My Creative Mind

I've Moved...

2007-05-31T21:59:00.001-07:00

come see me at my new address: PamGwillim.com

What a weekend...

2007-05-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Our little car is still parking across the street, but we are hoping tonight will be the last night, we are so so close to being done with the building phase of this brick retaining wall.

After helping the kids hang cement siding for 9 hours on Saturday, I can honestly say "no way!!!" will we be re-siding our home! Not even! Oh my goodness what a chore. The wall we did is a wall with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and an oversized double garage...in case you are wondering...that is a loooooooong wall!!! At first I was glad there are five windows and a door on that wall UNTIL we had to jig around them. Anyway, this weekend their project was moved along as well as our project.

This morning Ed and I laid down landscape fabric and covered it with river rock......while the kids were laying a path of pavers around the new pond in their new court yard~Ed and Angela are dreaming up the landscaping plans. Then we all went for a hike. It was beautiful and after lunch everyone took the longer, steeper hike while Ed and I enjoyed some time to marvel at the beauty around us. I just can't help but to praise God when I am out in such beauty.

Wild columbine~~beautiful!!!

Tristan...hmmm...does this look like the face of innocence?
Ha! He was sneaking up on Gpa!
Kaitlyn, trying to NOT look at the camera

Getting closer....

2007-05-26T09:33:00.001-07:00

....we are getting closer to a "done-done" wall out front...yeehaw!!! What is left to do Ed and I can do ourselves and we plan to work on it tomorrow morning. Our little car wants to come home (we have been parking at the neighbors across the street since the brick/sand/rock was delivered 3 wks ago). The landscaping will begin next week and *shouldn't* take more than 2 days to complete now that we have agreed on what to plant.

Today we are helping our kids hang cement siding. Last summer they added 2 bedrooms and a giant garage on to their home, the framing was up and the inside was mostly completed just as the rains started. They have worked on it all winter long and now the only thing left to be inspected is the siding so hopefully today that will be a done-done project at their house as well.

Monday we are going on a short hike/picnic to Elk Creek Falls. It is about 30 minutes from our home, a nice break in the day. The less than ½ mile hike is flat and the trail well groomed so will be an easy hike for Ed as well as fun for the grandkidlets. Rex tends to fuss over his gpa, making sure he is OK...what a great young man he continues to become. This gma is so proud of her grands!!!

Enjoy your holiday weekend however you choose to, as usual these days...nothing quilty going on here...

This Little Critter Found at Coquille Library

2007-05-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Are you watching us Mr. McPherson?

2007-05-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

I really do think John McPherson has a webcam hidden somewhere near my family...

Today's cartoon......reminded me of this funfilled day three years ago.
Maddie and JJ, our two youngest grandkidlets...we just could NOT get them to come out of those tubes! When it was time (past time!!) to go, our DIL had to climb in and get them.

Hot Syrup and Strawberry Lemonade

2007-05-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

My momma spoiled my sister, yes...I know it is hard to believe
that the baby of the family would readily admit that her older sister was favored! LOL But it is the truth! You see it is like this, on Sunday mornings momma would pull the waffle iron out of the cupboard, mix up an awesome batch of waffle batter, pull out the butter. She would then begin to make stacks of waffles...ummm yum! But she wouldn't stop there, nope...if she stopped there Sunday morning waffle breakfast would be incomplete for my sister. For my sister there was one more thing she would need~~ hot syrup! So my momma would lovingly pull out a saucepan and heat up syrup just because that is the way Nancy liked it! Oh, and maybe I should tell you that momma would mix a bit of honey with peanut butter for MY waffles! (I am the youngest after all!!!)

Tristan is our middle grandson and the middle child of his family. I love that kid! He is funny, competitive, has a gentle spirit, is a hard worker and has a ready smile and kind word for everyone he sees. He is willing to do anything you ask of him, even if he doesn't really know how...even if he doesn't really WANT to do it...ask and he will be there...present and accounted for, ready for duty!! That would be our Tristan! Tristan has me wrapped around his little finger. Seldom does he ask for anything, seldom does he want things HIS way. Mr. Easy-Going, that is our Tristan. I used to find it hard to find ways to surprise and delight this great kid but not anymore. Last year I made up a batch of lemonade and had some strawberries in the refrigerator so I tossed them all together...BINGO!!!! Nail on the head, Tristan fell head over heals for strawberry~lemonade. So...whenever he is going to be here for a meal I fix up a batch of strawberry~lemonade and he gets the first glass.

Hot Mapel Syrup= $4.00
Strawberry~Lemonade=$2.50
Having someone to spoil=PRICELESS

If you look real close...

2007-05-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

....you will see one of our new pond residents. Mr. (or is that Ms.???) Turtle is sunning him/herself on a rock. Ryan and KatieBug were trying to come up with names for them...I call them Turtle, both of them! They are so skittish that getting a picture of them is almost impossible. To take this shot I was standing in the house with my arm stretched out the patio door as far as I could stretch it, good thing I managed to get him in the shot, when he heard the camera shutter he was in the water faster than fast...some day we hope they will get used to us and be as socialable as the Koi, who allow me to hand feed them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Progress....we are making slow but sure progress on the retaining wall, the weather and grandkidlet baseball/softball schedules have prevented us from getting it completed in a timely fashion, but hey...I would rather be cheering on the kids than hauling these heavy bricks anyway...the project isn't going away and it will be done soon so we have split our priorities for now. Such is life!

Last wknd...things moved right along, it was fun to see the progress

As of yesterday, this is where we are...
begining the second layer and loving how it has changed the look of our property.

Yesterday (the sun was out, it was a beautiful day!) we spent the day helping our kids get their pond in - lots of digging and laughing and leveling and more digging and *some* grumbling and discussing and laughing and leveling and....finally at 6 p.m. it was ready for water. The filter works (no leaking) the waterfall works (no spilling). Hip Hip Hooray, Success! So, the water is curing, we took pond plants and some pond water up earlier today to get their eco-system started and by Tuesday it will be ready for fish. A trip to the Koi gardens...can't wait!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I will leave you with this pic of our Master. He misses his daddy so much when his daddy isn't around...and when his daddy is around he is like a little shadow. I call this pic "Like Father, Like Son" they laid on the sofa like this for the longest time...Ryan watching the basketball playoffs and Akria sleeping...oh the life of a cat, er, I mean our Master. Ryan left last Tuesday, Akria has been howling his head off calling and looking for him...it is hilarious and sad at the same time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I hate dirt, and other things to smile about

2007-05-08T21:54:00.001-07:00

Ok....as I mentioned a couple of days ago, there is NOTHING quilty going on here...so I thought I would share a few things that have made me smile lately.

I love Macaroni. Macaroni (MacKenzie) is my great niece. She occupies a part of my heart that no one else can occupy. When she comes to Aunnie (yes, that is Aunnie with no T) Pami and Uncle Eddie's home she can ask for the moon and will most likely get it served on a silver plater. She came for a quick overnight visit a couple of wks ago and wanted to sleep in our bed with us. "No problem, when you are tired you can crawl in bed." Everyone went about what they were doing and soon we discovered that Mac was real quiet...hmmm...wonder where she went? This is where we found her...on the floor just inside our bedroom door...fast asleep. OK...not really anything unusual...I have scores of pictures of this little angel sleeping in various odd places. Her mom-mom just gathered her up and moved her. The next morning I asked her why she was on the floor and didn't get up in the bed....she said she couldn't because there was someone else hogging the bed...look who that someone was....What a bed hog!!! M.G., a.k.a. Gabe, a.k.a. her little brother, a.k.a. My Guy, a.k.a. Mr. Gabe was soundly snoozing along in the bed and didn't leave her any room! Poor M.G. I think he is gonna take the fall for a few things in life, might as well get used to it now. and BTW...if he is a bed hog he learned it from the Queen of Bedhogs...his sissy, Ms. Macaroni herself!!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My sister graciously agreed to help me get the pond finished. This project has been an on going project since last summer. It was one of those things that you get started on and then see that maybe you could have done something differently, or saw someone else's and liked the way they did something, or decided something wasn't working like you thought it etc. etc. etc...are you still with me? It was an ongoing project and we wanted it to NOT be an ongoing project. Well...the first thing we needed to do was move the electrical wiring and replace some of it as well...which turned out to be quite the undertaking. When the wiring was originally put in it was put in by our son who crawled on his belly to put it under the deck. In order to replace what needed to be replaced someone needed to get under the deck to UN-DO what had previously been done. That someone was NOT going to be ME...not only did I not want to do it, but I don't think I COULD have done it, as in don't think I would have fit under the deck. My sister did what she could do but her arms are not 6' long so she couldn't un-do it all...about that time my niece (who is a new mom-mom and a nursing mom-mom to boot) came out and asked us what the heck we were trying to do...and beings how she loves her Auntie Pami so much she volunteered to crawl under the deck....dairyfarm boobs, postpartum body and all. My sister and I stood there in shock that she was actually going under the deck (i.e. Spiderland... Wormville...Bughaven...Deadcarcass City). I smile when I think about her comment upon re-entry into the world...and yes, Mandy you have done your penance fully and completely!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I hate dirt. I don't like dirt under my fingernails, I don't like the way my hands get rough when I have been doing yardwork, I don't like dirt...I don't like dirt...I don't like dirt. Now, having gotten that out of my system I will say that I love a well groomed yard, beautiful landscaping and I love that my dear hubby loves doing all that for us. And I will add I have been doing a bit more yardwork this year than ever before....working on the pond, planting my windowboxes and hanging pots, even dug up a few bulbs for my niece and a few weeds that were trying to make my Mary Yard their home. Hubby has rules about his garden tools...and I don't always follow his rules as closely (*¿~) as he would like me to so he bought me my own set of tools...they are PURPLE...and a cute little purple gardeners bag as well. I think he thinks that dirt and I will soon be fast friends..guess what...don't hold your breath dear, it ain't gonna happen...but I do like my cute purple garden gadgets!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chris flew back to San Diego yesterday (it was so fun to have her around for a while!!!!) so Ryan moved out of MCM and into the guestroom. I guess that frees me up to do some sewing...I will give it some serious thought, I have several quilts at the binding stage, they would be quick finishes. I have a couple of mending jobs that will not take long to get done. We have a new sofa and chair and I need a quilt to go with them as well as covers for the arms of each. And I still, yes still have not made some very needed hotpads.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

so...there you have it...kids who say the darnedest things...a hubby who has a not-so-subtle way to encourage me...a niece who will do almost anything for me..a vacated MCM...and a done-done pond (I keep forgetting to take "done-done" pics!)...sleeping baby bedhogs...things to smile about

Working and Playing

2007-05-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Our youngest son, Ryan, has moved back to Oregon and when he is around there is never a dull moment. BUT...he broke his collar bone in 2 places a couple of weeks before he moved so he has been a bit out of commission, still keeping us on our toes but in a bit more relaxed fashion than the usual hiking, disc golfing and mountain biking (which is how he broke his collar bone).

Chris mowed down the St. Johns Wort, Ed Party-Q'd the bestest chicken, I cheered Chris along and Ryan napped...doesn't the front look nice, the first stage in done, Thank you Chris!!!, the second stage will start tomorrow.A quick trip to the winery then back home to make this......a pin hole camera! Ryan and Chris have been having fun with pin hole cameras of late, taking pictures and then developing their own film. I thought it sounded like fun so Chris found this cute little puppy tin to make a camera for me. This is my first picture....(see my cute little Mary fountain???)
...Chris set up the shot and walked me through the process. Then we went to their makeshift darkroom...(I knew there was a reason we had a guest room in the basement with no windows) and she walked me through the developing process.

Kids, the older they get the fun-er they are ~ picture taking and developing ~ and a lesson about wine while at the winery!

So, now you know why there is NOTHING quilty going on here...oh, wait...maybe this has something to do with the lack of quilting going on as well....Ryan has temporarily moved into My Creative Mind. There is NO way I could get to my machine even if I had to!!

Odds and Ends

2007-05-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of pictures to fill in the non-quilty gaps of my life, because NOTHING quilty is happening at my house currently!

Time for an antenna ball change and I didn't get this one posted yet,
Happy Smiley Sunshine Man
...he gets me through those gray-foggy days of early spring.

Isn't this beautiful?

A gift from my sister (last Christmas!), made from jewelry making beads and findings...
it is the teeniest, tiny-est, cutest little thing...
I have a miniature collection and this is the newest addition

And our current project...
starting today....ugh ugh ugh...this is the BEFORE picture (taken last summer)...
see all the St. John's wart? Today Chris and I are mowing it down.

Then we will be taking a break for BBQ chicken lunch...then off to Old Bridge Winery in Remote for a wine tasting open house. The wineries in our county are having tours today and we have never been to this one. There is an old covered bridge on Hwy 42 which we will stop and take pictures of. It is less than an hours drive from our home so we will be back in plenty of time to continue with the "the project". After the winery trip, we will start digging up the front of the yard where the St. John's wart is, we are terracing the front and re-landscaping...a project that has been on our to-do list for over 20 yrs! Next wknd will be the big work-wknd...we have a work-party of 9-10 people coming to do the hardest manual labor stuff...the Party-Q'er will be fired up and running all wknd....and speaking of Party-Q'er....look what I found in my livingroom a couple of wks ago...I think he was trying to get it put together and roll it out to the deck before I got home from the office, but I caught him!!! He is so funny...a Grillmaster and his Party-Q'er. When I mentioned the fact he was putting it together on off-white carpet his reply "it just came out of the box....it isn't dirty" MEN...

Enjoy your Saturday, the sun is suppose to come out today and the rain is suppose to go away...sure hope Mr. Weatherman is right!

Because he loves me....

2007-04-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

... my thoughtful husband brings me wonderful gifts like Mary Engelbreit paper towels and napkins for my kitchen...that's what love is.

I'm fine

2007-04-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

I thought I better check in, I am getting emails daily inquiring as to how I am doing...thank you all for thinking about me. Your thoughtful comments, emails, cards, beautiful hydrangea plant have all helped us through this difficult adjustment to our life.

It is spring and we are spending every second (between rain showers) outdoors. This year is no different than any other year...we have projects, ideas and dreams that will not become reality if we are not working at them regularly.

I have done a bit of sewing and some writing. My sister and I went to a friend's green house and had a potting party, we potted hanging baskets, pots for our decks and etc. We will go pick them up in a couple of weeks. I made my version of this fountain for my Mary Yard, it is really cute...I'll post a pic as soon as we get the electical run out to that side of the yard. Keeping busy is never a problem at our house.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that, we are trying to find a new normal, a new routine. I have a huge hole in my heart, a giant missing puzzle piece...my cousin likened it to going through the empty nest process all over again....yep...that is a good way to put it with the exception that the kids always come home...more on that later.

My Beautiful Mother

2007-03-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

It is with a broken heart that I share the news of my mothers passing. Over the last month her already frail health quickly deteriorated even more so. Momma passed very quietly and peacefully on Monday evening. I really want to share all the fun things she and I did together, all the things she taught me, all the ways that made loving her, admiring her and appreciating her so easy...but it breaks my heart to even share the news of her passing.
Throughout my blog there are many stories about Momma, those of you who have read for awhile will know that I love my mother, my bestest friend dearly~I don't even want to imagine how much I will miss her...

Picture Show, Life in the Pam Lane

2007-03-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Seems Blogger likes me again, I don't even have to sign in any more, I get re-directed to my dashboard each time so evidently I am back on their good list...I'm not questioning this as this arrangement suits me just fine.

Life, boy, it sure has a way of getting in the way of life from time to time, doesn't it? Someone very close to me has been very ill for a few wks, no explanation as to why...no answers. It hit me pretty hard. As a result I have come face to face with my own mortality. My grandmothers both lived into their early 80's. My mother just celebrated her 80th birthday. Hmmmm...with 25-35 years to go I wonder....what I could be doing differently...what priorities I need to re-evaluate. That sounds rather depressing, but I am not looking at it that way at all, I am looking at it as a challenge to be the best I can be, do what needs to be done, to stop putting things off until tomorrow. When I look back 25-35 years and see what I have/have not done I realize I need to make up for some lost time. This past week a friend sent me a card with this saying "Now that it is over, what did you do yesterday that made a difference in the world?" What a great question to ask myself each morning, what a great way to challenge myself each day.

Here are a few pics of recent things I have been working on that have not been posted as of yet...

August, December and March Snowmen Purplework BOM....6 down (minus the embellishments), 2 more started (April & September) and 2 waiting their turn. I have cut out the setting blocks (Broken Wheel) and will be working on those in the next few wks with the hope of getting a row or two done since January, February and March blocks are done. Antenna Ball update...in honor of Spring, Mr. Sun is on the car.

