilting when it is a gift. It allows me to think about the person who will receive the quilt. It may sound like a cliche, but a lot of love goes into the quilting process.

This quilt has turned out very well so far and I really look forward to seeing it take shape as I quilt it. The rainbow pattern has a lot of significance, since it is the sign of God's covenant with humans. I have always found a rainbow to be filled with hope and peace. I hope that Gloria finds those qualities in this quilt that is being made with so much love and that it is comforting and sustaining in bad times, a pleasure to use in good times.

The other thing I think is of interest is that I have started a yoga class. I have attended two classes, the most recent just a couple of hours ago. The first week was pretty gentle; I was a little sore afterwards. But tonight's class was much more intense, and I am already feeling it. It worked the various leg and buttock muscles a lot, also some upper body. I am pretty sure that tomorrow I will be feeling it a lot. I like the whole concept of yoga a lot. It is very relaxing, even now when it is new and hard. And the stretching feels really good, and so needed. After tonight's class I feel more that this may help to combat the loss of flexibility that I have experienced over the last few years due to arthritis and the lack of stretching exercises. I am determined this week to do some exercise so that I keep gaining that flexibility.

And last night, Gloria and I went to a natural perfume workshop with Joy and Marlene, good friends of ours at another friend's home. We worked with a group of 14 natural oils to develop our own scent. The oils were divided into base, middle and top notes. The first part of the workshop was spent familiarizing us with the oils, then we began to experiment with different combinations. The end result was a 'signature scent' for each person based on our own preferences. Jess, who led the workshop, told us that the perfumes will develop over the next couple of weeks, and that they will change as they age. In addition, they change as they are applied to our bodies. It was a lovely relaxing enjoyable evening. All in all, this has been a good week, and I am really looking forward to the weekend.

We have been home for a week now; I have some additional thoughts on the trip. The last day in Savannah was incredibly hot. It was normal weather for the season but our Yankee blood was not ready for it. The temperature was 100+ and the humidity was very high.

I got up and walked to The Lady and Son (Paula Deen's restaurant) to make a reservation for dinner. It was early enough that the temp was probably only in the low 80's and I did my best to walk in the shade where possible. The line stretched 2 1/2 blocks at 9:10 in the morning. Although we had to stand in the sun part of the time, it turned out to be fun getting to know the other people around me. After about a half hour in line, I walked away with the reservation.

We had decided that we would see the Mercer-Williams house, where Jim Williams of 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' fame lived, and where the movie was shot. We walked around the historic district for several hours, toured the house and took a number of pictures. I would have liked to see a few other things up close, but the heat was just oppressive. So we walked back and spent a little time in the hotel cooling down.

Dinner at The Lady and Sons was good, it is a fairly informal place with a really friendly staff. We all chose the buffet so that we could get a good sampling of her good old-fashioned Southern cooking - fried chicken, ribs, green beans, mashed potatoes, biscuits, grits, corn cakes and more. Definitely Southern!

The most fun part of the day was the 'Ghosts and Gravestones' tour in the evening. It was on a black trolley, suitably decorated with draped cloth, flowers, a skull etc. And Miss Violet, the tour guide was a delight. She was dressed in a black lace dress with hoop skirt (remember the temperature), hat with feathers tickling her forehead and a fan which she used in true Southern Belle fashion. She was in love with her stories and made the tour a lot of fun. Savannah is considered to be one of the most haunted cities in the United States, so she had plenty of stories to share. Perhaps it is the heat, perhaps it is the Low Country landscape - but Savannah has a dense, brooding Southern Gothic feeling that makes it one of the most interesting places I have visited. The tour ended inside a chandlery on River Street, blessedly air conditioned. It was truly a nice way to end the visit.

The absolute highlight of the trip for me was seeing several container ships on the Savannah River. They were heading from the Port of Savannah out to sea, and were loaded about 10 stories high with shipping containers. It was an awesome sight to stand by the riverfront and watch this behemoth pass by. I do have some pictures that I will post.

Gloria and I capped off the hot day in Savannah with a 10PM swim in the hotel pool, cool water has rarely felt better than it did that night. We had the pool to ourselves for a while, which made it delightfully relaxing.

The next night on the way home, we

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Savannah is the kind of town that spawns a story like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It is an old, old town, incredibly beautiful. The trees draped with Spanish moss contribute to the sense of mystery, as do the old buildings and old stories.

We took a trolley tour of the mile-square historic district. It is filled with small, lovely squares surrounded by interesting old buildings. We saw the house that was the home of antique dealer Jim Williams, accused of killing Danny Hansford, a local male prostitute. There is a bookstore dedicated entirely to 'the book', we plan to visit it tomorrow. We passed a synagogue that is the third oldest in the United States and which houses a Torah from the 1400's. We passed the church where John and Charles Wesley served during their time in Savannah. We passed the church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached his first sermon.

We walked by the river and saw the port area with giant ships, we saw two tugboats and the statue of the 'waving girl' which is a famous Savannah landmark. We stood on the 'echo spot' by the river and tested it out.

