Happy Birthday Adam!

Enjoy your day!

Pretty dishes

Aren't these pretty? I hate to put food on them!

Ice is gone - here comes the water.

This is the creek in the summertime . . .

This is the creek today - way over the banks . . .

And this isn't a creek . . . just the field down the road from our house . . .
Fortunately there are no crops in the fields to be ruined. And there doesn't seem to be rain in the forecast for the next few days.

O Holy Night

Firewood carrier

We got tired of lugging piles of firewood into the house (like we do it all the time - we've had maybe 5 fires) by just grabbing it. Very awkward (that word looks awkward) and you get dirty. So I made a carrier...

Ice Storm

We didn't get much snow this time and only a couple inches were on the ground from Tuesday's snow. But we got lots of freezing rain. The trees were covered and all the branches weighted down. When I went out to inspect the damage (carefully - making sure I didn't go under any trees!), every few minutes you could hear limbs snap and then the crackling of the ice as the limb fell through the tree to the ground. Plunk. What a sight.

Worse than it looks... really heavy limb with lots of parts, resting on the roof and on the inner pen for the dogs. The dogs are stuck in the inner pen for a few days because another large limb fell on the outer fence taking down a couple sections.

Not as bad as it looks. The trees limbs just kept sinking lower from the weight of the ice and are resting on the truck but it doesn't seem to be damaged. Once it all melts (May?) the truck should be free. We may need a new parking space.

Quilted!

John & Sarah's 5 year anniversary quilt is finally quilted. (I know, they've been married for 7 1/2 years.) All that's left to do is the binding. I like the way it turned out but it's HEAVY. I don't get it... the batting is so light, the fabric doesn't weigh much, thread - how much could that weigh? Put it all together and I'm afraid it's gonna crush their toes! Must be all the love that's been added to it for the last three years.

Quilt is finished!

I headed to the quilt shop first thing this morning. I told them what I thought about the whole 24/7 hours and the delivery thing. Judging from their reaction they must have thought I was kidding.

Here's the quilt....

And the names: Morse Code . . . The Long and The Short of It . . .

. . . and Floating Bars of Stars.

Why, oh, Why?!

Why can't Quilt Shops be open 24/7? I only need 1/2 yard of fabric to finish my quilt. I fell asleep figuring the last steps, which way to press, etc. I woke up thinking about it. I was moving along, happily sewing... "oh, I like the way it's turning out - almost done" ... went to cut the last border... WHAT?!?!? I'm out of fabric?!?!?! NOOOOOO!!! Ok, not a big problem in the grand scheme of things, I know. And it's not like there aren't other projects to work on. But I wanted to see this top finished (insert spoiled brat's stomping foot here). I even named it. Three times. I can't decide which name I like best.

So it would be nice if they were open at 6:30 in the morning. And it's pretty cold & icy out - it'd be nice if they delivered too.

Quilting with Karen

We did a "show and tell" before we hit the sewing machines. We had finished projects (ta-dah), works in progress (gonna be so pretty...what do you think I should do about this?), projects yet to be started, and fabric (just cuz). The most exciting item was this quilt Karen brought. It's over 90 years old!!! It was Grandma Lu's baby quilt.

So many stitches, all by hand. It's neat to look at now; I bet it was gorgeous when it was new. A little frayed, a little faded, a little worn, because it's 90 years old!!! If you look very closely (not in the picture - in person) in one of the corners the year 1918 is stiched in.

To the Royal Twisters

Lys, Val, and the rest of the Royal Twisters, have fun at your big meet tomorrow! I just know you'll Shine! :)

And the wait begins...

Looks like we'll be pulling out the cradle and the swing and the bouncy chair next summer!!! Oh, I have a another quilt to make!!! Nine months is SUCH a long time!!!

Old pictures

I really like this picture of Scott's parents. Doesn't it look like it's from an old movie?

And Scott and his brothers (Scott is the cute one)

And Scott and two of his brothers.... look, they have Grampa pants on!

This one must have been taken when the older kids had married and left home... there's only 7 kids in the picture.
Thanks, Joeanne, for all the wonderful photos!

Downsized Quilt

When I started this quilt it was to be a King size for our bedroom. Then when the kids said they'd all be here and spending the night(s), the plan was to put a twin size bed in the family room as we are a bedroom short. I needed a spread for it and had enough blocks for that size, so I put it together and added borders. I didn't get it quilted yet and I'm not sure how I want to quilt it .... I'm thinking stars and squigley, loopy lines.

Thanksgiving weekend

All the kids came down for the weekend and we celebrated Thanksgiving on Saturday. It was wonderful to have everyone together. We had fun, lots of laughs, too much food, and lots of desserts. Adam's cheesecake was delicious as was the pumpkin cheesecake his friend Eliana made and sent down for us. The "adults" played video games and looked pretty funny doing it if you didn't know what they were doing.

Sunday morning Coop & Zak enjoyed some time with Adam. They seemed pretty happy up there for quite a long while.

Then Caycee wanted to join the fun...

Monkey girl livened things up.

It was a great weekend and wonderful to have a holiday with everyone together without work or anything else keeping one or more of them away.

Mmmmmm

Cheesecake tomorrow! And I didn't have to make it.

Thanks, Adam!

Happy Thanksgiving

So very many things to be thankful for, but these top my list.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

What Happened?!