This is a donation top from Nancy, it was quilted during my first machine quilting trip. Barbara finished the binding. We had so much fun quilting around the shapes. Thanks Nancy!!!
Quilt top donated by Jeanne, again quilted in January. Thanks Jeanne!!!! Both Nancy's quilt and Jeanne's quilt have been added to my ever growing stack of quilts headed to AMOR Ministries. Check out Lydia's blog...she is my main contact with AMOR and does all of our trip planning into Mexico. What a wonderful woman, when I grow up I wanna have an unselfish heart like Lydia!!
Lucy and Me...this quilt was made on my new treadle...yep...every stitch of the piecing was done on "LucyLou". She sews really nicely and will sew even better after a good cleaning and oiling. Barbara (who I bought LucyLou from) said LucyLou has not been used in over 25 years, and yet I was able to sit right down and put this quilt together. I loved loved loved the process of treadling and was thrilled with how this first project turned out...can't wait to start a new project but will refrain until LucyLou gets a good cleaning and oiling. I ordered a manual and expect it to be in the mail sometime this wk.
This is Spinnin a Weave, I showed a pic of this last week but that was before it was quilted. Yesterday Barbara and I had our 3rd session of machine quilting. I took my Harlequin Weave to quilt but it is too too big to fit on the machine, which I thought might be the case so I took both this SAW and LAM along as back ups. The panto is one I drew up for HW but used it for these two Building Block quilts. I totally love the effect. Spinnin a Weave is a thank you gift to be given to the man who gave me his late wives cutting table. He just became a great-grandfather so I thought he might like to send this to the baby...if not it is plenty big enough for him to use as a lap quilt. This pic is a bit dark, I didn't use the flash (on purpose) so you could see the quilting a bit better.
My sister is going to be a Nana again (maybe today! I just got a call that they are headed to the hospital!!!) I made this coverall bib for Nana to keep at her house. I have made these coverall bibs for all of my great-nieces and nephews. They are quick to make, fun to use and really do keep young ones clothing clean, especially when they start feeding themselves. I have a few more fun prints to make up and will make some in a larger size as Gabe grows. These are front and back pics as this bib is reversible, it velcros at the neck and around each ankle.

With the weather warming up we are working a bit more in the yard each week. I am so ready to be outside!!! We tore the pond all apart so we could get the plants divided and re-potted, also installed a new filter system. The bonus in doing all of that is seeing our Koi and how much they have grown. We knew they had grown but did not realize until Friday how much!!! Wow! We might have to put in the new larger pond this year and transplant a few, I would hate to loose any of them due to over crowding.

Daffodils, iris are up. Trees are blooming. Grass is a beautiful green. The birds are tormenting the cat. The frogs are hopping in and out of the pond... AHHHH Spring...I love Spring!!

March Madness...our Ducks won their first game on Friday....and are playing again today. Unfortunately our Beavs lost their first game and are out. We will keep cheering our Ducks on.

So, there you have it a quick peek into Pam's-world-of-late. And one last pic if I dare....

Quilt Tester...Akira

whoo hoo yee haw....

2007-03-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

....I am signed in....I may never turn my computer off now that I am actually signed in. This new blogger is NOT for the faint of heart and certainly NOT for me!!! It's been almost 2 wks since I have been able to sign in, a couple of times I was able to sign in but when I either tried to post or to comment I would get signed out....troublesome!!! OK, enough complaining...I am sure you are all as tired of hearing my blogger woes as I am of having blogger woes!!!

So...what has Pam been up to? Well....how about this for starters HOOTMP in a flimsy state....

Hop On Over To My Pad

46x52

This is for me to keep at my house so will finish it off with purple buttons in the center of the pinwheels, which are 3-D. I never put buttons on donated quilts since I can not guarantee that a baby will not end up with the quilt making the buttons a choking hazard. I have a purple frog print to use as a backing. No quilting needed as 30 buttons will hold it together. Our granddaughter is forever walking in the door~getting a book, picking out a quilt and going off into "KatieBugLand" for hours...I am hoping she likes this quilt as much as I do.

I really enjoy perusing Debbie Mumm's site, I love the monthly craft/sewing projects that she posts and really liked this quilt. It is called Building Blocks but I am calling it Baby Weave because it is very similar to the Harlequin Weave that I just finished. Here is my version that I have named Spinnin' a Weave because of the fabric used. This is missing borders because I ran short of one print and hope to find a bit of the yellow when I go into town tomorrow. This quilt is a thank-you gift for the man who gave me his late wives cutting table (which is more than awesome!!). Tom has just become a great-granddad so this will be something he can give to the new baby.

Spinnin' a Weave
46x58 (when borders are added)

Hmmmm...what else has Pam been up to???

I have pretty much finished re-vamping MCM, that is for a time anyway. Our youngest son is moving back to Oregon in a few wks and he has promised to help us out with a few projects...Ed has a few projects in mind for outside in the yard and I have (at least (*¿~) ) one major project for inside. I want to pull up the carpet in MCM, we have beautiful hardwood floors under our carpet and I have always hated having carpet in MCM. So, in just a few wks I will once again be packing it all up and moving it into the livingroom...Ed is so not going to be thrilled, although he has been informed LOL!!!

I had a one week cutting party and then promptly filled the basket with scraps again...I still have far too many scraps yet uncut and would love to have that be a done-done project but as of yet that hasn't happened. I will keep plugging away at it.

Just as I was pulling yummy Orange Rolls out of the oven this morning, some friends pulled up with a treasure that I purchased from them a few weeks ago. I mentioned a new purchase back in January but didn't tell you what it is...today it was delivered and here is a pic of my new toy....isn't it beautiful? It is in perfect working condition and I took the time to sew a bit with it this afternoon. Several years ago I purchased a treadle that was in need of some work on the machine, the cabinet and the wrought iron base, I thought I was up for the task but soon found out that it was more work than I had time for so I donated it to a sale our mission group was having...they made more money on it than I had paid for it and it was out of my hair so I felt ok about it. Knowing how I love old machines, Ed was sad for me and told me to look for another one to replace it, one in better shape than the first one. My friend, Barbara and I were having dinner one night and she mentioned that her great-grandmothers treadle was going to an auction house in a couple of weeks...WHAT!!!??? NO WAY!! There was no way I was going to let her great-grandmothers treadle get out of sight....before we finished our salads we agreed on a price and the deal was sealed! I did a quick bit of research and the best I can come up with this machine was manufactured between 1834 and 1868, although Barbara seems to think it might be a few years older than that. I will keep searching until I come up with as close to accurate date as possible. She has lots of history to share with me and I have asked her to write it out so the history can be kept with it. There are all kinds of fun things in the drawers, tools and attachments that are so big and bulky it is no wonder so many women could not take their beloved machines when they traveled from the East Coast to make a new life on the West Coast (which is part of the history of this machine). Currently this is sitting in the diningroom, in front of the patio door~looking out over the back yard, as soon as my niece comes to get my grandmothers sewing machine (which I have enjoyed owning for 20+ years and I am now passing on to her to enjoy and love) I will move this into the livingroom. Until then I think I will come up with a simple project and make something (maybe new accent pillows for our bed???) on this old and very loved machine that has joined our household, and my ever growing collection of older machines.

Today I received word that after May the LQS I rent quilting machine time at will be closing. I am sad as I have so enjoyed not only the experience of machine quilting but the travel time and time away from the normal routine of my days as well. The shop owner is facing some serious issues with 3 very ill family members and is no longer able to handle the shop as well as what her future will be requiring of her. Next Saturday, March 17, I will be quilting my Harlequin Weave and plan to rent the machine in April and if it is available will rent it one last time in May before the shop closes. On the other hand a gal here in our teeny tiny little town has offered to rent her machine for the same price ($40/day). Not sure it is something I will do, but we shall see. Another option is for a group of us to purchase a machine together, which we have all talked about for years but no one has done anything about. LOL push is coming to shove and maybe we will do something about it now, maybe not. None of us wants to own a machine, but all of us want to use one LOLSpring has arrived in our teeny tiny town...I am totally loving the color that is cropping up here and there around town. The flowering plums are very pretty and pink. I thought our crocus' were done but these little guys popped up this wk, a nice surprise for me as I love crocus and IMHO they just don't have a long enough blooming season. Daffy's are blooming all over the place.

OK, let's hope Blogger will play nice and this will actually post...if so, I think I will try to read a few blogs...if not...just send the men in the little white coats my way.

Just stopping by....

2007-02-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

....wanted to show these 2 quilts ~~ they are done, done ~~
The tops and backings were donated by Jeanne...they were my practice tops for machine quilting...too much fun!!! I have a couple more of Jeanne's yet to do and my pal Barbara has a couple of Nancy's at her house putting the binding and labels on them. I will post pics as soon as she returns them to me.

Barbara and I have already reserved the quilting machine for next month, this time we will put a personal quilt on first~ my Harlequin Weave ~ that I just made for my bed. In November Nancy posted a pic of her Harlequin Weave and I thought..."that is exactly the new quilt our bed needs" as I have struggled finding a pattern to make for our bed because the new drapes are a Thomas Kincaid print with large floral print that I did not want anything to compete against. I showed Ed Nancy's quilt and he agreed, so ... I dug in my stash and came up with several pieces (pattern takes 14 different prints) then did a bit of shopping to gather up the balance of what I needed. Saturday and Sunday I put the top together and laid it (in flimsy stage) on the bed....Bless Ed's heart...LOL...he didn't say a word...I didn't say a word...then we both agreed...NOPE...not for us! We agreed to leave it on the bed until March 17 (next machine quilting day) to see if it grows on us. I think it is growing on us already!!! After I made the bed up this morning I walked out of the room and turned around...it just seemed to "fit": the colors, the block size, the prints...it all just seems to fit ~ and quite nicely I might add. When I came home for lunch Ed said basically the same thing. We have kinda decided that it isn't so much that we didn't like the quilt...it is just that it is so very different from anything I have done before. So...be watching...some time after March 17 I will post a picture.Here is another quick sewing project completed. (I have put this off for years...why do we put the simplest things off?? ) I have always covered my machine with a piece of plastic..one of those plastic machine covers that you can purchase at JoAnns?? yep...that is what I have used all these years....but while going through my stash...piece by piece...I ran across this little piece of border fabric that was used to make bibs for my great niece 9 years ago. Not much there but perfect for what I needed to do with it. Isn't it cute?
And last for the night is this shocking picture...this is a great quilt top that a friend saw in a thrift store and thought of me so she bought it and sent it to me...years ago...it is a 1925 Hexagon quilt top and I cut it up...yep...took out my Ginghers and whacked this handpieced quilt top up~it about killed me to do it but I have been thinking about doing this for a few months now. Half of it has now been repurposed as a skirt around my cutting table, hiding my rolling sewing machine cases, my rolling scrapbook case and a few other things. The other parts of the quilt top *may* be repurposed and become valances for MCM. Because I knew this top would never be quilted, it has spent the last few years folded and stacked in my UFO pile...living a sad and lonely life...so now I can look at it every day...and enjoy it...I love the fact that it was all handpieced, that the maker took the time to embroider the date (June 13, 1925) on it and that my friend thought of me, purchased it and sent it to me simply because she thought I would enjoy it...and now I really am!!

That's it for me...off to prepare the backing for my HW...my least favorite step in the quilt making process...making the backing...

***Cathi (Crazed Quilter) Please email me***

Quick Post

2007-02-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick look into last weeks activities for me.

I spent almost every spare moment pressing and cutting up scraps and am really proud of myself for sticking to such a boring task. There were 3 baskets full of scraps to cut when the process began, the 2 smaller ones are now empty (see me grinning from ear to ear!)...the largest one is going to have to wait a while as I believe the men in white coats will have to haul me away if I dare start on the last basket! Here is a pic of my BBS cutting spree.This is one of 3 St. Patty's Day table toppers that I sewed up as my reward for hours of cutting scraps. I believe it was Norma who first posted a tabletopper done up like this. Years ago I made a set of place mats using this method, it is a quick and easy, fast finish project. This one is for Diana as a thank you for sticking with me through thick and thin, I made a smaller one to hang on Momma's door, the other one is for my dining room table.

22" point to point and 19 " side to side

Today our 2 middle grandkidlets have their last basketball games...in 3 different little towns near us, so we will be traveling all over the county! It will be a busy day for us.

Whoo Hoo...I am able to sign in...

2007-02-19T09:08:00.001-08:00

....this really is getting old fast, Blogger and I just don't see eye to eye very often any more.

A Quilt for Nana & Gabe 45x55

Here is the surprise quilt I made a couple of wks ago, it was given yesterday so I can now post the picture. This quilt is for "Nana and Gabe". My sisters first grandson will arrive within a few short weeks and she NEEDED a quilt just for her to snuggle with that precious new baby boy, Gabriel Andrew, so I made this and sent it as a surprise to be given to her at the baby shower. After all, the new baby boy was getting gifts, the new baby boy's big sister was getting gifts (well, I knew she was getting at least one because I fixed up a surprise for her too!) so it was the only right thing for the new baby boy's Nana to get a surprise too!

This quilt was so fun on so many levels:

My sister did not expect it ~ had absolutely NO clue
My niece-in-law and I (not the new baby's mom) had a blast planning and keeping this secret
The fabric is Mary Engelbriet, she is my most favorite of all artist
I machine quilted this during my most recent trip to the quilting machine shop
I machine quilted a special message just for my sister onto the quilt

It is fun to surprise my sister, she is the most gracious person I know and deserves to be treated as special as she treats others, if not more so.

While we were talking on the phone Saturday, we shared a common desire that we both want to have more of our mommas' graciousness, her consideration for others, her ability to bring out the best in others, the way she went over the top when doing something for a special event in someone's life etc etc...all those awesome attributes that that define Momma. Last night, after she had recieved her Nana quilt, she gave me the best compliment...she said making and giving her that quilt ~and keeping it a secret~ was something Momma would have done...I will treasure her words, that compliment, the rest of my life. I love you, SOPO!!!

On another note: the Clean Sweep continues. My partner in crime, Diana, has kept me on task and has been a real slave driver to boot!!! She has been my dear, dear friend for 30 years, knows my sewing habits better than I do, is probably the only person in the whole world who knows me well enough to tell me if I am fooling myself about UFO completion, whether or not I will actually use a piece of fabric...if I will ever get back to a certain craft...etc. etc. She is the perfect person to keep me and this project on track and moving along. And BTW...she is also the person who had led me into such areas as paper dollls, lace doilies, button collecting and a few other things over the past 30 years ~ so, I figure half of the stuff in there is HER fault anyway...RIGHT?!?!?

Diana and I in 2003

MCM Clean Sweep Progress thus far:

4 lawn and leaf bags of stash to be donated
1 lawn and leaf bag plus a smaller bag of stash went home with Diana
1 lawn and leaf bag full of craft stuff to be donated
1 large bag of papers to be shredded
2 large bags to be taken to the recycling center
2 large bags of trash
50+ quilt books have been sorted and are ready for my eBay lister to pick up
magazines have been sorted and ready for donation
10 UFO's are out of my life: Diana took 3, 2 will go to eBay, 5 donated
some yardage that was purchased for clothing handed over to eBay lister
8 sets of rolling drawer sets sorted (keep, donate, toss) , 5 now empty and ready for scrapbooking things to be organized into them
Ed has painted a length of pegboard (for some of my tools and notions) which will be hung today

Blessings:

I have not lost my focus/goal of a "less is more" home, and continue to be inspired
my newcutting table top (a gift from a client ~ larger than he orginally told me) the large flat surface is so nice!!
found a couple of UFO's that were MIA
found a quilt top that has been MIA
my children will not have to to deal with what is no longer here, should anything happen to me any time soon! LOL
Diana...she knows I have wanted to do this for years and has been a great cheerleader for me
Diana is ready to do her CM as well....this is catchy!!!

Regrets:

none

After Diana left last night I cut out and made up a table topper for her as a thank you. It is just a quickie~strippy...St. Patty's Day themed table topper, but it is cute. I will post pics when the binding is finished.

Blogger...is a Booger

2007-02-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

For a couple of days I have tired to sign in to post, this morning I am finally able to sign in. I am very frustrated by this and hope to have a solution soon...grrrrr!!!!

Anyway...what has Pam been up to? Well...I am continuing in my quest for a streamlined MCM giving it a total makeover. Peter Walsh has nothing on me as I have been sorting through every little slip of paper and making that "one second, touch once" decision about so many things. I have my "KEEP" "DONATE" "TOSS" piles and have been ruthless about everything I touch!!!

Today my eBay lister is coming by for a pile of junk~ errr, umm...treasures~, the garbage can is full, there are 2 giant bags of fabric ready to donate to a charity quilting group in the next town over....and that is just the beginning.

This is something that is long over due. In the last seven years of our life we have experienced one life changing event after another (empty nest, kids getting married, grandchildren, kidney transplant, waaaaaay too early retirement for DH, dealing with SSA, momma had a major stroke, parenting the parent, daddy's passing...etc...makes me tired to think about it even now) without much let up between each happening. The result is, we have put our lives in a "maintenance only" mode...not going forward...not going backward...just treading water has been a real accomplishment. When you get in that type of a situation, and are there for any period of time, it becomes so routine you tend to think it normal...which it isn't...and you adjust your life in such a way that you deem it OK...which it isn't...and it makes coping so much easier...but the elephant in the corner is still there and you still gotta deal with it at some point. That is where we are right now...dealing with those elephants.

I love making over one room every year or so from top to bottom...with NOTHING untouched. But until last year it was put on hold while we dealt with so many other priorities and life events. Last year we did two rooms...the kitchen and our bedroom...because the wall between those two rooms was torn down and re-built during the remodel. This year it is MCM. Every piece of paper, every scrap of fabric, all my notions...everything is getting a "reality check"....the reality is: if I haven't used it, if I don't have a plan for it, if I forgot I even had it, if I did not miss it, if I have not touched it....(get the idea???)...then out it goes!!! I am so excited...this is so much deeper than just a "going to clean up MCM" task...this is a "going to clean OUT MCM" task and I am having so much fun! YES FUN!!!

