I feel very frivolous to be playing with my bits and pieces of fabric while the awful events over the border unfold. The news just gets worse, and I have to steel myself to go and check the latest death toll. One of my longarm friends is right in the thick of it, I'm praying she and her husband and animals stay safe.

Our scquilters group is already collecting quilts to be donated through the Red Cross, and I have several of mine put aside. I've also requested a roll of batting through Victorian Textiles, to quilt donation quilts. There are thousands of people who have lost everything, and if one of my quilts keeps them warm this winter it will be an honour to have helped.

I've kept busy and my mind occupied with tax matters, and that's all done. I'm very impressed with the Quickbooks upgrade, it's got amazing features. I think we're going to get along just fine. Mereth has offered to ask every morning if my bookwork is up-to-date, so that I don't go through this scramble next year. I'm determined to keep it current; I know I say that every year, but this time I mean it. I DO! Don't laugh....

My pink and blue orphans are done, and Mereth asked doubtfully if I was chanelling the cover of a 1990's QNM while I made it. It's not beautiful, but I realised I'm quite fond of all those litle 6" blocks. none of which actually measured 6", which was probably why they ended up in the Too Hard box. Some of them are 30 years old, but they all look fine together now.Next on the agenda is to cobble all these blocks into a top. They will have a pink/brown/green slant to them, and I love most of them but just can't see a separate quilt for each lot.And then there are these blue ones, and about 30 more blue bits and pieces. Good gracious, I've made some blue blocks over the years. It is my favourite colour after all, next to brown. I love brown beyond all reason. But I donated my brown blocks to Mereth's orphan efforts, so I don't have enough to make a brown quilt of my own. I'll just have to make some more I guess.