The year of the gecko

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Many years ago there was a movie out named, “The Year of the Iguana.” I did not go to see it, nor would I go to see a movie named, “The Year of the Gecko.” Mercy, me! While I’m sitting here at my desk looking out the window, I am watching a humongous gecko perched on a limb, watching for its prey! I feel like I am the prey! I know that many people just love these little devils, but, I do not. They have a way of scaring me to death when they get into the house. Mr. Whoozy used to come running when I screamed, “GECKO!” He would reach down, pick it up, take it out to the yard and let it loose. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before the darn thing was back inside my house.

I have a friend, who goes out to dinner with us now and then, and wears a gold gecko pin. I flinch every time I see it. I could not wear such a thing, no matter how priceless. There is a commercial on TV that uses a jolly green giant gecko; I wouldn’t buy their product for any price!

A few years ago, I went to a big quilt show here in Jacksonville. A lady had made a quilt using geckos and other creepy crawly things appliqued all over the quilt top. Oh, my, surely there are more beautiful things to put on quilts. Give me a break!

The geckos around my house love to get into my garage when the garage door is left open for any time. I think they line up outside the door just waiting for me to raise the door. I keep a big sign on the door into my house from the garage that reads: GIANT DINOSAUR IN THIS GARAGE! PLEASE KEEP THIS DOOR CLOSED AT ALL TIMES. This helps a little, but now and then one gets in and heads straight for my family room. I keep a “pick-er-up-er,” that I bought at Walgreens, by the back door that I can use to trap these varmints and pick them up without having to touch them with my hands.

Hands that touch a gecko, will never touch one of my quilts.

This weekend, I am presenting my financial planner from ‘First Command Financial Services’ with a Quilt of Valor. His name is Mark Bergman, and the greatest guy to help with my financial investments since Mr. Whoozy left me for “higher places.” Mark is a retired career military veteran with 32 years of service. The Quilt of Valor Foundation is urging quilters to honor veterans of long service, as well as active duty military service people. Mark with his beautiful wife, Cheryl, retired from the military in Jacksonville. Cheryl works for Jacksonville University.

Pictured is Mark holding his QOV. It is my design and has been used to make many QOV’s since I put the patterns on my blog, and in the newspaper columns. The QOV’s are usually at least twin bed size and are made by machine. If you are unfamiliar with the Quilt of Valor Foundation, go to www.qovfoundation.org My blog site is www.funstitchery.blogspot.com The archives hold many patterns for use by anyone wishing to do so.

The Ocean Wave Quilters Guild will meet again on June 10 at the The Players Community Center on Landrum Ln., off Palm Valley Rd. behind the Shell station at 10:00-12:00. Everyone is invited. The April meeting will be a Founder’s Day Luncheon. There will be no meeting in May due to The Players Championship. Come visit us in June!