Today Ed is painting a piece of pegboard for me and will hang it this evening, a client of mine is giving me a 35x70" cutting mat that he mounted on a board and added trim all around it (his wife was an avid doll maker and this was her work space, she died a couple of years ago and he is just to the point of giving away some of her things....I know how terribly hard this is for him....letting go is never easy, this I know all too well), the extra furniture will be gone by this afternoon as well as all the piles of eBay ju...err~treasures. I will be at the point of sorting totes and totes and totes and totes of fabric (have been waiting for the cutting table to arrive to have work space). I have a goal of getting MCM room finished by the time my head hits the pillow on Monday night (the office is closed on Monday) and if it isn't a done-done project then I have arranged to take Tuesday off as well.

I FINALLY went out and got myself a label maker (Peter Walsh would be so proud of me!!) to label all of my scrapbooking stuff that is in 4 rolling drawers sets and my sewing notions that are in 5 others...rolling drawers...the best way to go IMHO. I have wanted to label each drawer for years but never took the time to do so...now is the time, especially since my brain doesn't work as well as it once did!!! Have label maker, shall conquer!!!

OK...enough goofing off...I've had my 3 cups of coffee...best get in MCM and get busy...I am seeing an end to this project and feeling the itch to sew a St. Patricks Day table topper so better get MCM finished so I can get on with the fun stuff.

BTW...next head-to-toe room make over??? Our guest room...I want it to be ready at a moments notice for LindaJ (*¿~)

So....let's try this again...

2007-02-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

Blogger has been a royal pain in my fanny!!! I am having a hard time posting a comment on other peoples blogs...and if I can post I have to sign in for almost all comments, even if I am already signed in...sigh...

I wrote up a post to post to my own blog and my computer shut down on me...what's up with that? I share a private blog with a couple of friends and can't even get into that blog to read nor post...and I am the administrator of that blog!!!

My son is working on a solution for me....if you don't hear from me for a while, I will be back.

Today is TGIF...and believe me it is!!! Tomorrow I will be going back to the shop where I rented machine time last month. This time 3 of us are going. The shop owner has offered us some of her classroom space to set up our sewing machines so are going to just move in and keep busy with charity quilts. We've got 4 tops ready to go, if there is time I am hoping to slip a personal project in to quilt up at the end of the day.

I refuse to put myself on a fabric diet it a couple of reasons...

I am not really a shopper
I know I already have more than I need/want/can use
If I have a project in mind...and need fabric to complete it....I will buy for it diet or no diet

....so...keeping that in mind...I have been scoping out the Dick and Jane and have decided to go ahead and purchase what I need for a jacket. Had it all picked out and ready to hit the purchase button but 4 of the 7 prints I wanted were out of stock...grrrr. I will keep looking.

Ed is a horrible influence on me....he found this pink frog fabric and dared to point it out to me...well, guess what...this hot pink frog fabric hopped right into my cart along with all these coordinates. He asked me what I was going to do with it ~~ LOL..."Edward, do I have to have a plan???

I am gearing up for a HUGE Clean Sweep of MCM. I really want to remove what I know I will not use~ fabric, notions and etc. There is a group of quilters in a nearby town that is requesting fabric donations for quilts that are headed to orphanages in Russia. I have more than enough to share and if I would just get rid of some of what I know I won't use I might discover some long lost favorite pieces.

I managed to put the pedal to the metal and get a top done after work today...it is a surprise so I will have to wait to post it, but I can give one hint...it is a ME print, and waaaay too cute!!!

See Spot Run. Run Spot, Run

2007-02-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

It has been a long long time since a fabric line has caught my attention and called my name like the new Dick and Jane line of prints. I am totally liking this line...just looking at any of the prints sends me back to a time of sitting on the landing at the top of stairwell in the house I grew up in...or out to the tree fort...or the place in the hedge behind the garage... a place to be alone... to take my pudgy little index finger and point to each word as I sounded it out...
I just gave away this quilted jacket (to my sister who appropriately oohed and aaaahed all over it). I made this jacket for myself last year and now am thinking that the new Dick and Jane line would make a fun quilted jacket to replace it...whadda you think??? Hmmmmm...I am thinking my sister might like it too, we could swap them back and forth every now and then....hmmmmm.....just might have to give this some more thought!!! Can you see it...my new jacket done in Dick and Jane....
Another of newer fabric line that is calling my name, just not as loudly, is Sock Monkey...makes me laugh just to look at it!!! Not seeing it as a jacket, but would make a fun quilt for a "keep at Nana's house" for someone who is expecting her first grandson...might have to give that some thought as well.

The Big Game is Over....

2007-02-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

.....and the house was rockin'!

On the menu: 4' sub-sandwich, potato salad, salsa and chips, deviled eggs, Hawaiian meatballs, veggie tray, pizza breadsticks and this cake....

We are neither a Colts household nor a Bears household but we have a grandson who is nuts about the Colts so we of course cheered the Colts on. Everyone is happy and the house is now once again quiet...but full of memories of Super Bowl 2007...but the one that will stay with us for a long long time is:

Mr. Giant Crab latched on to KatieBug's hand
and WOULD NOT LET GO!!!

I told her I thought we should finally have a crab louie and let Mr. Giant Crab know who is boss!

And wrapping up a wk of Birthday's...

2007-02-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

....is our two youngest grandkidlets

Madelyn, now 5

and Jason, now 4

When we celebrate, we celebrate...five bdays in seven days.

Momma, Myself, Ed, Madelyn, Jason

Is it any wonder why I am so tired!?!?

Happy Birthday....

2007-01-31T05:35:00.000-08:00

....to the love of my life.

Photo by Ryan Gwillim

bestfriend
devoted father
patient son-in-law
terrific grampa
awesome son
beautiful soul
unshakeable believer
wise
faithful
thoughtful
diligent provider
helpful
willing sidekick
trustworthy
constant companion
creative
dependable
strong
generous heart

My Siblings

2007-01-30T06:28:00.000-08:00

This set of photos hung on the wall above my parents bed from the time it was taken until my mother moved into the care facility, 45+ years. When my momma moved into the care facility she wanted it to hang on the wall above her bed as well but last week she indicated that she wanted it where she could see it during the day...so I moved it for her. (her room is too small for me to have gotten a good shot of it, sorry...IIWII)

Isn't this is a great photo? I have absolutely love this pic, I can't look at it without smiling. I always tell my momma that her kids just got cuter and cuter until the last one...then they stopped having kids. OK OK that is lame but it makes her laugh and you already know I will do most anything to make her laugh, smile and be happy.

Here are close-ups of each child.

Lanny

Gary

Nancy

Ricky

Yesterday I posted the picture of me.

My sister is the only one of my siblings who reads my blog...that might change after she sees this post, today might be the last post she reads LOL. None-the-less, I love this picture of my siblings and me.

Someday I will post a picture of my family (or not), including my parents. It is a picture that we kids refer to as "that picture" because we all HATE it...LOL I think I am about 5 or 6. It is dart board material...but it too always hung in a prominent place in my parents house and they loved it...for the life of me I will never know why!!! Currently it is hanging in my mothers room...right where everyone who walks past her door can see it! UGH!!

Ain't She Sweet???

2007-01-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

That is ME...wasn't I just too cute? I love this picture of me...
partly because it is just too cute
but mostly because it is the earliest (youngest?) picture
of me that I have ever seen.

Happy Birthday to me!

2007-01-28T06:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday Dear Momma,
Happy Birthday to you.

Today is my beautiful mothers 80th birthday...WOW!

Yesterday my sister and BIL arrived and the 5 of us celebrated Momma's bday with a silly string greeting (I keep telling you she is going to get kicked out of there~~silly string was my sisters idea!!) which was hilarious as the 4 of us walked in her room, each of us with a can of silly string and covered her with the slimmy stuff in a variety of colors....It was hilarious...and she loved the surprise, of course she was sleeping when we arrived, therefore she was really really caught off guard!

Today, after worship, Ed and I will take dinner up to her as we do each Sunday. I asked her yesterday what she wanted for her very special 80th bday dinner...which is always an interesting conversation since she always answers "no" to any question you ask her...and finally she was able express that what she really wanted was a PBJ sandwich. Not sure that is what she will get but it is what she indicated she wanted. Ed is thinking Chinese....I am thinking clam chowder....we shall see.

Happy Birthday Momma...I love you so much.

He Just Loves to Buffalo Me!

2007-01-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

Ed has been telling me for weeks that a rancher just out of town has added a few head of buffalo in with his cattle. "Yes, dear...Right, dear...No doubt, dear." So, off we would go, time and time again, in search of said buffalo. "No, dear, I don't see buffalo...do you? Are you sure you saw buffalo?" On and on it has gone. This has been going on for weeks, probably months. Nothing...no buffalo. I finally told him to knock it off, he was just pulling my leg and I wasn't going to fall for it again, I knew the difference between a cow and a buffalo and each time the field was full of cows....cows...not buffalo, so just leave it be! (Retired husbands can find more things to occupy a working wives time!!!)

Yesterday Ed had an errand to run in the next town over and yep, you guessed it...he came home telling me that he saw the buffalo again. OK, now I will admit to being gullible, I will admit that I will fall for most anything that will make me laugh, I will admit I am a kid at heart and am willing to jump in the car and go see just about anything unusual...(part of that is from living in a teeny tiny town for 30 years the NEED for hunting up the unusual).

Today I got off work a bit early and as I walked in the door I told Ed: "OK I'm ready, let's go on a buffalo hunt!! And if there are no buffalo in that dang field YOU can buy me an ice cream cone." He said, "Fine, let's go...but if there ARE buffalo in that field then YOU can buy me a rootbeer float!" We shook on it and off we went...this time with camera in hand because IF there were buffalo in that field he wanted proof, just incase I sorta forget down the road. (I think it is because he wanted gloating proof....LOL)

Off we went, blue sky above us, camera in hand...and ice cream money in HIS pocket so he could make good on our bet.

This is what we found in the field....
...and he said it was the best rootbeer float he has had in a long time! Dang it, hate it when I am wrong!!!

And then there were three....

2007-01-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

January, February and July are complete (minus the embellishments which I will do on all 12 at once). Aren't they cute?

I think I may have a problem on my hand once this is a done done project...you see...when I finished January I took it to show momma...she wanted it pinned to a wallhanging where she could see it. No problem, I thought, I will pin each one up there as I get them done and she can keep up on the progress and encourage me along the way. Last night I took July up to show her and pin to her wallhanging. She ooh'ed and aah'ed and yakked about it, giving it her stamp of approval. I was almost done with February so worked on that until it was finished but didn't leave it because I wanted to get a picture of it...OH NO....NOT ON HER LIFE was she going to let me out of her room with February...it was to be pinned to her wallhanging where she could see it, end of story! Man...I had to do some major fast talking to get it out of there. I think this is going to be a shared quilt~one month for you...one month for me...one month for you...one month for me. LOL Not a problem...if she enjoys it, it can hang in her room as long as she wants it to.

The following three EQ drawings are my top 3 choices (in order) for setting these darling snowmen blocks. I like them all but the first one I really like for all the lacey white space it offers, like the airy-ness of snowflakes falling...thus far it is the setting I go back to as my favorite, but the other two settings are calling my name as well...just not as loudly LOL.

And just to keep up todate on antenna balls...this is is currently on the car....no, I don't consider myself to be a princess....yes, there is a story behind it...KatieBug gave me this antenna ball because "Gramma, I don't have a car, but I wanted this antenna ball. Can you save it for me until I get a car?" She was 4 years old at the time LOL...Kids say the darnest things! Art Linkletter would have found a challenge in our precious granddaughter!

Yes, you read that right!

2007-01-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

LOL My email box has been loaded with "Are you sure it was $40/day?" "I've NEVER heard of machine rental so low."

Yes, we paid $40 for one day (Saturday) of quilting machine use. We arrive as the shop was opening and left at 4 p.m. We could have stayed for another hour but that isn't hardly enough time to get a quilt pinned on, quilted and removed~and besides, it is over an hours drive home and we didn't want to drive past sunset.

We paid $45 for Friday, which included the orientation and supplies and were allowed to use the machine through the rest of the day until she closed.

I know that seems impossible...and I would be in a bit of disbelief as well, but since I was the one paying the bill...well, I do know what I paid. LOL.

I also bought a new little something over the wknd but it hasn't been delivered...I'll post a picture as soon as it arrives~~~I think I will just leave it at that for now.

A Whole New Appreciation

2007-01-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

After what I have been doing the last couple of days I have a whole new appreciation for all those who are long arm machine quilters!

Bright and early yesterday morning a friend of mine and I drove to the valley to have a lesson on using a long arm quilting machine. It was fun! We had a blast! For the first couple of hours the shopowner took us through the steps of loading the backing, batting and quilt top. How to thread the machine. How to roll the quilt when you have reached the end of the row. Amazing! We were soon left to our own devices and readily agreed that it was going to take both of us together to get the job done! We were having a great time but there were so many things to learn and so many things to remember...#1 being BREATHE!!! LOL My favorite part was the meandering that I did with a heart, star, flower or word tossed in here and there..."a day at the beach", "lemonade", "smile"...etc. it was fun to adlib here and there while quilting. The quilts we did are by no means gonna win a ribbon at the fair, but they were fun to do and the children who recieve them will love them!

The shopowner was very gracious and forgiving...and has the patience of a saint, she had to have to teach the two of us anything!

Barbara, trying to remember to breathe!!

I had 8 tops with me, 3 of Jeanne's, 5 of Nancy's. After getting our sampler, a.k.a. practice quilt, done we were ready to roll...we loaded up one of Jeanne's worked until we got it done...then loaded up another one and began working on it but didn't get it done. So left for the night, returning bright and early this morning...finished up the second one and managed to get 3 more done today before calling it quits for the day.

Oh my, my legs, feet, shoulders, neck and back all ache. I have sung the ABC song and Happy Birthday (to keep my stitches even) more times in the last 2 days than in all the rest of my life put together. I can honestly say I appreciate the gal who has been doing my quilts all these years 100% more than ever before.

We had so much fun and got so much done that we have already reserved the machine for a wknd in February as well. This time we will be more prepared with battings and backings cut to size, which should save us some time (and money as we purchased batting from the shopowner at a price I was not too thrilled about).

I have heard horror stories from many people who have rented time on machines: cost is too high, shopowner too controlling, required purchase of batting, etc etc etc. But that is not what we found with this shop. The rental is $40 per day...if you arrive when the shop opens the machine is yours to use until the shop closes that day for only $40. The shopowner gave a lesson on how to use the machine and then left us to do as we wanted, she was there to offer advice and help out if we asked but other than that she did not stand over us and watch our every move. We didn't have batting with us (both of us have plenty of batting in our stashes but there was a mix up in communication about batting so neither of us had any with us) so we purchased a kingsize Hobbs (that we got 5 quilts out of!!), next time we will have our own batting cut and ready to load on to the machine.

A very fun weekend...a pleasant exprience...a great friend...far more laughter than any two people should be allowed...lots of good conversation...playing cards until we were too tired to think...talking until waaay late into the night...finding out I'm not too old to learn something new...and six quilts ready for binding, one step closer to wrapping children in love.

Pictures as soon as the bindings are done! Barbara took 4 home with her, I have 2 here....more handwork for me!!!

Can you feel it????

2007-01-17T17:34:00.000-08:00

....Spring is just around the corner and I have the proof.This crocus bud greeted me after work yesterday, poking his little head up and showing of promises of a pretty yellow blossom real soon. DH and I always race to see who finds the first bit of color, I won this year...well, at least I think I won...I think sometimes sees the first color but lets me think I do! This happy little guy entertained us during my lunch today. He was hunting for his lunch out in the back yard and having a happy time of it! Even though the Western Meadowlark is the Oregon State Bird we don't see too many of them here. (and there is one less for us to see and enjoy....the neighborhood cat terrorist deposited one on the sidewalk this afternoon~~~good thing Meow was sleeping inside or he would be in big trouble!!)

Spring is around the corner folks...and now you have seen the proof.

Snowmen, snowgirls and more snowmen...

2007-01-15T15:42:00.001-08:00

By now you would think I would be getting pretty tired of snow...well, I guess I might be a tad tired of snow...but it is pretty much impossible for me to ever get tired of snowmen.

This is the snowman the kids made this on Saturday....
Here he is again, taken Sunday afternoon, Rex titled this picture "Death of a Snowman"....
Here is my momma with the snowgirls we made this afternoon...hey, if momma can't get to the snow...the snow will get to momma!!
Here is my PURPLEwork snowman, January is done minus the embellishment, which will be snowflake charms. It is hanging up in my mothers room because I will be working on these while visiting with her, she didn't want me to bring this one home, rather she wanted it to be pinned to her MOMMA wallhanging. That's ok with me, she can watch the progress and keep me plugging along should I get lazy about it. (sorry the pic is fuzzy...). LindaJ is to blame for this new project of mine, and Norma was right in there with her, pressuring me...tempting me...giving me all kinds of hassell and frustrations until I caved, those two will get you in trouble in a blink of an eye! I hear there are rumblings of others joining the crowd.

So, there you have it my Snowman Post of the day!!!

Here is another pic of my mother. We had told her that IF it snowed we would fill a container and bring her some snow...I think she forgot because when she took the lid off the container and ...well....a picture is worth a thousand words, don't you agree?? She laughed and laughed. There was enough snow to make 2 snowgirls (a momma one and a little girl one(*¿*) ) and a couple of snowballs to keep close by just in case one of her not-so-favorite nurses should happen to step foot in her room...which they didn't! LOL I love to see my momma laugh! There is basically NOTHING that I won't try to get away with if it means bringing even a teeny tiny amount of joy to my mother. Yes, there are rules at the care facility she is living in. Yes, we have been "versed" on these rules (and versed again!). Yes, I know those rules are meant for a purpose. But~~ HELLO ~~ this is my mother we are talking about! And I do love to spoil her!