Back in September I lent out my sewing table and when it came back it was so easy to work on a nice empty clean surface. I thought I had the key to cleaning up my sewing area, that I so liked the organized, neat area and I'd keep it neat and clean and really move on organizing and cleaning up the rest of the "room".

Guess not.

Pay It Forward

Karen has politely encouraged one more person to participate in Pay It Forward.

Sunday Breakfast, Way Back When, Then & Now

Way back when...

As a child (ages and ages and ages ago) Sunday breakfast meant Mass first. Then when we got home Mom made a big breakfast with grapefruit (cut in half and then each piece pre cut, sugar sprinkled on top), bacon and fried eggs and toast (buttered right to the edge) and orange juice. Mmmm. Then, while the family chatter was going on in the kitchen over second cups of coffee for the adults, I'd read the funnies in front of the heat register in the living room. Full belly, toasty warmth, and home sounds - nothing better.

Then...

When my kids were babies I remember breakfasts at Lady Bar Lane with Mom and Dad. I know I went in the wintertime too 'cause I remember wondering if I should've stayed home when it snowed. But mostly I remember Spring & Summer with all the green outside their patio doors... the grass (that we all laid - & had fun doing it), all the trees Dad planted, the flowers. Col & Jim would usually be there (maybe still sleeping at first) and sometimes other sibs but lots of times just Mom & Dad and my kids.

Now...

Sunday breakfast at Egg Harbor with family is always enjoyable. It's so good to see Mom and anyone else who happens to be there. Sometimes it's an intimate breakfast visit with only a few of us. And sometimes it's a huge event with many of us switching seats and trying to catch up with as many lives as we can. Mom tells stories from long ago, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes amazing, always interesting. We talk of our families, shared memories, work, play, life, death, faith, politics (did we really all come from the same parents?), current events. We tease, joke, catch up, empathize, comfort, encourage and generally enjoy ourselves. Always a good morning.

Best Friends

Quilting! At Last!

After a few false starts, a couple needle changes, change of thread, tension adjustments, finally quilting! I've been working on this quilt off and on for over three years now. Hopefully it'll be ready to bind and give in a couple days! For me, the silver lining in the process taking so long, is that when I know where the quilt is going, I can't help but think about the recipient(s) while I'm doing the work. I've spent a lot of time thinking about and praying for you, John & Sarah!

The G-O family

Where's my transporter? - I wanna visit for a few hours. So sweet and growing so fast.

Pay It Forward

My sweet Sarah posted this on her blog & I got an awesome little package of treats from her (including some pictures of Cooper! - I had the audacity to make a request! - thanks again Sarah!), so now it's my turn.

You’ve heard of paying it forward, right? Someone does something nice for you, and then you do something nice for someone else.

Here’s how it works:
1. You make a comment on this entry of my blog that you want to play.
2. If you are one of the first 3 people to comment, I will send you a little something special in the mail. (If I don’t already have it, you will need to leave me your email so I can contact you privately for your address.)
3. IF you have a blog, you then post a Pay it Forward game on YOUR website and do the same. If you don't have a blog I'm sure you can find another way to pay it forward. Or you could start a blog.

So comment away!

When Sarah posted this she got me to thinking about how much fun it is to do something for someone who doesn't expect it and sometimes doesn't even know you did it. Then that made me think of the Frog and Toad story "The Surprise" in the book Frog and Toad All Year. They each decide to rake leaves for the other as a surprise and then, as they walk home to their own house, the wind blows the leaves all over their yards. They know they have to rake their own leaves but each have such a good feeling because they raked up their friend's leaves. I love Frog and Toad books.

To clean or not to clean

No work outside the home today so some housecleaning should be done, I suppose. But can I really eliminate this reminder when it brings a smile?


Judging by the height and size it must be Zak's. I think I'll quilt instead. If anyone stops over unexpectedly we'll avoid the family room and I'll steer them towards the living room.


The list said "buy flowers for neighbor" but I couldn't resist a few for our house.

Home

Home.

That's another of my favorite words.

Such strong feelings that word can evoke. I remember home when I was a kid. It was home when Mom & Dad were both there. It was home when my older "moved out" siblings came for dinner. I remember feeling bad for Mom & Dad 'cause they couldn't go home to their parents house and how hard that must be. I couldn't imagine moving out and not living with Mom & Dad.

Well, things change. Now, home is where Scott is. It feels more like home when he's there. Home is having all the kids & grandkids come visit.

Home. I really like that word.

HST - Half Square Triangles

Excuse us for a few moments, this post is . . .

We never did get around to making triangles. I don't know where the time goes when it's quilt day at Decorative. So here's a quick tutorial. We'll make a HST that is 3 1/2 "

First we'll get the math out of the way. You need to add 1/2" to the HST size you want. We want 3 1/2" so, plus 1/2" is 4" Cut a 4" square from each fabric . . .

On the wrong side of the lighter fabric, draw a line from corner to corner . . .
Put squares wrong sides together and line up all edges. Pictured here staggered just so you can see the two fabrics . . .

Take the squares to your sewing machine and stitch a scant 1/4" from the line. Then do it again on the other side of the line.

You'll have two lines of stitching with the drawn line running down the middle. Cut right down the drawn line . . .
Open up and you have a raggeddy half square triangle . . .

Trim to 3 1/2" inches (place the 45 degree angle line right on the seam) . . .

. . . and you have a perfect HST!!!