Loving this winter!

Living in the mountains near a ski resort, you'd think I'd celebrate snow. I do, in a way, but I have lived here for 28 years (my goodness, that's a long time!) and as my bones grow older, and the winters seem colder, I look less and less forward to winter.

Most winters, except this winter.  This winter has proven to be the best ever. We have had relatively few snow storms, it's been cold, but not sub-zero cold for days on end, and the sun has shone most every day! There is lots of snow on the mountain tops and only about a foot left in the valley. A very mild winter indeed.

But aside from the weather aspect of this winter, I have been so busy sewing and quilting and learning and growing and thinking and planning and formulating - I just love it!  I've branched out from my nine to five job to create an independent business of my own. In the summer and fall I am very busy with my desk job and some associated travel, so winter and spring are mine for creating.

What have I been working on this week? I finished a little table runner and a non-traditional baby blanket. 

Free motion quilting another table runner is on the docket today. And the excitement of the week is that I am ready to load my first quilt on my new long arm machine and have my way with it. (Insert "Squeals of Delight" and "Trepidations of Fright")  I'm excited and nervous at the same time.  But I've prepared for this. Last year I pieced together my Christmas Quilt, which turned out rather large, too large for me to want to run it through my domestic machine.  It's made from Christmas scraps picked up on sale over the years and is the perfect choice for my first quilting project because if it turns out totally horrid, it's mine and I won't care.

So, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone today. Which is good - it keeps the brain active and alert, and it also keeps me from snacking, always a great benefit! 

What do you have planned for this week?