Ok, I'll play along....

2007-01-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer

You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.
You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules.
Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.
You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller!

You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

What's Your Personality Type?

I took this test three times, came up with three different answers of who I am...I guess I will remain a mystery to myself as well as others. As for the politician...don't vote for me...I'm not the one for the job!

I had a plan for the weekend~really, I did!!...actually, I had lots of plans for the weekend...I even had 5 days off to get those things done...and did I get any of it done? Nope, not really....Did I have a great wknd anyway? Yep!! Rex, Katie, Gpa and I had a great time...mostly being slugs but we were together and had great conversation and laughed a lot...the best way to spend a wknd, wouldn't you agree?

The house is back to normal...which is almost too quiet. I got up at 5 a.m., and have enjoyed ME time even if I could have stayed in bed longer. The NYSE is closed, so my office is closed as well.

We continue to have icy roads and due to that fact I have not seen my mother for a few days, today I am going in to town alone and will spend as much time with her as possible. We both are in need of a manicure so hopefully she will be agreeable and I can cross that off my list. I will also need to do some errands while in town.

I think I have come up with a solution in regards to Gramma's Aprons and the outside border...I am going to do some marking and see where it all comes out, it won't be like I first planned, but as you have already heard about me "You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules." and if the marking doesn't pan out, well...you have also heard this about me... "You use lots of colorful language and expressions."

And in regards to Mr. King...thank you.
My world is a better place because you took a stand for what you belived in.
Thank you, Mr. King.

Progress and stuff

2007-01-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

I am continuing to work on Gramma's Aprons...there is a faint light at the end of the tunnel!! I have set a goal of having this done-done within a short while and will continue to plug along.
There are only 2 sides left to do and but I have run into a bit of a calculation problem. One side and a corner spaced out evenly and I am very happy with the outcome...the spacing on the second side has gotten off and for the life of me, I cannot find where or how...I decided I could "do it my way" and make an adjustment, which is what I have done...the top, one corner and one side are done. I am not sure how the spacing got off, but it did, the quilt measures out right...but the marking didn't!!! I need to mark the bottom and see what I come up with...maybe a need for some more creative marking...hopefully not!!!

Monday you will find me in MCM getting backings ready for 9-10 quilts. I may have already mentioned that a friend and I have reserved 2 quilting machines for January 19-21. The shop owner will let you use her machines FREE if you are quilting for charity, which we are. Reservations are hard to get, we made these reservations back in September!!! I am hoping we can look at her books and get another reservation in sooner than later!

Ed and I have two grandkids with us this weekend. Rex (14) and Kaitlyn (9). We're having a blast, as always! Katie and I cooked dinner last night: Baked Ziti, cheese bread, green beans. Sometimes I forget how much a 14 yr old boy can consume!! Today we went to town (drove on icy roads!) where the guys went to see Pursuit of Happyness and us girls went to see Charlottes Web. I had thought we were all going to Pursuit of Happyness but Katie said she didn't want to see a sad movie...HA!! at the end of Charlotte's Web Katie and I were both using our salty popcorn napkins to mop the tears off our faces and blow our noses when Charlotte died! LOL we are so silly!

I wanted to share a couple more snow pictures. I love snow...(oh, I said that earlier, didn't I?? LOL) This pic was taken at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday as I was headed off to the office. At 11 a.m. I left the office and did not return...it had continued to snow and we had gotten quite a bit more, plus there was a nice layer of ice under it. Before I left the office I rescheduled appts, no reason for anyone to be out in that! We still have plenty of snow on the ground, roof tops are still covered with snow. Temps remain in the 30's so it isn't melting and if it should melt it just freezes into ice. The kids were given a "Yahtzee" weekend...5 days off in a row!

This next pic is of Rex and Katie's snowman, it was waaay too cold to be outside (22!!) so they made a quick snowman and came inside...they made a snowman because they wanted Ryan to see the snow. They raided the jar on the kitchen counter that is full of odds and ends of toys and etc since Mr. Snowman needed a few friends, a pet or two and some wheels...his hat is a cupcake paper, his nose is a toothpick....no eyes because the cheerios wouldn't stick on him, Rex said that was ok because he is sleeping...actually, he is lucky to have a head at all since his head kept falling off!! They had a good time and both came in with RED hands, cheeks and noses!
This pic is of JackFrost on my dogwood tree, isn't it beautiful? I should have played around with the settings on the camera before taking this pic but I didn't...all of the trees and plants in our yard were covered with frost this morning, it was just as beautiful as the snow has been.

Here we go again....

2007-01-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

....I was chatting with a couple of friends last night when one of them mentioned that her dad had a coin collection...my dad did as well...I think it was very common for people of our fathers age to have extensive coin collections...and they didn't keep them in safety deposit boxes, safes, vaults, rather, they kept them in shoe boxes, coffee cans, cigar boxes...just about anything they could stuff in a drawer or under a bed. Many collections were stolen or lost or suffered some other such horrible ending. Makes me shutter to think about those expensive collections just tucked away somewhere but it was just the way things were done.

For most of 2000 my parents were park hosts at the county park just outside of our little town. They had "moved into the job" for a variety of reasons, some of which were:

They were looking for a piece of property to purchase so that they could finally move near the ocean. It had been a life long dream of my mothers.
It was our youngest sons last year of high school and they wanted to spend more time with him before he was off to uncharted territory, the next phase in his life.
Our oldest son's wedding was scheduled for early October and they came to help us paint the inside of our house, work in our yard and do some minor re-decorating while I worked on making Naomi's wedding gown (9 months of sewing beads on lace..the dress was beautiful if I do say so myself!!).

They had moved their motor coach into the park host spot, putting out a picnic table, momma and I planted flower baskets, daddy and Ed put out a pin to keep the dogs in (which the dogs were NOT happy about!!!) and built a wind shelter. We did all we could to make it a nice home away from home for them. My parents were used to living in their motor coach for long periods of time...they had traveled to the East coast for months on end...this was old hat for them - just another one of their life adventures. Momma had set up her sewing machine and she worked away at this and that project. Daddy and the dog would go for walks, ride his bike and there was always someone for him to talk to...I don't think my dad ever met a stranger!

The park they were hosts at is a nice county park with a boat ramp, camping spots, picnic area, ball diamonds and playgrounds, but when night comes you never know who is going to be around. There is a bridge that crosses the river and during the warmer months there are always a few people who live under the bridge. The park has a $5 overnight fee for campers so it is a favorite place for travelers to pull into in the middle of the night to get off the road...they never knew who or what would be parked there when they got up in the morning. There is a railroad track that runs along side the park, within 20 feet of where they parked. My dad worked for and retired from the railroad so he was always aware of who might "jump" the train and then get off where ever they wished. In spite of it all, it was a great place for my parents to set down roots, even if only temporarily.

They became comfortable with their space, spent lots of time searching the coastal towns for property to purchase, helped us work on our house. Life was good! I loved having my parents close by for the first time in my married life.

Around 2 a.m. one summer night, they were awaken by a pop and a loud noise! The dog immediately started barking his head off!! Dad jumped out of bed (in his tighty-whitey's), grabbed his hand gun and started hollering to whoever it was that was shooting at them. They had a cell phone but it was at the front of the coach and daddy wouldn't let momma get it because he didn't want her shadow to give any one a moving target to begin shooting at. He went to the door and hollered out but no one answered. Momma was still laying flat in bed trying to get the dog to stop barking. Daddy pulled on a pair of jeans and went out to see what was going on, oh my momma was madder than mad at him, she was livid!! He took the flash light and out the door he went: jeans, no shirt, no shoes ~ just his gun and a flash light. Momma was instructed to lock the door behind him and not unlock it unless he said to. He walked around outside but didn't see any thing, momma could hear him cussing something but since his voice was low she figured he was just muttering to himself..and besides the dog was barking so she wouldn't have really heard him anyway.

He didn't see anything nor did he see anyone. No one came running from under the bridge to see what was going, no one wandering around out in the park...nothing. When he got back in the coach momma called 911, the patrol officer showed up right away, he took a report, then he and my dad walked around outside near the coach and up on the train tracks. They didn't find anything unusual but the officer said he would follow up when it was daylight. Momma and daddy spent the rest of the night sitting up at the table, knowing they would never get back to sleep ~ coffee cups, cell phone and a gun close by.

Later that morning, before his shift was over, the officer showed up again...this time with the chief of police along as well. They did a thorough search but nothing turned up. They did tell my parents that they would be beefing up the patrols during the night time hours.

Momma fixed breakfast, then straightened up the coach, trying to get back to "normal" but she was so uneasy and daddy was like a cat on a hot tin roof ~ going over every inch of the side of the coach looking for the bullet hole or a spent casing. Daddy took momma on a long drive to get away from tension, they came to our house for dinner that night. When they went back to the park and unlocked the coach something smelled horrible! Daddy said it smelled like a winery gone bad. They checked all around but again found nothing out of place. But this new thing, the smell, just added to their anxiety. Momma called and we invited them to spend the night at our house but daddy didn't want to leave the coach all night without someone in it. He was encouraging her to stay with us but she was having no part of leaving him alone.

Night came and once again it was time for bed, even though they both knew sleep would be hard to come by. Momma turned down the bed but it had been such a hot day and the coach had been shut up all day so it was extra hot in there. She decided to take the spread all the way off the bed and fold it up, it was much too warm to need it. As she was folding it up, she noticed that it had a wet spot, which seemed so strange to her and with all else that had been going on it startled her, everything was just so unsettling to her. She checked the platform that the mattress sits on, it was wet as well...and stinky! With great unease she and daddy pulled things away from that corner...the corner where they had heard the pop and loud noise coming from...things were wet and stinky...and becoming more and more unsettling to them both.

Momma followed the stinky, sticky trail back to the closet... she opened the closet door and burst out laughing having found an exploded gallon container of apple cider....it was dripping everywhere. Evidently the cider had gotten hot and started heating up in the closet and at some point during the night the lid popped off, shooting up and hitting the ceiling of the closet with a bang! As they followed the path of the exploded (and now fermenting) cider they found that during the day it had emptied out onto the closet floor...then dripped into a storage space....then seeped between the storage and the bed...under the mattress...and finally accumulated in a drawer under the bed...right into a shoe box, where part of my dad's coin collection was!!!

LOL Ed, Ryan and I spent the next few days "laundering money" as we worked to get those coins de-cidered...while my momma spent several days cleaning up the sticky mess left behind in the coach...and I believe my daddy spent those days still looking for a bullet hole!

Just remembering this story last night made me laugh until Ed asked me what was so funny...when I told him we both started cracking up, laughing until we both were crying!!! LOL....it wasn't funny until there was an explanation, but at that point it became hilarious!!! And yet another thing to rib my dad about, he was always good for a laugh!!!

I miss my daddy.

Treadmills and Tetris

2007-01-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

Laurie over at Quilting Rush posted about her new iPod and a run in she had with a treadmill while using her new iPod...which reminded me about the run in I had with my treadmill...

...let me back up a few years...

I am not a fan of exercising...in any way, shape or form. Hate it, don't have time for it, but I do it...ugh...just because I know I should, double ugh.

Now, because of my great distaste for this awful necessity of life I will go to great lengths to make it a bit more appealing to me....Walk with a friend (can't walk and talk!). Walk with the dog (he marked the whole town while I stood and waited on him). Swim laps (ugh, our town only has an outdoor pool and lap swimming is ONLY at 5 a.m.!!!). Go to CURVES (I loved it, the Dr said NO WAY!!). Use an exercise bike (oh my aching bottom!). Sweatin' to the Oldies (Richard and I parted company because he kept yelling!!! I don't need anyone to yell at me. And besides I don't think I could have done one more workout while seeing him in those red and white shorts GROSS!!!).

My friend had an awesome, and I do mean awesome, treadmill that she was no longer able to use (CHF). It has every bell and every whistle a treadmill could possibly want....inclines up to 20 different positions, safety clip to turn off in case of emergency, lap counter with little lights that light up as you walk your way around the track, speed control, heart beat monitor, counter to count your burned calories, blah, blah, blah....so we traded a day bed I had for her treadmill, we both came away thinking we had each gotten the better deal and I had totally found my exercise calling! I love my dream machine treadmill and it is the only thing I can honestly say I have stuck with all these years later, no I don't use it every dayn but I do get on there several times a week. It is set up in our guest room with the TV right in front of it. Oprah and I have a date several times a week and while she enlightens the world on various topics (did you see her show on poop? do you now wear the correct bra size?) I walk and walk and walk.

Every now and then Oprah has the nerve to broadcast a re-run or a topic that just isn't to my liking! So, instead of skipping the treadmill (which is my first inclination!!!) I dig out the Nintendo Tetris game...OH I LOVE TETRIS...I could play it for hours and hours and hours.

Nine or ten years ago I was playing Tetris while on the treadmill but the game was going faster than my walking and coordination was becoming a problem so I gave the speed button on the treadmill a couple of taps to get me walking a bit faster...I won that level on Tetris and was moved to a higer level and I was watching my lines disappear and my score go higher and higher...tapped the speed button to keep everything insinc, everything going smoothly...both my feet with the treadmill AND my mind and hands with the game.

New level...blocks dropping faster and faster, music playing faster and faster....the game was going better than any I had played in ages....keeping up with the treadmill...things are going good!

New level...oh my...things are speeding up...the music...the falling blocks...my feet and my mind...and now the controller in my hands is flipping here and there as I try to keep the game going .... oh gosh...I wish I could stop the treadmill so I could finish the game....faster ~ faster ~ faster...

All of the sudden my feet went out from under me...the treadmill is still going at a pretty good clip and I have just fallen on my knees...the back of the treadmill is up against the wall and my feet are caught between the end of the treadmill and the wall so I can't get off...the dang thing is moving fast...how in the world could I have walked that fast I will never know!

Here is the hilarious thing...the game is still going and I knew it was going to be my bestest of all bestest scores so I just kept on playing...I couldn't give up!!!!!....I just couldn't!!! So I continued to play with the skin being torn off my knees, elbows and just about everywhere else where there was exposed skin...

Ryan happened to be in the house at the time, heard me hollering and came to my rescue. I will never forget his young (16 yrs??) wisdom...."Mom, that is why they put this emergency shut off clip on there, so you can attach it to your clothing and if you should stumble and fall it shuts the rollers off."

For the longest time I wore my skinned knees with pride, after all I HAD beaten my best Tetris score ever!!

Like a Kid in a Candy Shoppe!!!

2007-01-11T05:54:00.000-08:00

That would be me! We went to bed knowing that snow was forecasted, it was a wonder I could even get to sleep!!!

Ed got up at 2:30 a.m. ~ no snow....I woke at 4 a.m. thinking our elderly neighbor had left a light on in her bdrm or bathroom....nope...this is what was brightening up our neighborhood.

Of course I had to wake Ed, he got up and we ooh'ed and ahh'ed for a few minutes, took a few pics and then went back to bed~ What was I thinking going back to bed??? I couldn't sleep, it was snowing outside and I was missing out! I tossed and turned for a while and then got up and have been enjoying watching the large flakes fall.

We live at sea level...it seldom snows here, and if it does snow it usually doesn't stick. I have no doubt that schools will be closed or at the very least on a delayed schedule. That will make the grandkidlets happy! The local news has reported an additional 2 inches today with freezing fog this afternoon and evening. A good reason for the buses not to run.

I have appointments scheduled for this morning, otherwise I wouldn't be going to the office, I would be playing with the kids!

Sounds like a good day for a cup of snowman tea...(I made several of these "tea for one" pots one year for Christmas...snowmen, penguins, and ME designs...they were fun to do!)

Cleaning up my blog....

2007-01-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

I have a list as long as my arm of things I never seem to find time to do, so today I hope to get a few of those things crossed off my list in order to free my mind up a bit. Near the bottom of this list is "clean up MCM blog", which means...delete old drafts, "fix" the banner, blah blah blah...While deleting old drafts I ran across this post...not sure why it didn't get posted, most likely because I am just not into the meme things (I can usually find plenty to say on my own!) But I read this and decided to just post it anyway and move on...so, here you go...

The ABC's of Pam

Accent - American, when my grandmother was alive I would speak just like her if I was around her for more than a few minutes...hard to describe, kinda mid-western if you know what I mean.

Booze - Hubby's homemade Irish Cream...or a good bottle of Kahlua

Chore I hate most - Dusting

Dog/cat - Cat who thinks he is human, and since you asked....11 hermit crabs, 4 Koi and 3 gold fish

Essential electronics - Digital camera, laptop and cell phone - not always in that order

Favorite perfume - Vanilla Fields

Gold/silver - For years it was ONLY gold, recently some silver has worked its way into my jewelry box, including my grandmothers wedding ring that I wear as my own wedding ring all the time

Hometown - Portland, Oregon - Other than college (Seattle) I have always lived in Oregon

Insomnia - yep....its the pits!

Job title - BOA= Branch Office Administrator

Kid(s) - Two "homegrown" sons (27&25), 1 daughter-in-law(26), 1 "heart grown" son(35), 1 "heart grown" daughter(35), 1 "homegrown" granddaughter(4), 1 "homegrown" grandson(3), 2 "heart grown" grandsons(14&11), 1 "heart grown" granddaughter(9)

Living arrangements - Happily married to and living with hubby of 29 (almost 30!) years in our 1928 bungalow that has recently gotten a long overdue face lift both inside and out.

