Breakfast

What could be better than breakfast out? My favorite meal to eat at a restaurant. All the food is hot AND ready at the same time. Someone else pours my coffee and washes my dishes. The calories don't count 'cause I'm eating out - exception rule applies. Only thing better is breakfast out before 7:00 am. Then a short ride through the country looking at all the farm fields in the early morning light. All in varying stages of harvest readiness, some with combines and grain carts parked, waiting for the dew to burn off. It's a beautiful early fall morning, just a bit of crispness in the air but you know it's going to really warm up, sun is shining, nary a cloud in the sky. What a way to start the day!

Book Report

A few days ago I finished a book by Kendra Smiley, Empowering Choices. This book is about everyday women each touched by a very real challenge and they way they chose to handle their circumstances. As I reflect back on what I read, it seems to me that each of those women was blessed with a miracle as a result of their choice. It wasn't necessarily the miracle they were looking for, but we never know what our Lord has in mind for us. Each story in the book was inspiring, but the one that hit home was one that reminded me that when I have a problem, often the problem is ME - I need to change ME and MY ATTITUDE. So hard to remember that!

On Point - Another Block Finished

I'm a Happy Camper... I found time to sew again today. I finished the second block of the first month of the Block of the Month project I'm working on.



A few of the seams are a bit off, but if the perfectionist bug hits I've got a couple weeks before the next month's blocks arrive so I could get "froggy" and fix it all... ribbit, ribbit. And it'll be Spring before the block actually goes in a quilt so no need to rush it. We'll see, maybe I'll just accept the imperfections.
I still like it and it went together rather quickly and easily, just like the first one.

Prayer request

Kelly, whose blog I stalk, is requesting prayers tonight at 8 for Gina & Keith. They are waiting for approval to travel to Vietnam to complete the adoption of two boys, Sam and Eli. They have been waiting for 10 months! I can't imagine that.

Zak's Quilt - Finished!

Zak's quilt for his new Fire Truck bed is finished and in the mail to him. He got a sneak peek at it Saturday when we visited and liked it! I think it's kinda cute. I should've scattered a few of the 4-squares in the border area but didn't think of it 'til I was finished. I'll keep that in mind if I make another one like this.

Song and Dance Man

The dance: this is Cooper mid-dance. He is given a Cheeto (really a puffy snack made especially for wee ones) which he thoroughly enjoys. Alas the enjoyment comes to an end and he REALLY wants another one. The feet go up and down the hands wiggle... the Cheeto dance! Here come's another Cheeto!

The song: Ok, it's not really a song, but Cooper is such a vocal guy. He's always making noises, growling, etc. Since Grandma's party and his time spent with Donald Duck, aka Jay, he has been trying to imitate the Donald Duck talk!!! what a funny guy.

Happy Birthday Happy Pat!

You can always be counted on for a smile and a hug. Thanks for that.

Zak's Quilt

Zak has a new "big boy" bed and needs a quilt to go on it. Since the bed is really a fire truck!!! (how cool is that?!) the quilt needs to have fire trucks. This isn't what I pictured doing but there wasn't a big selection of fabric with this theme... and it's supposed to be police cars too but I couldn't find any. I'll keep looking for fabric. Maybe I'll need to make another quilt when I find just the right fabric! This one had lots of other cars on it and I might use large pieces for the border. I don't think I like the dark blue block - not enough contrast. I'm going to try light blue. Then I'll use dark blue sashing with 4 square blocks between. Can't wait to see it finished . . . I can't sew fast enough . . . and then there's all those other things that get in the way of sewing . . . eating, sleeping, working, blah, blah, blah.

All a matter of perspective

Ok, our perspective has changed... enough with the rain!!! It does seem to have stopped for the moment but, oh, there is so much water everywhere. The creek has overflowed. The road right in front of us is above water but to the west it's under water. The ditches on either side are overflowing up everyone's lawns, getting closer and closer to the houses. Our driveway is under water all the way to the back yard. Only the part that goes uphill a bit to the garage is "dry." The yard is half lake. I understand some of the homes just to the west of us are being evacuated. . . . and just a few days ago we were so happy that it was raining.

Happy 90th Mom!

We had a great party. Mom sure seemed to enjoy herself. It was wonderful that so many were able to attend in spite of the bad weather. (But we missed you Karen and Chuck!) There were guests from the west... California and Arizona. Guests from the east... Indiana and London! Mom knew about some of them and others were a surprise. I happened to see her face when one of the surprise guests arrived and she just looked so delighted. There were so many relatives and friends that we hadn't seen in so long. Many of those who attended reminded us what a remarkable person Mom is. Thanks!
Mom got to visit with her sister, Aunt Loretta and her best friend, Aunt Mary.

And Mom got to hold her newest grandchild (#26) for the first time, with #24 & #25 sitting right beside her. Jim & Tina's family is GROWING!!! up and out! They're all adorable - look at the expressions - soooo cute! (Mom too!)

