oldcatlady, it is good to see you. We have swapped blocks before. Maybe I will host a row robin or round robin when I get done with some of the things I am doing right now. I have hosted a summer block swap and a spring swap block. I have learned alot from doing the different swaps.

On the first eagle picture, I had never done anything like that. I saw what someone had done similar to that and figured out how to do that. You can see two of the same centers and how they have come out so differently. I had never done piano keys and I tried that, then others started doing that. Some of them were very difficult to figure out how to make them look good.

mimim, the fabric was frayed and I thought that looked cool. I did not know how to sew it so I just stitched straight across the edge. I have never done any landscape stuff.

The butterflies have landed in sunny southern California! Pretty - pretty - pretty. This is going to be fun.

I have the weekend off! I have worked the past 2 Easters so it's good to be off this year. My fellow RN's can attest to the kind of schedules we keep, right??

Happy Easter to all!

Jane

All I'll say Jane is...RIGHT!
Sherry, it was very sweet of you to take the time to post all the pictures and give such detailed explanations. I'm game for what ever you all choose.
Barbara it may be very close to the same type of thing.

Not an RN but working 12 hr days this weekend. I don't remember about Easter but haven't had Thanksgiving off in five years.

That's a shame, Mary. It seems like you sure do have to work a lot of 12 hr. shifts. Do you work days into evening or evenings into nights. Sure doesn't leave you much time for yourself or family. They wanted to start 12 hr. shifts where I worked but I fought against it. Out of 27 years I was on call one week out of every month and on 5 week months someone always got it twice. You would pull your shift and just be crawling into bed when the phone would ring and one of the nurses had called in and if you couldn't find someone to take their place (which happened a lot!) you had to go back in and work their shift then stay in the morning till someone would come in to cover your you had to scheduled shift. If we had to work a 12 hr. shift like the owner wanted, and were on call to boot, it would mean if someone called in and you couldn't replace them you would have to go in and work another 12 hr shift on top of the 12 you just worked.....didn't seem really safe to me for the patients. He finally listened.

I work what is called a DuPont 12 hr rotation. I flip back and forth days and nights, 7-7. It is a four week rotation. On the fifth week I am on call. Our area has lost most of the industry. I would have to drive 90 min each way to get another job that pays this well. I did research for them and in 2009 they cut development. If my kids were home I couldn't do it.

Most healthcare schedules allow you a holiday off. This one does ni t unless on your day off. And you cannot take vacation for a holiday or tbe weekend before. Since 2009 I have had two holiday weekend off.

I am so sorry Mary and I absolutely know exactly where you're coming from. I could have made more money had I wanted to drive to a larger city but my facility was just 4 miles from my house and furnished lunches and I guess that's why I stayed. Certainly other things weren't great. We were suppose to rotate Christmas with an alternate nurse but just before Christmas that "alternate" nurse would leave, sometimes simply because she couldn't have Christmas off, so ended up working 4 Christmas' in a row. We got paid for the holidays but that was no guarantee you got them off and, if you called in the day before a holiday or the day after you didn't get paid for the holiday. Anyway, Happy Easter.....

Thank you, Wonnie, but don't be sorry. I am lucky to have a job. I could leave if I chose. I just wouldn't have as much money for quilting!! I get whiny about it when my kids are home or on holiday weekends. Because Thanksgiving and Easter move I seem to be getting hit with them repeatedly. I am fortunate that now we shut down for Christmas most years. I have worked until Christmas morning in the past but our current plant manager thinks everyone should be off.

I have done block swaps on other sites. We didn't even send fabric. We chose colors and used embroidery floss or crayons to "match" them and a theme. Then we mailed them to the host with a self addressed, postage paid envelope. She sorted and we all got them back. The hostess got an extra block from each of us for her trouble.

I have been looking at doing a Round Robin but also thinking of a Row Robin on my own. I might be willing to go again. I am just so grateful we all seem to be willing to keep participating. I notify my husband and DIL where the quilt is and leave the next address with it. This is in case I were to take ill or be unable to continue. They know to mail the stuff on.

Off to do taxes.

Mary

I actually prefer 12 hour shifts because it gives me 4 days off/week. I don't work my 12's in a row - spread them out over the course of the week and I really value my days off. I've worked 8 hr shifts, evenings & nights over the years and would choose 12's any day. In my current dept., we're required to work (or at least schedule ourselves) for 2 major holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years day) and 2 minor holidays (Memorial, Labor & the 4th) HOWEVER - - - I might have an opportunity to transfer to another dept, working 8 hrs M-F with 1 day off during the week every 4th week which would be my weekend to work. I'm seriousy considering this transfer b/c I really don't like a particular supervisor (she's incompetent, in my opinion) and I don't like my dept mgr. Also really tired of bedside care. My lumbar is killing me plus Sciatica.

My ex used to work a rotating shift when we were first married; one week of days then 2 days off; one week of evenings then 2 days off; one week of nights then 4 days off - and repeat. We even had a separate phone ### for work and the understanding was that if the 'work' phone rang, don't answer it. LOL - - -

Oh, the things we go through - - I'm grateful to have a job too.

Have a good day, friends!

Jane