Most admirable trait - Finding a silver lining in every cloud-yes, they are out there, sometimes you gotta look harder than at other times, but you most likely will find the silver lining if you try.

Number of countries visited - 3 - USA, Canada, Mexico

Overnight hospital stays - I can think of 12 off the top of my head, but let's just say I've had my share and a few other peoples share as well.

Phobias - heights...and falling, I have nightmares about falling from roof tops, windows, ferriswheels....and usually wake up in a cold sweat

Quote - "Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." and “If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” and “If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever.”Gotta love Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh
Religion - I prefer "Relationship" - Believer and follower of Jesus Christ

Siblings - 3 older brothers, 1 older sister....yes, I am the baby of a family of 5

Time you usually wake - 5:15 am even on the weekends when I don't have to be at the office by 7:30 am

Unusual talent/gift - Compassion, it is surprising (and sad) how many struggle with this

Vegetable I refuse to eat - cooked spinach~~~bleck!!!!

Worst habit - Starting but not finishing a project....can you say UFO???

X-rays - Please See: "Over night hospital stays" LOL

Yummy foods I make - we can a lot of our food: sweet hot mustard, salsa, hot pepper jelly, apple butter, various fruits and vegetables, turkey soup, tuna...etc...nuthin' better than knowing you have a well stocked pantry, full of yummy home canned foods to share with family and friends all year long.

Zodiac - Aquarius

Back in MCM again....

2007-01-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

OK, so it has been a while since I have spent any length of time in MCM...but tonight I bit the bullet and headed back in there to see what kind of trouble I could get into.

I didn't even sit down at the machine but I did manage to:

get a bunch of strips cut and into a tote...and...
cleaned up the strips mess from working on Nancy's and her father's Heart String Blocks...and...
put away the bolt of thermalamb that was sitting behind my sewing chair...and...
re-stacked the quilts under the window (Meow jumps up there and had knocked them over)...and...
packed a box of this and that and that and this to send off to LindaJ and the BamaBelles...and...
cleaned off the end of the ironing board...you know where everything piles up....and...
put away my Christmas fabric stash...and...
sorted through 6 UFO's in pizza boxes...trying to be realistic about whether I will finish them or not...and...
pulled stickers out of my scrapbooking supplies for my calendar pages

Doesn't sound like much, but it was a start, I really want to start spending at least a few minutes each day in MCM, even if it isn't actually sewing.

Currently I am still plugging along with Gramma's Aprons. I am continuing to enjoy the handquilting process, finding it peaceful and calming. My goal is to have Gramma's Aprons completed by the end of February at the very latest.

Monday is a holiday and the NYSE is closed so our office is closed as well. I will spend that day getting backs ready for my upcoming machine quilting wknd.

Inspite of all the UFO's and WIP's and etc I have, inspite of the fact that I need a new quilt for our bed, inspite of my need to get some hot pads, table toppers and placemats made for the kitchen I am giving some (ok, a lot) of consideration to joining a couple of friends who are doing some redwork. I just can't say no...why can't I just say "no!"? I don't know and there for I have a room full of UFO's, WIP's and etc as well as projects in my mind that need doing...

Oh well...it is what keeps life interesting, right???

Behind...Catching up

2007-01-10T06:58:00.000-08:00

Holiday Antenna Ball Catch Up Time....

Jackman

Mickey Clause

Partyman
(for some reasons Jack is always missing an eye,
or maybe he just wants to be a pirate???)

Partyman is coming off this week...hmmmm...what will be next?

And On The Flip Side....

2007-01-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

Love is....

putting his shoes and socks on him for 6 six months (and counting!) following his back surgery
taking the trash out while he is taking a nap so he doesn't have to do it in the rain
fixing his pajama pants ~ for the 3rd time ~ and not complaining
watching football, basketball and baseball even when there is something else I would rather do
programing his cell phone AGAIN
watering the flower baskets
sleeping on the couch when he is "sleeping too loud" aka snoring
doing 90% of the driving because he doesn't like to
thanking him EVERYDAY for making the bed
thanking him EVERYDAY for preparing lunch
cleaning the filters on the Koi pond
leaving a love note in the medicine cabinet on his side or any number of other places that he will find it while I am at the office
bring him home a new cane, just because he likes to use a different cane everyday and a new cane gives him another choice
re-cutting his hair because he hated the way the barber did it
listening to the rock tumbler, in the basement below our bedroom, 24/7 for 21 days straight, month after month, because it is his life long hobby to polish rocks!
leaving the towels he likes most in the cupboard and using the other set
dropping the recycling off at the recycling center, saving him a trip later in the week
declining the last glass of milk, knowing he really wants it
keeping the TV volume low while watching the morning news so he can sleep in a bit longer
camping in the rain...and not whinning ;-) was hard not to whine!!!
setting the heater in the car to blow hot air on our feet...even though it always makes my feet too hot but his circulation is so very bad in his feet and legs
encouraging him to take up a new hobby he has always been interested in
reminding him what a great father he is
reminding him what a great grampa he is

OK, I had to do this...not because I wanted to list what I do for him, simply because it is so very important to state that love (and marriage) is a two way street.

So many times we identify how much someone loves by the gifts we get/give, not by the ACTS of love we share: Opening the car door, taking out the trash...etc. Diamonds, fancy cars, vacations will not carry us through the rough times. A surprise latte or finding a love note tucked away will go alot farther than you might imagine.

Tell your spouse what they mean to you, not only in words but also by how you treat them. I am thinking it is alot like a smile...very contagious. The whole "do unto others" really does have some validity.

Now...I promise back to my regularly scheduled Quilting Blog...but be prepared...it will continue to be sprinkled with life, how can it not be?!

Love is....

2007-01-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

not complaining when I paint my nails and the nail polish fumes stink up the living room
tucking me in bed each night..yes, I am old and he is older but he does this each night anyway
surprising me with a bowl of ice cream sprinkled with bits of York Peppermint Patties
not sighing when I ask a stupid question about football
washing my car ~ by hand ~ in 49 degree weather
not complaining when I get home later than expected, after dark (he was a bit worried)
bringing me a quilt for my legs just because he thought I might be cold
surprising me with a latte at the office, just because "I was out for a drive and thought of you"
not laughing when he sees that my shirt is on inside out (its been a long day!)
getting the coffee pot ready each night so all I have to do is push the button in the morning so my coffee is ready ASAP
sticking with a conversation even though it is a difficult topic that neither one of us wants to address
buying pepperoni slices just because he knows I love them for a snack
spending time with my mother from time to time so I can have a break
giving me "Pam Night", a night home alone each week
humoring me when I want to talk about spring planting in the middle of winter
encouraging me, and joining me, in my desire to provide for those less fortunate than we are
giving me my space when I need it most...
...and...knowing when those times are!
opening the car door for me ~ ALWAYS!
laughing with me
holding me when I cry
surprising me with a book from the library because he knows I don't have time to get to the library before it closed
putting up with my "whole famn damily"
sharing alot of my same goals
making the bed each day, just because an unmade bed is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine, even though it is the chore he HATES the most

For many reasons it was a really rough Summer and Fall for us, but Winter brought peace and calm back to our lives. Ed and I adore each other and our marriage has always been filled with "acts of love" for each other, even during the rough times we respect each other and want only the best for each other...that is what love is!
Yesterdays sermon was on marriage, a great way for all couples to start each new year...each day really...re-evaluating where you have been, where you are and where you are going in your marriage! It was a great sermon and we have spent hours discussing some interesting perspectives, both his and mine. We are blessed and have must to be thankful for.

Just in the nick of time....

2007-01-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

...a set of Heart Strings to celebrate Nancy's birthday~and~

...a set of Heart Strings to honor her dad.

It is 9 p.m. at my house which means it is 11 p.m. at Nancy's house which means I got these blocks done just in time to not be late!!!

OK, now I am going to answer a few emails, read a few blogs, iron my clothes for tomorrow and then lay my head on the pillow. Good night!

On a Roll

2007-01-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

I guess I am on a roll after thinking I was in a funk...maybe confession is a motivator as well as good for the soul.

Today is "Mom Day"...after church we will take her a good meal, usually it is restaurant food but sometimes we take something homemade instead. Since we live 20 miles away from her and we leave our house at 9:30 a.m., go to church first and then see her around 12:15 p.m. it is hard to take something hot from home...during the cooler winter months she doesn't often get a home cooked meal on Sunday (sometimes during the week, after work, we take her a hot meal)...during the warmer summer months we can pack a "picnic-y" type lunch and she enjoys that as well. After a while it is sometimes hard to come up with something different she might enjoy for a change since finger foods are easiest for her. I am thinking today will be chicken nachos from our favorite Mexican food resturant...maybe...maybe not. If we take her a meal I know she is at least getting one meal that has familiar flavors and things she likes.

Last week I filled out mommas 2007 calendar, adding birthdays, anniversaries and other such special days that she will want to remember. Oh boy does momma like her calendar...she has always been one to keep an up-to-date calendar near by. This year her calendar is I Love Lucy...which made her laugh because she and I both LOVE Lucy!! This is Lucy and me at Universal Studios last summer. Meeting Lucy was the highlight of my day, of course I thought we were going to have to call an optometrist to fix my grandsons eyes with all the eye rolling they were doing when their gramma saw Lucy and just about ran over everyone in her path to get to her, were my grandsons sunburned or was it just embarrassment...we might never know!...(LOL, I am so glad - and amazed - that they don't dis-own me 90% of the time!!!) What do you think, hasn't Lucy (and I) aged well? My mother has this picture hanging in her room next to the I Love Lucy heart shaped lapel pin I brought back to her, the picture makes her laugh and that makes my heart happy. I DO LOVE LUCY!!!

Ed managed to get 14 quart jars of turkey soup canned yesterday (my lunch date ended up being an all day affair so I wasn't any *read NO* help to him). Of the dozens of jars of this and that which we canned this seaon only one jar of salsa not seal...well...guess what, one jar of soup didn't seal either ( I am blaming 2 of of chatting friends for jinxing this!!!). Tomorrow he will take that jar up to some friends of ours...an elderly-semi-shut-in couple. They will enjoy the soup with some hot fresh bread that I will get in the bread maker when I get up tomorrow.
Today is Nancy's birthday! Happy Birthday my dear blogging friend!!! She has asked us to make Heart String blocks for a group she belongs to in honor of her special day and in memory of her father who passed away the day before Thanksgiving. This I will do when we get home late this afternoon. Nancy has become a great friend to me and this is the least I can do for her! If you are so inclined, please join us. You can read all about it and follow links from her blog since she is a member of the Heart Strings group. So, that is on my schedule for later today...bday blocks for Nancy. Oh...and I get to cut into my fresh bolt of muslin that still has the plastic wrapping around it! A fresh bolt of muslin, waiting to become many and various things...just think of all the possibilities!!!

How To Waste The Day Away by Pam....

2007-01-06T10:57:00.001-08:00

...I really have tons I need to be doing but decided to toss in a quick post...I wonder how much time I waste on the computer and what all I could get done if I would just leave it turned off for a day??? LOL Actually, please don't answer that question...I really DON'T want to know!!

I am having lunch with a friend today. We tried to get together before Christmas but both of our schedules were way crazy so we decided to wait until January. I am really looking forward to chatting with her, we both work for the same firm but in different offices, different towns...I am sure there will be lots of "shop talk" as well as just catching up with each other.

This morning I quickly made up these 2 little hotpads (first finish of the new year!!) to give to my lunch date, yes they are Christmas prints, I have had a stack of these hotpads cut out for weeks but have not done any sewing, not even the simple seam it took to get these done. Please check out the tutorial for these quick, fun hotpads...the original pattern is for coasters but I enlarged these to 8" square for hotpads. While you are visiting the tutorial, check out the rest of Jenny's blog..it is full of wonderful ideas, she is a very talented lady!

Now that I have one set of these made up I will make some everyday ones (rather than holiday) for myself out of these FQ's that my sister brought be in November, aren't they beautiful??? I love them all but my favorites are the 2 with bright colored circles and the yellow plaid...I am thinking hotpads, and am going to do my best to get a table topper out of them as well, most likely will pull from my stash for the backing so as to get the most mileage of of these FQ's. Thanks again, Nancy....I love how my kitchen has your touch all through it with red table cloth and napkins, my olive jar and now new hotpads and hopefully a table topper too! (oh let's not forget my 2 (LOL) cherry sink strainers)

Ed is canning turkey soup today...and I am sure he will still be canning when I get back from town later this afternoon, meat takes hours in the pressure cooker! I love having homemade turkey soup on the shelf...just toss in some rice or homemade noodles and you have a quick ready made lunch. He cooked and boned a 24 lb. turkey so you know how much soup we have to can!!!

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall...

2007-01-05T17:47:00.001-08:00

...I Am My Mother Afterall

I've been reflecting on a lot of different things in my life of late....I tend to go through these seasons from time to time...something will happen to trigger a memory and off I go down Reflection Road.

So....these are a couple of the things I have found on this trip down Memory Lane.

My mother loved spending time with her grandchildren...and since I have 2 sons I was able to see her interact with grandsons more than granddaughters. Rex is my oldest grandson, he is 14. When our oldest son, Roy, was about the same age he was in the kitchen fixing something or another and my mother came around the corner and gave him the biggest hug then kept walking through the kitchen and into the diningroom. This past Christmas day I was standing at the kitchen sink at our kids' home and Rex came through, put his arm around my neck and said "I have the best gramma in the world." Roy said that to me about his gma...my mother...after getting that special hug from her. I am not sure what prompted Rex to hug me or make that statement but I do know that I learned to be the gramma I am by watching my mother with her 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grands.
I love holding my mothers hands...and I love it when she holds my hand...she strokes my hand, plays with my jewerly (my wedding ring was her mothers ~ my grandmothers ~ wedding ring), she pokes at the saggy skin on my knuckles ~ she has the softest touch. Almost every day that I see my mother I get a hot wash cloth and wash her face and hands...then I message her hands and arms with "stinky stuff" hand lotion that is saved just for this purpose. I love the feel of her skin and she loves getting all that attention. Our granddaughter, Kaitlyn (age 9) loves it when I message her hands or feet with "stinky stuff". She and I can sit for hours sharing conversation, reading books, watching a movie and holding pinkies. The power of touch. The picture above is my mothers and my left hands...as much as our hands look alike...my sisters hands look even more like my mothers, someday I hope to get a picture of our 3 hands together.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall
I am My Mother Afterall

(I am one lucky daughter!)

Kinda in a funk...

2007-01-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

Not much going on around here in a quilty way..actually nothing, zippo, zilch, nada going on in the quilting department. I haven't even picked up Gramma's Aprons to work on the quilting lately. I have struggled getting past the accident and think it took more out of me emotionally than I at first thought.

I have Christmas gift pictures to share...

This is a set of place mats I made for our youngest son, Ryan, who loves sushi (*bleck!!!!) and eats it several times a week. I found this wonderful novelty fabric and knew it had to become something for Ryan. It was a FQ bundle and there is plenty left over for napkins, hot pads...etc. I just need to figure out what might be practical for a single guy...most likely hot pads...maybe a simple table topper.
For Christmas last year ('05) his dad made him his own sushi dinnerware. The platter says "Ryan" the bowl is the letter "G" for our last name. I figured he needed a set of placemats to go with the dinnerware.
*I have tried sushi...on one of my trips to San Diego, Ryan picked me up at the airport at 9 p.m. and decided we needed to have dinner. I had worked all day, gotten on a plane and flew to PDX, had a long layover, another (unexpected) layover in San Franciso, then into San Diego. I was tired and hungry but energized and excited to be living in Ryan's World for a week. He took me to a questionable area of town and offered me sushi for my dinner...uh..no thank you! I did try it but it wasn't and isn't for me. He loves it, so I will celebrate his love of sushi via my love of quilting...but that is as close as I will get!! LOL

OK, that is it for now...gonna be late getting to the office if I don't get moving!!!

Everyone Is OK...

2007-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

We didn't get to play in the snow over the long New Year Weekend. Saturday we were following our kids up the mountain on very icy roads when their truck started slipping and then slid across the road, hitting the mountain side before crossing over to the other side and going down an embankment, when the truck finally stopped it was nose down in a shallow creek.

Everyone is ok, pretty shook up, but ok. They are sore from bumping around in the truck and Albert took the brunt of the impact on his side when the drivers door hit a tree and he has (had) a stiff back. Tristan is a bottler so hasn't said much, although today he seems much better than yesterday...he is sticking pretty close to either Albert or Angela at all times.

Watching while all this is happening, knowing that your kids and grandkids are in that vehicle...well, I never want any of us to have to go through this again. As soon as Ed could get stopped I was out of the car and headed down the embankment at the same time Angela was getting her door open (her door was the only one that would open) and we got the kids out. Later, while we were de-briefing, both Angela and I said we feared two things: fire and water, and knew we needed to get everyone out of and away from that truck.