Tina got Mom and all her kids together for a picture - thanks Tina! I'm can't remember what we were watching while we were supposed to be posing but it looks like it was entertaining, doesn't it? After this picture the sisters posed but I had to post that picture elsewhere.

Jay sang his traditional "opera" version of "Happy Birthday" and Mom loved it. Jay gets different reactions from different people but it never dampens his enthusiam!

We missed you, Karen, but you were with us in spirit... and your cute favors were there too!

It really was fun, the planning, the set-up, the party and the clean-up. (I confess I didn't do much cleanup - don't know what I was doing - thanks to all of you that did the bulk of it!) Some of us had more fun with the clean up than others....

Be Encouraged

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

This is one of my favorite verses.

Grandma Lu's Chocolate Chip Cookies, mmmmm

It wouldn't be a party without Grandma Lu's Chocolate Chip Cookies, so some of us are baking. While waiting for the butter to soften, I took a gander at the calories. YIKES! Here's a list...

Butter 4,800

Brown Sugar 1,400

White Sugar 1,080

Brown Sugar 1,440

Eggs 210

Chocolate Chips 3,500

Grand Total 12,430

This batch made 7 dozen cookies.

Each cookie equals 148 calories. No wonder they taste so good!

'Course we all know they are good 'cause they are Grandma Lu's Chocolate Chip Cookies.

If you are worried about the calories come party time (and you shouldn't be - it's party time!) simply break the cookie first. Everyone knows if you just eat cookie parts or cookie crumbs there are no real calories. I am currently lobbying for no calories if you are taste testing. I felt the need to taste test quite often during the cookie making process. I think since I did the work, all the calories from the cookies I had to taste test should be taken out of mine and rolled into YOUR cookies. Sorry, but now your cookies have 165 calories each. ENJOY!!

A very quilty evening

Scott went North this afternoon and evening to meet Adam. I was all alone (if you don't count the dogs and cat) and couldn't decide what to do with my time - I'm seldom alone. Clean house? I did some of that - it REALLY needed to be vacuumed. (isn't vacuum a funny word?) Did some dishes, cleaned the laundry room. Read? I did that with my dinner. Decorative work? I did a little. Sew? YES!! I started a Block of the Month called On Point that will fit a twin size bed when it's finished - I have just the spot for it. The fabric is included with the pattern. I plan to blog about it on Quilters Showcase and post progress (and other quilters' progress if they participate). The first month has two blocks and I finished the first one tonight... it went together pretty quick and easy. I really like the way it turned out.

This is a quilt I am working on that will go on our king size bed when it is finished. I think I have 14 blocks finished... I only need 85 more! There are half square triangles in every stage all over my sewing area.
I've been pulling stitches out of this red and white quilt for nearly 9 months now. I made this quilt top for John & Sarah's fifth wedding anniversary and it is now years late. I started to quilt it and realized after a few thousand stitches that it wasn't properly loaded on the frame. So off it came and it has been my evening project while I "watch" tv. I think I'm finished pulling stitches!!! In the next couple days I'm going to pull it apart and get it ready to load again on the quilt frame. I LOVE the backing fabric for this quilt - it's in the next pic. (I'm probably alone in this - I don't think Sarah is as crazy about it as I am)
It is a bit much I quess. But I love the colors and the wild way the flowers are drawn.
And, of course, there's always blocks for Marine Comfort Quilts. There's red, white, and blue fabric all over the sewing room.
Speaking of the sewing room - actually it's just a large section of the basement - it's a MESS! I really want to straighten it up and organize it. I'd like to take a before and after picture but the before is just too embarassing. It's gotten to the point that I'm not sure where to start or how to do it. I do have a clean cutting table though. I lent my table to a neighbor so I had to clean it off. Now that I have it back I only have current project stuff on it and it's clean and neat. Maybe I just need to lend out each piece in my sewing room and then when it comes back just keep it clean. Anyone need to borrow a quilt frame? or a dresser? or an ironing board? Now that I've bored all you non-quilters to tears (and probably the quilters, too!) I'm done. I missed Scott's company but I really enjoyed my sewing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JARED!!

Sister

I've been thinking about favorite words lately and I think "sister" is one of them. I love when I call my sister and she answers the phone "Hello, sister." Warm feelings ensue. I love reading comments from my sister; they are like mini-letters. Warm feelings ensue.




I like the shared memories.
I like the hugs.
I like the teasing.
I like the caring.

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. ~Marion C. Garretty

All a matter of perspective...

It's raining! Finally! We sure needed it. A few days from now we may be saying "when is it ever going to stop?!" but for now, we're happy to see the rain. It's been quite a while. The grass is brown. The creeks are low. It's hard to believe these same creeks were overflowing their banks not so many months ago.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!