We also saw Paula Deen's restaurant, we were too late to get a table for tonight, maybe tomorrow. We walked a bit in the City Market, but it was just too hot to walk there a lot. We used the trolley tour as transportation today, using the on/off feature. So after stopping for lunch in the City Market, we got back on and rode a few stops to River Street. Our first stop there was the Savannah Candy company, where you can get a free taste of praline pecan candy - really good. So of course we got a pound of that, and a big caramel apple because their caramel looked great.

We walked around some of the smaller shops and looked at all the souvenirs. Del Sol has t-shirts, bags, jackets and some jewelry, all of which changes color in the sunlight - very cool. But we went there because we had certificates for a free bottle of water. That was really appealing in today's (seasonable) heat.

Tonight we walked a few blocks and had dinner at a British pub in the heart of the Historic District, called the Six Pence Pub. It was fun to eat in the window and see the horses and carriages go by, along with tour trolleys and rickshaw tours. It is a great place to visit, but most likely winter would be an even better time to visit.

Plan for tomorrow is to get up early and walk to the City Market to try to get a reservation for Paula Deen's, visit a few of the spots we saw today and get an up close look, then in the evening we are taking a ghost tour. Lots to see, a couple of days really just touches the surface.

Sunrise on the beach

I got up in time to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic. The tide was going out, so the beach seemed a mile wide. I walked along the beach while the sky lightened. Suddenly there was a pinpoint of brilliant orange/gold light. Then within 10 minutes the full sun had risen to well above the horizon. It just seemed to explode up. I spent about an hour on the beach, walking on the hard sand, watching the gulls skim the surf looking for food.

Jekyll Island 4th of July

Best 4th of July ever - we are on Jekyll Island GA. Our hotel is right by the beach; we took our beach towels and walked over the dunes on the boardwalk which has footlights to the beach. The tide was low so the beach was broad and the sky filled with stars. The official Jekyll Island fireworks display was less than a mile up the beach and we had a great view sitting on towels by the beach. It wasn't really crowded, the temperature is about 75 degrees and there is a strong sea breeze. There were some people wearing glow in the dark red, white and blue necklaces and bracelets or carrying glow wands. I can't ever remember a better 4th of July.

We ate dinner at a restaurant on the Intercoastal Waterway, sitting on a broad porch surrounded by trees draped in Spanish moss. There was a light breeze and the porch had overhead fans, so it was very comfortable. Ok, I admit the flies detracted a bit from the experience, but what is life without a few flies!

On the way back, we drove around the south end of the island and got stopped in a roadblock. The entire island police force seemed to be there. I had to show my drivers license, and the policeman started to let us go politely then noticed that my license seemed to have expired. I told him to turn it over and explained that is how Illinois does it, with a sticker on the back of the license. He laughed and said 'That can get you arrested down here, we aren't that smart. Have a nice evening.' then handed me my license and let me go. Of course, I really thought that we got stopped because I had a margarita on the porch!

I am loving every minute of being back in the South. Good night y'all.

Thoughts from tropical Florida

We spent the last 6 days in Central Florida, in Lake Wales for 5 days and now in Apopka/Orlando. Lake Wales is 'famous' as the place where, in 2004, the eyes of hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne all passed over Lake Wales, causing residents to evacuate and leaving massive damage in their wake. But the area residents rebuilt quickly and today there are no obvious signs of the destruction.

Perhaps the best known attraction in Lake Wales is Bok Tower Gardens, a botanic garden and sanctuary designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. It is designated a national historic landmark. It is a beautiful peaceful place with miles of paths. (Gloria would tell you that it also, unfortunately, has thousands of mosquitoes.) The singing tower which houses a carillon, sits on what is billed as the highest point in peninsular Florida, with a view for miles. We did visit the garden, but only spent a short time as the temperature was in the mid-nineties, the humidity was high and the sun was shining. It would be a great place to visit in January......

We also visited Spook Hill where cars roll uphill. Here is the legend:

"Many years ago an Indian village on Lake Wales was plagued by raids of a huge gator. The Chief, a great warrior, killed the gator in a battle that created a small lake. The chief was buried on the north side. Pioneer mail riders first discovered their horses laboring down hill, thus naming it "Spook Hill." When the road was paved, cars coasted up hill. Is this the gator seeking revenge, or the chief still trying to protect his land?"

I don't know the real story, but our car rolled uphill backwards, not once but twice. The second time we were picking up speed, but I am not a great backwards driver and we hit the curb.

Mostly our stay in Central Florida was about visiting family. We spent several days with my father, who is 91. While he is doing pretty well, he isn't interested in much activity, so we spent the time at his house, which backs up to a swamp. We found it endlessly fascinating to sit on the screen porch and look over the swamp. It is filled with birds and frogs, which make for lots of interesting sounds. The smallest of frogs makes the biggest of sounds. There are some heron or egret like birds that are brown with red heads, the adults are at least 3 feet tall.

This is the rainy season in this tropical place, so most days between 3 and 10PM there is rain, much of it really heavy. The storms bring out the frogs in full force. And all the wildlife attract predatory birds. We weren't sure if they were eagles or hawks, but there are many, many of them circling above.

Today we visited with my husband's family, there were 5 generations in the house. We had a good time, the house was full of visitors, roughly 20 people. It gave me a good chance to practice Spanish (more listening than speaking skills). Now we are in Altamonte Springs, it is still raining lightly and we elected to not try to attend Red, White and Boom, the fireworks display in Altamonte Springs.