We have much to be thankful for...and immediately were praising God for His coverage. Seatbelts...everyone had one on and they kept everyone from tumbling around inside the cab. It was not snowing nor was it raining...visibility was clear. No fire. The truck stayed upright and did not roll. The road we were on (Hwy 138) follows a river, just a few wks ago a college age couple slid off the road not far from where we were and lost their lives when their vehicle plunged into the river. The roads were heavily traveled...but no cars were coming down the mountain, nor were there any directly behind us going up the mountain when the accident happened. When vehicles did go by, they quickly inquired as to safety and if we needed help, no one caused any traffic jams or obstructions~no chain reactions, no rubbernecking. This took place on a blind corner...while we were waiting for help all cars (trucks, RV's and etc.) that came around the corner were able to stay on their own side of the road. The deputy who arrived (in about 20 minutes!) was very helpful and had a very calming effect on each one of us. Our grandkids are the best! They obeyed without questioning and did everything they were told without complaining. When Grampa turned the car around, and headed back down the mountain, no one said "I wish we could still play in the snow" (although Kaitlyn did whisper that to me while she and I made dinner later that evening).

So, there we were, the 7 of us with one small car...yep..our little HHR. We took the valuables out of the truck, then filled the back of our little HHR with as much other stuff as we could get in there (the bed of the truck was full of our "play in the snow stuff" as well as lunch and etc). The deputy told us to buckle the kids in and smoosh the adults in "wherever and however you can" to get back to the cabin we had rented (about 40 miles away). It was tight, but we managed. As you can imagine, everyone was still pretty shook up so not a word was said for the first 30+ miles of driving on ice just to get off the mountain.

After we got back to the cabin Albert and Angela took our car and went to meet the tow truck at the wrecking yard about an hours drive away (they wanted to remove all their personal property and empty the glove box and etc.) and then to get a rental car...guess what...no rental cars to be found Saturday night + Holiday wknd + Podunk town = no rental cars!!!

Saturday night, while A&A were dealing with the towing company and etc. Ed and I kept the grandkids busy playing games, fixing dinner, and trying to draw Tristan out a bit. Rex really stepped up to the plate and buddied up to Tristan a bit as well. What a great big brother he is! By the time A&A got back to the cabin everyone had calmed down a lot, we plugged in a movie and had some family time that didn't include "wreck talk" and everyone was in bed by 11 p.m.

On Sunday we weeded through all the stuff we had (clothing, bedding, food, entertainment) and loaded ONLY what we HAD to bring home. The place that we rented a cabin from was gracious enough to let us leave behind the rest (which was ALOT). Then the 7 of us piled back into our little car and came home (2½ hr drive). The car looked like a "Weebles Wobble But They Don't Fall Down" car with a very loaded cartop carrier on it!

I can really sympathize with our foremothers who traveled on a wagon train and had to leave things behind...choosing what is too valuable to leave behind and what has to be left behind no matter what its value is. We were fortunate to be able to store out things, knowing (hoping!!) that it would all be there when we went back for it but it really made me stop and appreciate those ladies who lived a much harder life so many years ago.

Today Ed and I got up and drove back to the cabin and picked up all that we had left behind and then out to the wrecking yard to get snowboards and etc that were still in the truck.

Tomorrow is back to work for Albert and I, Angela and the kids go back to school on Wednesday, Ed will get back into his normal routine tomorrow as well....we are all looking forward to normal.

Before leaving this morning I spoke to my sister, she said their was a family in a similar accident over the wknd not far from where we were, unfortunately they all 5 lost their lives. My heart is just aching for that family, the 3 children were very close in age to Rex, Tristan and Kaitlyn.

Hug your babies, call your kids and grandkids...life is too precious to let any opportunity to tell our loved ones how much we care, how much they mean to us, go by.

Eggnog, Garfield Style!

2006-12-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

We love Eggnog...during the holiday season we make Eggnog lattes rather than anyone of our other favorite lattes. Seems like Garfield and Jon love Eggnog too! So, here is our Santa Eggnog picture for 2006. We agree with Garfield and Jon, Eggnog tastes better in Santa hats!

Christmas 2006 has come and gone. Christmas Eve we spent with our kids here in town: dinner, games, movie and then the reading of the Christmas story. This year Kaitlyn and Tristan shared the responsibility- each reading half. Each year the children take turns reading, this has been a family tradition since our own boys learned to read and is now being passed on to the grandkidlets. Always warms my heart to hear them as they read the story.

Christmas Day morning Ed and I got up bright and early and spent most of the day with Momma~gave her her packages (camera battery died as soon as I turned the camera on!!! grrrrr!!!), we went down to the dining hall for a nice ham dinner, back to her room to watch Elf (her favorite part was the singing in the bathroom part - if you haven't seen the movie I will not spoil it for you). One of her gifts was a digital photo frame that I had loaded with 100's of pics (gotta love those 2.0 GB disks!) that she seems to enjoy oohing and aahing over. She kicked us out about 3 p.m. I think she was ready for a nap but we teased her telling her she was tired of US!! It was a good day for her and her spirits were up....always a good thing for me as I get so emotional when she is down.

4 p.m. dinner at the kids house. Dinner, games, football, laughter...more games and lots more laughter. Around 8 p.m. I started to feel "wierd", wasn't sure what was going on but knew I didn't feel well...we left at 9, a bit early for us but, I just needed to be home...I went to bed and did not wake up until 3 p.m. the next day. Achy body...headache...slight fever. It is pretty much gone now but it knocked me out for a while. I missed a whole day of my life!!! good thing it hit after the holiday and not before!

Yesterday I worked through the morning but did not return after lunch, was still a bit tired and business was slow so the boss said he would handle the office alone (do you all see as many red flags as I see in that? LOL). Today and tomorrow I am using up the last of my use it-or-lose it vacation time and will return to the office NEXT YEAR LOL.

We were suppose to go to Diamond Lake today but I feel the need to stay home one more day so will go tomorrow if I am feeling up to it. The kids are all going up tomorrow afternoon. How fun to ring in the New Year sledding, making snow angels, having snow ball fights and laughing with the grandkids! Today will be spent preparing easy meals to toss in the oven or microwave so that we can spend as much of the wknd outdoors as possible. (Overnight breakfast casserole, meatballs for spaghetti dinner, etc.) Will take the crock pot and keep redhot punch going all day for warm ups between outings.

Happy New Year to all!

For Ryan, Chris and Bob

2006-12-23T07:46:00.000-08:00

Have a Beary Merry Christmas

MM MM MM MM Can you smell it???

2006-12-20T06:37:00.001-08:00

Oh the smells of Christmas! Is there anything better than the wide variety of Christmas smells all around us?

Wassail, peppermint, ginger, sage, cinnamon, coriander, pumpkin pie. Candles burning with their new and various scents. Can you smell snow in the air...me either, but I can smell the Christmas trees, wreaths and greens all around.

I love the smells of Christmas!

Sunday afternoon Ed took over the kitchen for "Ed Bread Day". OH MY....Christmas really hits home when the first batch of Ed Bread hits the oven...the house smells so wonderfully yummy and Christmasy!

The first year we were married my DMIL sent us a bread recipe and insisted we try it, well...Ed and I thought the mix of ingrediants were just too way out there for our tastes so we passed on making it up. (DMIL always had a MUST try recipe up her sleeve!!!). Finally Ed made up a batch just to tell his mom that, yes we tried it (we knew we wouldn't like it). LOL doesn't it figure that it has become Ed's specialty bread, and our pal Bruce dubbed it "Ed Bread". We love this bread!

Each year Ed bakes many many round loaves of this bread, varying the size of the loaf to match the size of the family we give them to. A small round for our widowed neighbor, a large round for our friends who travel to Wilsonville each year to spend the holiday with a group of family members, medium loaf for others. In years past Ed has baked as many as 30 loaves...the list has narrowed and he doesn't bake nearly as many now.

When the boys were little we would pack all the bread in boxes...I would make a list of who was to get what size and off we would go ~ delivering bread all over town, one of the boys would run to the door hand the bread over with a hearty "MERRY CHRISTMAS" shouted as they ran back to the car and off to the next house we would go...how fun to share the gift of giving with our children. After getting their licenses the boys would go through the list and pick a few people they wanted to deliver to and off they would go bread and list in hand to deliver a bit of Christmas cheer and their dad's Ed Bread, Ed and I would deliver the rest. While the boys were in college, and home on break, they would grab the list and boxes of bread and would be gone for hours and hours as they delivered bread and visited with those they had not seen for months, frequently we would later hear from the recievers how much they enjoyed visiting with the boys (oh the pride of a mothers heart).

It's Christmas at our house...no tree, no lights on the house but can you smell it??? Ed Bread, yummy!!!

Gingerbread Houses and Blue Ribbons...

2006-12-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

...what do they have in common? Well for this post the only thing Gingerbread Houses and Blue Ribbons have in common is the fact that they are going to be the two topics for this post...

For years my sister hosted our whole family for the long Thanksgiving wknd...we have a large family so this was a huge gift from her to our family~allowing her home to be over run with kids, the living room over run with men watching football, the kitchen over run with cooks (too many!!!), and just about every inch of her house pretty much full of noise and chaos...bathrooms running out of toilet paper, the sink always full of dishes, dogs and kids everywhere...the mud room full of NOT MUD...but goodies (that is where the yummy stuff was always kept, like momma's pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting)...the barn was where the kids would gravitate as they got a bit older. My parents would take their motorhome over a day or so ahead of time so when it got too loud we knew we could find a couple of minutes of peace out there. My brother would pull his camper in the yard somewhere and my sister always had their camper ready for Ed and I a place to be as well. My sister, a very gracious hostess, really knows how to throw a party! I bet she was never so glad to see tail lights on cars as she was the Sunday after Thanksgiving...the whole fam damily come and gone!!!

During the weekend a few traditions took place.

At some point, usually on Friday night, we played BUNCO. Hilarious time with lots of "I'm gonna win!" and "You won last year!" and of course "DUCK" as the Bunco Buddy was tossed from table to table. Everyone got to play, no matter what your age! Even the littlest ones played, maybe with a bit of help from an older cousin or grandma, but they got to play too. There was always alot of laughter and ribbing that went on during BUNCO
Friday morning the ladies would get up VERY EARLY and head off to Bend (an hours drive on a NORMAL day) and be there in time for the after Thanksgiving doorbusters. The last time we were all together we left the farm around 4 a.m., got about 5 miles away and turned back...the roads were a solid sheet of black ice...staying home just seemed to be the better choice!
NOW...this is where the gingerbread house fits in...each year Ed and I would bake gingerbread walls, roofs, chimney's and people for a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. Ed would mix up his secret (yes, it is a secret...and he still won't even tell me!!) recipe for mortar icing. After dinner on Thanksgiving, after the pumpkin pie had been served...after the dishwasher had been run and emptied for the umpteenth time...the ladies and children would take over my sisters master bedroom...card tables were set up all over the place. The gingerbread workshop was open!!! Everyone would put together their own gingerbread house...the ladies did large houses, the kids did smaller houses. My mother had the BESTEST assortment of candies and sprinkles and colored coconut (NO COCONUT FOR MY SISTER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!). Necco wafers. Peppermints. Licorice. Jelly Beans. M&M's (holiday colors!!). Smarties. Tubes and tubes of colored icing. I think momma must have started buying candy around Easter! We would continue to work on our houses throughout the weekend and then try to figure out how to get them transported back to our own homes on Sunday!

I have continued the tradition with my momma, albeit on a much smaller scale!! Now we do a prepackaged gingerbread house on or around Thanksgiving. Then, on Christmas Day we decorate gingerbread people to give to the staff who are working that holiday as a thank you. Here is a picture of Christmas 2005 GingerPeople.
My sister spent Thanksgiving with momma this year so earlier that week I took a gingerbread tree kit and all the needed items (hand mixer, measuring spoons, mixing bowls..etc) over and left them in mommas room. My great-niece, MacKenzie (who just had her 8th bday on Saturday!!!) "helped" Grandma Broken Arm decorate the tree...which we are now refering to as "The Leaning Tower of Christmas". On Christmas day momma and I will again make GingerPeople for the staff who will be working that day.

And Blue Ribbons???? Well, Ed told me a little while ago that I should enter Gramma's Aprons in the county fair, he is SURE I will get a blue ribbon...LOL cracking me up...gee, can you say "This man is in need of some serious points and will do or say anything to get them??" LOL OK, so I gave him a couple of points.

Like Chopping Wood ~~ Warmth X2

2006-12-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

I am working away at getting Gramma's Aprons (Novemeber 6th post) quilted....and loving the process, it's been a long while since I have completely handquilted a quilt.

I had a heck of a time finding any stencils that I wanted to use for the border quilting, finally decided on three different ones that I liked somewhat equally ~ mixed and matched and came up with a plan to use all three! I knew I wanted to put flowers on Gramma's Aprons...thought I might want something vine-y with leaves between the flowers...really like cabling so played around with what I had and what I found and am really liking how it is all coming together... even if it would make some seasoned handquilters gag from using all three of these stencils on the same quilt!! LOL

Just like chopping wood for the winter woodpile, this is keeping me warm while working on it and will keep me warm when it is ready for use. While working on it each evening it is draped over my legs...Akira usually is content to wiggle his way under it and lay on my lap..which is much easier for me to quilt since he is not laying on my bossom, his favorite place to nap!!!

Today is KatieBugs last volleyball game of the year....wrestling is about half over for Rex and Tristan....basketball is just around the corner (all 3 grands)...always hopping with the grandkids, and we try really hard not to miss a moment of any of it.

Christmas gift purchasing is pretty much done at our house, an easy year for us, we knew what we wanted to do for almost everyone early on and had pretty much finished our shopping even before it was time to get started! This afternoon we will get boxes ready to be mailed out on Monday. Still no tree up at our house...at this late date I am thinking it will not happen. Decorating didn't happen either. I do have a few things out that are out only at Christmas but we are not decorated like usual, Ed usually does a fantastic job of getting a nativity display on the lawn and lights on the house, nothing this year. As I mentioned in an earlier post, between his continued recovery from back surgery and my so very graceful fall off the deck (landing on my right shoulder) neither one of us is in any kind of shape to do any of the lugging and toting around that it would take. Next year! Next year!! Next year!!!Here is a pic of my Christmas quilt, it went on our bed this morning. This was finished in 2003, but I think I started it in 2000...got the top done but couldn't make up my mind if I wanted to do the applique Before or After the machine quilting so we used it on the bed for 2 years as an incomplete top. I finally decided to do the applique AFTER I got it back from my machine quilting lady. She did an absolutely wonderful job! The quilting is holly leafs and berries, makes me smile. There are usually 10 or more bears dressing in their holiday attire on the bed as well..but they are packed away, waiting for next year!

Jack-dolph

And today was Antenna Ball Changing Day...so here is a pic of the one coming off...I warned Jack-dolph to keep his eyes closed but he must have peeked at some point while the car was speeding along and now I see he has lost an eye...poor Jack-dolph!! Jack-man is currently on the car, but I don't have a picture to show you...soon...I love Antenna Balls!!!

There you have it...an update for what is worth!

What are you up to???

Blogger Beta

2006-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well....I made the switch...not because I wanted to but becuase I don't have time to finish setting up my website. I think after the new year I will be making another change and you will be able to find me at a different address.

I hated not being able to leave comments on various blogs...grrrr...

So...here I am MCM on beta....now to see if I can post comments again!

2006-12-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

Does your family have one of those days of the year where it seems several historical family events have taken place...on different years, but the same date? Ours does and it is December 10. Let's go back a few years to the beginning...

...30 years ago, on the night of December 10, my then hubby-to-be gave me my engagement ring. We had been dating for sometime and he had asked me to marry him three times since April of that year. I just wasn't ready to commit, although we had dating exclusively and had spoken often of marriage, I just wasn't ready to take our relationship to the next level. In August I moved to Seattle, in October he broke up with me stating that not living in the same town wasn't working well (we had done that for 8 months already and it really WASN'T working well), in November I realized that I loved him and that absence DOES make the heart grow fonder...early in December I proposed to HIM while talking on a payphone! He drove up to Seattle a few days later and slapped that ring on my finger before I changed my mind. LOL The whole thing wasn't as funny then as it has been since...and he has NEVER hesitated to tell people that I asked him to marry me!! and I never let him forget he had to explain to my mother why he thought he should be allowed to marry me! That WAS as hilarious then as it is now!!! My dad?...well, I think my daddy was just glad to get his youngest child (of 5) married off!!! LOL

And then.....25 years ago, December 10, 1981 my niece Traci-Roo was born. Just thinking about Traci makes me smile! Traci is the youngest daughter of my oldest brother and is 8 weeks younger than our son Ryan. When our children were young and we had family gatherings, Ryan and Traci were two peas in a pod. I didn't realize how much Ryan means to her until Traci came for a visit a couple of years ago. Each time she comes she and I spend time together, just the two of us...they are times I will treasure forever. She is such a blessing to my life. Traci lives in North Carolina and is a true Southern Belle! Oh my, as soon as I answer the phone and hear "Aunt Pam" I know it is Traci, boy...sometimes I have to stop and really listen because her accent is so strong! She lives the farthest from my momma but has more contact with grandma than anyone. She calls, sends cards, always a gift for the special days of my mothers life. Traci has been out for several visits with my mother and usually stays for severals days to a week, she pampers grandma and makes her laugh, she is creative with her time spent with grandma. Traci is beautiful, tall, intelligent and her spirit is just as beautiful. I wish she lived closer but we make the best use of email and our cell phones and I always look forward to her visits.

Eight years ago, on December 10, Ryan (then 17 yrs old) underwent the last of many surgeries to correct a life threatening case of pectus excavatum at the UCLA hospital. Ryan, my sister (have I thanked you Nancy??) and I flew to CA a couple of days before for all of the pre-op stuff. My sister and I had an appointment at the bloodbank (Nancy, just for you, I won't go into detail about that ~¿*) Ryan had a long list of appts all day and into the late afternoon. My sister, MY HERO (the bag lady)!!!, found us an awesome suite (this is a story OF LOVE that has to be told but at a later time!!) while Ryan and I finished up his appointments. The next morning he was admitted to the surgical unit and whisked away. Surgery was to be 7 hrs. I was not going to leave the hospital so Nancy and I set up camp in the lobby (I am very experienced at setting up camp in hospitals while waiting!!). Nancy kept me company, she was my second set of ears when we would get updates throughout the day, she made sure I ate and made me laugh. When Dr. Fonkalsrud finally finished and came out to talk to us she was the first one to jump up and hug him, even though she was NOT excited about the picture he showed us of the bar implanted IN Ryan ~ as in seeing the INSIDE of Ryan~bones, bar, muscle etc bleck!!! Ryan and I stayed in LA until the end of the month(again, my sissy is the bestest!), but Nancy had something else to do...she boarded a plane (while I cried like a baby and begged her not to leave me alone in a strange place with my baby boy laying in the hospital!!!) and flew to CO one day ahead of her first grandchild's birth...I think Nancy had had enough of Dr's and hospitals! Ryan's surgery was a success! We love Dr Fonkalsrud for what he did for Ryan! While Ryan was in the hospital Mark Hamill was touring, giving away gifts and etc to people (mostly kids) who were stuck in the hospital during the holidays. Ryan doesn't have much memory of this....but Mark interviewed my sister (who was hilarious!!!) and I and gave Ryan a truck load of gifts. When Ryan and I flew home we were greeted at our teeny tiny commuter airport by so many people! There were signs, balloons, and people...friends, family, Ryan's boss, some of his teachers, his local Dr...all Ryan wanted to do was go home but these people came to show their love for this young man. That wasn't all....we were escorted by more friends for the 20 mile drive home...and when we got home Ed had decorated the house knowing that I could not get a tree up nor would I have the energy to decorate! Roy arrived home from college the next day.

Five years ago ~ December 10, 2001 ~ myself along with many of our family members woke up early and headed to yet another hospital, Legacy Emmanuel in Portland. This was a day we, as a family, had waited for for a long time - infact we had had two other dates set for this life saving surgery but my brother was not well enough...isn't it strange NOT be well enough for something that will save your life? Well, his medical team did not think he would survive surgery...he was too weak...his labs weren't off...something had always been not quite right...BUT on December 10 it was time!...so off we went...several cars worth. Our siblings and some of their children had come from miles away so that we could be together as a family. Our son took the train down from Seattle to be with us. Cell phones were close by to call my parents with progress updates (my mother had stroked exactly 4 months earlier and wasn't able to travel). I was the first to be checked in, but first my sister had to write in INK..."cut here, remove kidney, liposuction please, stitch up with care" across my side from my back to my belly button. LOL Gary checked in next (he didn't and doesn't need liposuction!!). We were quickly separated from our family and each other...I was given one more time to "confidentially" back out???? What? are you crazy??? let's get this show on the road!!! (the process for the donor is a very interesting process to say the least and took months!!) We went through the final hoopes and then were put in the surgical holding area with our spouses....I was first...as they wheeled my gurney past Gary I hopped off...we held each other tight, told him I love him...grinned at him big time then gave him a hormone patch, telling him that since he was soon to be part female he might want to keep it handy!! and off I went....many many hours later I was informed that my surgery was a success...my kidney was perfect for Gary...Gary's surgery was successful and the very second HIS NEW kidney was transplanted it began to function!!! We could ask for nothing more!!! Thank you Jesus!!! Gary and I were a perfect match...his medical team had never seen a match so perfect. Here is a picture of Gary and I taken in January of this year.

Just the way it's gotta be....

2006-12-07T16:08:00.000-08:00

...this year we have opted out of putting a tree up. Well, I should say I opted out of putting a tree up. Ed is still on a 10# weight limit and my shoulder is still giving me fits from the fall I took in October. We are getting old! (Don't be surprised if I do put the tree up afterall!!! I love Christmas trees)

So, since I do not have a 2006 Christmas tree picture to show you I will show you one from 2005. See the package under the tree? As soon as the tree was up and decorated he decided he belonged under the tree...and that is where he could be found if he was in the house, even after we put the wrapped packages under the tree he would still find a way to nestle in a nook or a crannie.

Tomorrow is Open House at the office. Boy will I be DELIGHTED to have this over with for several reasons. This year we cut the time to two hours rather than three, by 7 p.m. tomorrow night I will have been at the office for 12 hrs....and will be ready for the weekend.

What are you up to???

He is just too cute!!

2006-12-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

JJ called last night...

he wanted me to know that my heart is singing

"Hark the Harold Angels Sing"

because he loves me!

He is so funny!!!

Leftovers...

2006-12-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

....don't we all like leftovers...ready to finish off when we are.

Well, I have leftovers on my 2006 Quilty Goals. Five leftovers to be exact, not to be confused with my UFO pile which is as yet uncounted!

Countryside Cottage is a BOM that I started earlier this year. I really wanted to get this one done and in a frame to start the handquilting...the blocks were a quilt finish but the center is all applique and I couldn't find the needed time to get it done...so as is sits I need to finish the applique and then set the blocks for a completed top. No hurry on this...didn't have a plan for this once completed.

Rhythm and Blues is also a BOM. The blocks are finished I just need to set them and move this along. Again, no hurry...no plan.

Garden Pinwheels are leftover blocks from another BOM that I finished in 2000. The completed quilt is one I really love. I did extra blocks for pillowshams, bloster pillows and etc. This is currently sandwiched and pinned ready for some zoom lines, would be a quick and easy finish. Not sure why I bought so many of the extra blocks but it could be that I found them in the clearance pile for $1.00/block. So...I put 9 together for a lapquilt. Again, no hurry...I will send this to a friend in Canada and since she has no idea it is coming it is not on a MUST DO NOW list for me.

Over the Edge...fun doorhanging depicting a sewingroom complete with computer, stash, plants, machines and of course a cat! This is at the border stage. Again, a quick finish if I would just make the time to do it but it hasn't called my name in a few months so it is sitting right where it was when I last pulled it out.

Hot pads!! Oh my goodness. My momma would flip if she saw what I am currently using in the kitchen for hot pads...they are not even good enough to be called rags...they are just TRASH!! But I haven't made new ones yet so that is what I am using. I have some wonderful FQ's ready to be made into beautiful and colorful hotpads...it just hasn't happened. I was hoping my friend Barbara would have pity on me and make me up a few but that hasn't happened! LOL She would do it in a heartbeat if I asked her but I was hoping she would get the hint and do it without being asked.

And last by certainly not least is Gramma's Aprons. I am handquilting this and so enjoying the process. There are 7 aprons left to do before I start on the borders. I will continue to work on this and hope to have it done sometime next month, maybe a birthday gift to myself! I used a bit heavier batting than I usually use knowing that I will use it during the coldest months here in Oregon.

Now...all the rest of what is in MCM in various stages....ugh!!!..I have been giving a few projects away from time to time, repurposing a few projects...and hanging on to a few things that I am not quite ready to make a decision about. There is a gal in Linda's WTIL group, Sarah, that is amazing at creating with leftover odds and ends. While I go through this and that I keep Sarah in mind, knowing that if I send something her way it will be completed and some little one will be the beneficiary. I am enjoying thinning out what is in MCM ~ either by completing my projects or by passing them along ~ and feeling the weight of it all lifting from my shoulders. About half of the UFO's are mine, the other momma's.

Other than working on my Gramma's Aprons, I am hoping to get a couple of table toppers, a couple more sets of placemats, and one name banner done before Christmas. All are quilt as you go so finishing them will be just a matter of putting on the binding~easy-peasy projects!

That is it from me. You most likely will be seeing less and less of me as the end of the year draws close, just too many things going on to be online (or even home!!) much.

I will leave you with a picture of a Nativity I made the year we were expecting our first born child, 1979. (Casualities over time: Mary has had to have surgery to attach her hands and the cow has recovered nicely from horn re-attachment...other than that, all is well! Just to give you an idea of size, the camels measure 13" tall.) It is all done with Mother of Pearl paint and is just beautiful when only the lights on the Christmas tree are shining.

Enjoy December!

The most wonderful time of the year!!!

This and That and That and This

2006-11-30T05:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a sluggish week for me. I came down with a rotten cold (headache, sore throat...etc) on Sunday evening, didn't go into the office on Monday, went on Tuesday but the boss sent me home 2 hrs into my day, didn't go again today...Tomorrow...I will try to go tomorrow! We have an open house next week and I have done NO decorating at all!!! I can already tell it will be more work than I am willing to give at this point in time.

I really have nothing to show for my time off. Did the handwork on a binding then pulled the machine quilting out of Gramma's Aprons because it was HORRIBLE, no two ways about it! So pulled it all out and today I started handquilting it....ah....looks 100 times better~ shoulda gone with the handquilting in the first place but wanted it done quickly so decided to machine quilt it...Why do I always second guess myself??? Anyway...3 blocks quilted and it is looking really nice. I will leave this at my mothers and do the work while we visit.

This is a set of placemats I made for Maddie and JJ while at camp earlier in the month. I thought the FQ bundles were cute. One is cats the other dogs. I totally fell for this FQ bundle, too cute!! I think I can get a few more placemats out of the leftovers...or maybe into the stash it goes. I did make another set of placemats (as fun as, if not more, than the cats and dogs) but will have to wait until after Christmas to show you.

This little log cabin is one of my first foundation pieced projects, using my first quilt block rubber stamp. I gave it to my sister waaay back when. The block is actually a quarter log cabin block. Not sure why it made its way back to my house but I am thinking my sister didn't know it was in with this next quilt that she is loaning me. This is a wallhanging that my mother made, she and I each bought a kit while at the Sand & Sea quilt show in Coos Bay, Oregon in 1997. She started on hers right away...finishing it in record time...I was in the middle of getting our oldest son ready to graduate High School and sending him off to college, he was also the star of a 9 month running play at Sawduster (I was a stagehand)...my sewing time was very limited to say the least, thus my project ended up looking like this........which is also how it looks today. A nice neat UFO. I borrowed my sisters and now that I can see it finished I sadly have no desire to finish my own. I love this wallhanging. It really speaks to me in various ways. It tells a story of two of the most treasured things my mother and I loved to do together, QUILT and attend quiltshows!! But mine is a UFO and I know I will never finish it. So...I hung my sisters in my livingroom and am enjoying it until she askes for it back. The pattern for this was in the 1997 issue of Quilt Sampler Magazine, the scene is representing The Sisters Quilt Show that The Stitchin Post puts on each July in Sisters, Oregon.

Back to my sisters quilt....see the 3 little mini quilts hanging between the trees? If you have ever been to the Sisters Quilt Show you know that there are literally 100's of quilts hanging from every building throughout the town, main streets, side streets....inside and outside the stores. It is an incredible sight to behold. Over the years I have made my sister sets of these little teeny tiny quilts...she has a set for each holiday, there is a set that she put up when it was her month to host B-U-N-C-O (that is 5 minis!), a set for anniversaries, birthdays, new babies...summer, winter...you name it she has tons of these little teeny tiny blocks ~ And I can't wait for her to FIND them and send them to me !!!

LOL Actually, there is more to this story (you knew that already, didn't you?). My sister and her husband moved off the family farm and into a new home a couple of years ago and as with all of us , there are a few things that just don't get unpacked~a few boxes that play hide and seek...well, all those little mini blocks are still in that unpacked state~hiding in one of those boxes that just doesn't want to be found. When I asked her to send me the wallhanging she said "of course!"and the mini blocks ~silence~...and a few days later when I asked if she had sent them ~more silence~. One day we were on the phone and she was in the garage looking for something ... hmmm... "Are you looking for those teeny tiny blocks?" Silence, then "Yes" LOL she is so funny!!! Nancy, I know you will find them...and I know you are spending every spare minute of your time looking for them too!!! I will just wait for the Porch Package Man to come bearing gifts from afar, but remember ~ it is cold out here on the porch, so HURRY!

Midnight Hunter 64x64

This last pic is of Midnight Hunter. Another "momma started/Pam finished" project. She had the foundation pieces in the center done and I added the borders to make it large enough for a winter size lapquilt. This is large enough for her to pull it up over her shoulders and still cover her feet and the batting is a bit heavier as well. As each border was added it became a bit harder to keep it from waving...bias!! ugh!!! When it was ready to go to the quilter I just sent it along and hoped that it would quilt out. LOL When I picked it up, my quilter told me it was a pain to work on (oops, sorry) and that she was sure I would not be happy with it. I didn't take the time to look it over because I was in a time crunch to get SUDOKU done. When I finally did pull it out and look it over, it was fine! Quilter had even put a note in saying she would refund my $$ if I wasn't happy. Ed thinks she was just worried because I am picky! LOL LOL

Midnight Hunter is now a done done and will be momma's Christmas gift this year.

Thursday morning: Blogger wouldn't let me upload pics last night so added them this morning.

It's back to work for me this morning although I doubt I will be there all day, if I make it to noon I will be surprised. I am sure my desk is piled high, if I can get through the piles and deal with the critical things I will be home early. I will be working on Gramma's Aprons until it is finished...I am so liking how it is looking. I needed a larger lap quilt for the winter and although this is not finished it is keeping me plenty warm draped over my lap while working on it.
Here is a picture of my furry little helper...what is with Meow...I can't sit down without him sitting on me! When I wouldn't let him sit on my boobs (which is where he likes to sit) he decided to curl up around my neck...which meant I was really HOT so had to put on a sleeveless top while furball was wrapped around my neck and Gramma's Aprons were drapped over my lap. He stayed like this for over an hour until I had had enough! Then he crawled under the quilt onto my lap and I froze!! So, put my flannel shirt back on. What a spoiled kitty he is!!!

Sewing Cookie Tutorial

2006-11-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

Here we go!!!

Disclaimers...

this is not my original pattern
I am a visual person, you will get a better idea from the pictures than from my text.
Feel free to ask questions, I'll do what I can to help
and please DON'T shoot the messenger!!!

Supplies:

plastic carton (I used a one gallon vinegar bottle
fabric
quilting or button hole thread
iron
scissors

Here is the template, you will need to enlarge it so that it measures 2" across and 4" long.

Cut three of these from the plastic.

Slightly round the tips just so that they are not pointy enough to poke through your fabric.

Using your plastic pieces cut 6 pieces of fabric (3 for the inside of your cookie, 3 for the outside).

Be sure to add a 1/4 " seams all around.

Press the 1/4" seam all around the plastic form on all 6 pieces of fabric **being very careful not to melt the plastic!**

Now here is the first tricky part (yes, there are more tricky parts to come!)

You will make a sandwich out of one inside piece of fabric, one outside piece of fabric and one plastic form. This is a bit tricky and will take some time, but once you have the first one figured out the last 2 will be easy (*¿~)! start on one side, using the OUTSIDE fabric, fold the seam over the plastic. Hold that in place while getting an INSIDE piece of fabric, folding that seam and pinning in place. Put one pin on each side, one pin on each point. Then go back and continue pinning around the form. When you are done with this step, it will look like this:

Using quilting or button hole thread (you want it to be a heavier weight to hold up to the sewing process as well as years of use!) stitch all the way around your form, try not to let your fabric become slack. Enclose each form this way.

You at the end of this step you will have 3 pieces that look like this:

OK, tricky part #2 ( and only one to go!)

Lay 2 pieces INSIDES together, stitch the two pieces together along one side from point to point, making sure your stitches are tight and will hold firmly.

OK, almost done....do you see it taking shape?? Good! See, I knew you could do this!

Time to add the 3rd piece, which means we are at Tricky Part #3.

This might be a good place to get your tongue in place, or just go ahead and say "that" word that helps you to accomplish something...maybe go slam a door or take a quick mile run...just get the frustration over and done with before you start this final step, you will need to give this your 100% undivided attention.

Hold the joined pieces so that they are open a bit. Your 3rd piece will nestle in that spot. Knot your thread and take a stitch in one point of the already joined pieces. Now take a stitch in the third piece, pull that stitch tight and take a couple more stitches to get it good and anchored. Now work your way across joining the 3rd piece to the first 2 pieces.

When you get to the other point, take a few stitches, making them good and tight.

TADA!!

Now....you just think you are done....but you aren't quite finished....

Add:

thimble
thread
scissors (yes, a tiny pr will fit in there! the folding scissors fit as well)
slip a couple of pins and a needle in
and don't forget a chocoloate kiss, who can sew without chocolate!!

Great job! If you make one please send me a picture.

Do You SUDOKU???

2006-11-26T16:39:00.000-08:00

..You see, it all started out like this, quite innocently I might add...

Several months ago my BIL became quite ill was admitted to the hospital, expecting to be there for several days. He is a big fan of crossword and JUMBLE puzzles, (don't even tease him about having done the Sunday Jumble ahead of him, that's NOT funny!) so, naturally I thought that he might enjoy a change of puzzle pace and sent him a large SUDOKU book to keep him from being 100% totally bored while in the hospital, and wouldn't you know it...he didn't even like SUDOKU?? (I did mention is only related by marriage and not blood, didn't I?). Since my sister was sitting by his bedside for hours each day/night, she picked up the book and instantly was hooked! (I did mention she and I are related by blood didn't I??) I created a monster!!! I knew she would love it as much as I.

We are totally addicted, this SUDOKU sickness is bad. Really bad. I see the grid when I go to sleep at night! And sadly my sissy can now only count to 9! We are hopeless. (We are currently looking for a SUDOKU Anynomous Group meeting to attend, "Hi, We are the Hamilton sisters and we are SUDOKU addicts", you know...the whole bit).

So, what do you give a Sudoku Addict far a "no reason other than I just love you" gift? More SUDOKU books, lots of pencils, a fat eraser, more books. AND....

A Sudoku Quilt!!

Nancy's Sudoku Quilt
74x74

I am totally not a good surprise keeper so when I thought about making her this quilt I knew it was either get it done right away or spoil the surprise!

I had gotten 2 sets of instructions for a SUDOKU quilt in the mail from a couple of quilty friends, but I felt both were just too small and not much of a punch to either....what to do? what to do? I knew I wanted to make Nancy a SSS (Secret Sudoku Surpise). Then EQ came into my life. AH, I can add borders~borders added....BORING....Ah...I can add "SUDOKU" across the top...Still not big enough (Sissy lives in cold weather territory and I wanted it big enough for her to keep warm while playing SUDOKU at night and maybe large enough to cuddle with a special granddaughter as well). So, added the numbers....ok, getting there...kinda fun....but still needs something else....Ah ha! Pencils!! YES!! pencils. Letters, numbers and pencils are all SewPrecise files.

So, drew it up and sent the file off to Linda for her expert opinion (she is my personal EQ expert!!). She gave it her stamp of approval so, my first EQ quilt design was born.

Designed it in a day or so, cut it out and sewed it up in the next few days, then it had to sit around for a couple of wks or so until I could get it to the quilter, got it back just in time to get the binding and label on it before my sister arrived to spend Thanksgiving with Momma while Ed and I camped with the kids (yes, we camped!!!...another story for another time).
When Nancy saw her surprise, this is what she saw (sorry, the pic keeps flipping)....new SUDOKU books, a fat pen, giant pencil, and comics all folded up into a quilt...but she had no idea what the quilt looked like...she was just thrilled to get the new books...then she opened it up and LOL...let me just say I have THE most gracious sissy around!! She loves her surprise as much as I loved planning and creating it for her.

I love surprises! And this one was pulled off just right!!! Nancy knew I had something up my sleeve, but had no idea what it was. I love it when everything falls into place!

Enjoy your quilt Nancy...I love you! SOPO!!!

2006-11-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Taking a blog break.
See you sometime!

Fascinating!

2006-11-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

I am always amazed by the talent that people have, and those who can draw and paint have always had my admiration. My son, Ryan, took this picture in October while we were having our annual family gathering. He posted it to Aesthetic-Mindset, his photo blog, where another photoblogger saw it and offered to paint the photo to raise some funds for charity.

Inga, has posted to her blog videos of the progress of her painting Ryan's photo. When she is done she will post the painting on eBay, when the bidding is over half of the winning bid goes to the winners charity of choice. Isn't that cool??

Watch the progress as Inga completes this painting here.

I may be able to create with needle and thread, I may be able to create with paper, scissors and adhesive, but I can not create with canvas, paint and brush...and I am in awe watching Inga do this on her videos.

UPDATE~~Straightening Out The Details:

This is NOT a picture of the Oregon Coast...it is Ensenada, Mexico...my bad
100% of the proceeds from this painting will go to charity, 50% to winning bidders charity of choice, and 50% to the National Marfan Association.

What are kids for, if not to help aging parents keep the story straight!!

Totally Unexpected-Surprise Package

2006-11-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

Isn't this just the cutest bag??? It is a hand knitted wool felted bag that is nice and thick like wool fabric...amazing! Cher sent it to me, wasnt' that nice of her? The coloring in this picture is off just a bit, it is a yummy purple and lavendar. Thanks Cher, what a fun surprise.

Mental Health Day, Riddled With Guilt

2006-11-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

Today I took a Mental Health Day from the office for several reasons:

I didn't sleep well last night and after tossing and turning until 3:30 I got up
I had several calls that needed to be made and due to topic, felt better about making those calls from home
and last but not least just BECAUSE!!!!

I didn't decide not to go to the office until after I was almost ready to leave! Figures, did my face and hair and it was totally waisted! LOL no biggie....hubby appreciated my efforts!

So...what did I do with my free day, my Mental Health Day? Lived in guilt!!! Isn't that the way it goes?? Good grief. Yes, I was tired...but not so tired that I couldn't go to the office. Yes, I needed to make several phone calls...but I could have done it during my lunch or left messages for return calls after 4 p.m. when I am home. So...instead of relaxing and fully enjoying the day I started it out with a HGT. Which, thankfully, I managed to rid myself of by mid-morning.

I did manage to accomplish quite a bit.

Cleaned the livingroom ~ during big time HGT
Did 3 loads of wash ~ HGT weighing on my "you should be at the office" rational
Finally finished unpacking from camp ~ HGT present and accounted for
Straighted up MCM ~ about the time HGT was leaving
Sewed the backing for Gramma's Aprons ~ a few twitches of HGT
Sewed and pressed binding for Gramma's Aprons ~ only a slight nagging of HGT
Pieced batting for Gramma's Aprons ~ nary a hint of HGT
Pinned Gramma's Aprons ~ HGT?? What HGT???

So....that is how I spent my day along with a few phone calls, a wonderful lunch of chicken tortilla soup in bread bowls, getting a totally unexpected-surprise package in the mail, laughed on the phone with my sister, ignored my constantly ringing cell phone, and am currently watching an amazing show on Oprah about the languages of an infant.

After Oprah is over I am planning to start quilting Gramma's Aprons (how many times in one post can I say "Gramma's Aprons" anyway??) and hope to get it quilted and the machine side of the binding on as well.

There you go, a recap of my Mental Health Day that started out with a good dose of HGT that went away as soon as I was doing some fun stuff in MCM! How did you spend your day?

It's the middle of the night, do you know what your kids are doing?

2006-11-12T17:02:00.000-08:00

Our son has been out hiking with some friends this weekend....here is his side of the story, wonder what Ms. Bears side of the story is?..is it any wonder I have gray hair???

Actually listening to him tell the story made us laugh right along with him...what a great kid we have!!!

Successful Shopping Trip

2006-11-12T06:24:00.000-08:00

Although we didn't get all that we wanted in a refrigerator, we did buy one. We didn't want water and ice in the door...do you know how hard it is to find a refrigerator without water and ice in the door? To us it is wasted space. We didn't want a side-by-side, when Ed does a wedding cake he can't get the larger bottom layers in there, nor will a sheet cake or the turkey roaster fit in one. We didn't want the freezer on the top. And we didn't want to pay an arm and a leg and give up our first born to pay for it either ($2500+!!!). When did it get so hard to find appliances? Anyway, we found most of what we wanted in a refrigerator and will make do with the rest. No, we didn't get the shiney black face on the refrigerator (could have if we had caved to the water and ice and giving up our son) but we did get pretty much everything else. No water and ice in the door, the freezer (on the bottom) has an ice maker in it but we will unscrew and remove that, plug up the hole and gain some space there. The stove we bought is the one we have been looking at all along. Didn't want a flat surface top because we do so much canning and it is not recommended to use those for canning and besides my mother had one and she worked night and day to keep it clean.

Also went to JoAnn's and purchased the backing for Gramma's Aprons so hope to get that pinned and quilted this week. Muslin was on sale and my last bolt is just about gone so purchased another bolt of that. Ran into Micheals for some charms (cell phone jewerly), popped into the Dollar Tree for a giant pencil I have been looking for and found a giant pen as well, BONUS!! Went to a couple of different Christian bookstores looking for a decal to put on the back window of our car, found it at the second store.

Went to lunch at a favorite resturant. Enjoyed just sitting and chatting with hubby for an hour with no distractions.

Ed has been thinking about getting a remote control airplane (men and their toys!) so we tracked down a hobby shop and spent time picking the owners brain about the best one to start with and getting some tricks for beginningers....yes, he came home with an airplane! I knew if he actually went into a shop he would not leave without an airplane. As with all things, the first thing out of his mouth was "you will have to help me figure this out". Nope, he has all day to sit around and he can read the manual and play the DVD until he figures it out. I told him I really have no interest in this, that it would be something he would be doing on his own....I think he heard only part of that. "I have ___ interest in this." Our sons both tried to tell him this would be a good thing for him to get involved in...DAD not MOM. Truth be told, it really is a cool looking thing and does look like fun but he really needs to make this an Ed thing...not another Ed and Pam thing. He has decided it is only fair that he get a room dedicated to his airplane since I have MCM. I don't think so bub! LOL

As our day in the city was winding down Ed pulled out a coupon for Cold Stones. YUMMY. He had found a coupon a while back and had hidden it away for such a trip to the city. So off we went on a chilly, windy, wet day to get ice cream! LOL Founders Favorite for me (minus the pecans, thank you very much!) and Breathless Boston Cream Pie for him (add a waffle dish for him). As we were mmmmm-ing, ooooohhh-ing and ahhhhh-ing over our ice cream, as we were freezing inside and out, as we were realizing that a hot latte would have been a wiser choice, he looked into my eyes and told me he had enjoyed his day out with the love of his life. OK, I really needed that! Frozen from ice cream or not he melted my heart. What a wonderful way to end our day in the city.

So....today is a momma day. After worship we will get dinner and take it to her. I have one placemat that needs the binding handwork done and am working on a tutorial for what will from here on out be referred to as a "Sewing Cookie" (think sewing supply holder crossed with a fortune cookie LOL). Not much in the quilty line but until the 2 quilts get back from the quilter (hopefully this week) and until I get Gramma's Aprons pinned and quilted, I don't have any other handwork to do while I sit with momma. I am encouraging Ed to either take another car into town and come home after dinner or to take the manual to his airplane to study while I sew and momma sits and watches.

That's it for me for now. Time to move along.

I give up

2006-11-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

I had about an hour this morning to read through my favorite blogs and go around the ring. Got about halfway through and now Blogger won't let me post any more comments. Drats! So...rather than letting Blogger win I will just move along and come back to where I left off later this wknd.

I really wanted to finish Gramma's Aprons completely from my stash but looks like I am going to have to purchase a backing! Drats! I could piece the back but that would mean using up more of my 30's which I am not as willing to do. I will purchase the backing today and not feel guilty at all.

My SSS is at the quilters and it is done! I am itching to get it back...can't wait!!! It isn't mine to keep but it is mine to give, the only problem is I will be giving it away soon and I really wanted time to continue my bonding with it. I would say it is my favorite quilt finished this year. Maybe I should just keep it since the reciever has no clue about it. Nah...can't do that! Quilter is on vacation and will be home this wk. I will be working on the binding while watching volleyball games and wrestling, such is the life of a gma! I also have Midnight Hunter waiting to be picked up at the quilters as well.

Hubby and I are headed to Roseburg (about an hours drive East) to see about new appliances, had we known our refrigerator and stove would BOTH go on the fritz so soon after our kitchen remodel we would have just gotten new appliances then. Repair man has been out to work on both several times, he didn't give them long to live. We have looked at Sears, and a couple of Mom & Pop stores in our area but can't find what we are looking for. This is the deal: a couple of years ago we bought a new dishwasher (believe it or not we had not had a dishwasher before, the closest thing we had to a dishwasher moved out in 2000 when he graduated from High School) and it has the shine-y black front like our refrigerator (which was my parents) and our stove (which was in our kids' house when the bought it but they had their own stove and ours was old old old). Well, now it seems you can't purchase shiney black faces on appliances. So, we have a new dishwasher and need a new refrigerator and stove but they will not all match. I am not a "everything must match" type person but this is a new kitchen afterall so we want to match it if at all possible. We have not given up!! If we have to purchase the new "textured" black we will, but not without a fight!!! Hubby says we should just get a new dishwasher as well...NO!!! NADA!!! NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!

So, we each have our lists and will make a day of it. The sun is out right now but won't be for long, we are getting storms blowing through here 24/7. If you have seen the flooding reports on the news, yes...that is us..the Pacific Northwest is being hit left and right. We are not getting it as bad as those who live North of us but we live right on the coast so are getting the headwinds (60-80 MPH winds) which keep us on our toes.

I will leave you with a pic of Meow. Usually you will find him curled up on his window perch in MCM. With the change of seasons he has taken over his post as "lazy kitty on the bed" and is now once again willing to share the pillows with Toasty. Usually Meow doesn't like to share anything with Toasty....I think he is jealous of Toasty....NO PICS ARE POSTING!!!

Pay it Forward

2006-11-08T06:26:00.000-08:00

I have resisted this for a while, not enough time in my days to get involved with anything new. Have sworn off swaps. This is a bit different and I am liking what I am reading about it so when I read it on Cathi's blog this morning I decided to jump in and play along. So, here are the rules...simple enough.

I am participating in a "swap" that Cathi mentioned and that is making its rounds amidst the blogosphere. The first five people that say they are interested in a little handmade sewing/quilty gift from Oregon, USA will receive one from me and the only stipulation is that they have to promise to do the same thing to other folks on their blog to spread the love, lol!! Anyone interested in joining along? This will be fun!

Pictures from last post....dang that blogger

2006-11-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

the little sewing kit thingy

pinch the ends and it opens up a bit (sorry, but the picture keeps flipping on end!!)

this deer came strollinig by when I started out to take a walk, yes, she scared me to pieced but she also stuck around long enough to get her picture taken!Cute little mushrooms. They are no bigger than the tip of your pinky finger. Aren't they cute!

Camp recap

2006-11-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

Gotta get some of this down in black and white before I forget half of what happened over the wknd...with my memory it may already be too late!

I left home just after noon on Thursday, drove an hour to the BIG city (well, it has more than 4,000 people like my little town does!) and did a bit of shopping on the way to retreat, yes I said retreat, no...I did not say quilt camp...more about that later.

I knew once I left the BIG city that I would not be getting a latte for the next 4 days so stopped and got me a 20 oz Peppermint Latte...extra HOT please...hold the whip cream. I was hoping that getting it extra hot, it would still be warm after the car was unloaded and the sewing machine warmed up....and sure enough...it was just right!!!

OK, down to business....I arrived 3 hrs before anyone else...which gave me time make a new cover for my portable ironing board and get busy on Gramma's Aprons. I sewed my little heart out and made lots and lots of progress. I so enjoyed the time alone, thinking my own thoughts and dreaming my own dreams. I really needed to get some sleep so went to bed early and then got up early on Friday and got busy once again on those apron blocks. The top was done by Friday afternoon. It went really fast and I love the whole paper piecing process. The pieced border was done as leaders and enders, I love having pieced borders and doing them as L&E makes them totally painless. The bonus with this top is that 2 ladies who were very interested in watching (not learning) paper piecing were also very willing to tear all the paper off the back!!! BONUS!! BONUS!!!

OK, ironing board cover and Gramma's Aprons done...moving on. I had found a couple of really fun FQ bundles when I stopped in the BIG city that would make wonderful gifts for 3 separate people. I quickly cut the focus fab in one of the FQ bundles and strips of the other 4 prints. Then finished up a quick gift. Then the second FQ bundle was cut and made into a place mat for Maddie and one for JJ. I can't show you what the first project ended up being (HE reads my blog) and currently I can't show you the placemats either because I left them at my mothers so I can do the handwork on the binding. I will post a pic when I get them done, maybe Sunday.

OK.. Saturday and I am totally out of things to do!! I have stuff to make table toppers but by this time I am tired of sitting to the machine (SHOCKING!!!) and I really haven't visited with anyone so I start roaming...the first table I stop at is a lady handquilting and doing a beautiful job of it! She hand pieced a quilt for her daughters wedding and is now doing the handquilting, she informed me the "newlyweds" will be celebrating their 16th anniversary next year!! LOL sounds like the rest of us, right!?? Anyway, while watching her rock her needle and discussing quilting methods, threads and etc I noticed this interesting little thing sitting on the table and asked her about it. It is a little sewing kit thingy...large enough for a thimble, bobbin of thread (not spool of thread). I was fastenated by it! Yes, she had made it, years ago...and yes, she uses it all the time with her handwork. OK, I was out of projects and this was interesting so.... This lady graciously let me take her sewing kit thingy back to my table and I managed to make my own pattern and this is what I came up with, a little different in size to hers, otherwise it is the same thingy. Each of the 3 sides has plastic (I used a plastic lid I found in the kitchen) covered by fabric that has been handstitched on.

DANG THAT BLOGGER....WON'T UPLOAD PICS!!!!

OK, now on to the "retreat". This was not a quilt camp as we all know quilt camp to be, which is what I expected this to be. This was a free-for-all retreat. I knew there would be ladies scrapbooking, I figured there might be ladies handquilting...but I was not expecting to be the ONLY one sewing! I was the only one piecing! One other sewing machine sat unused all wknd with the exception of a 4" seam that was stitched on a border that one gal had to repair before she could put her quilt back in a handquilting frame. Can you believe it? I was informed this was quilt camp~~ with no-rules...come and do what you want. But I honestly did not expect to be the only one sewing. It was really strange. 21 ladies. Most did handquilting, and I must say they were handquilting on wonderful quilts. Several scrapbooked. A few knitted. The rest did a variety of other things: beading, cross-stitch, crochet.

So, there I was sitting in the back of the room with my sewing machine, cutting mat, rulers and cutters on one table and right behind me (just swivel my chair around) is my iron and mini ironing board. I always take my own sewing chair and chair mat. I really think I shocked all these ladies. Several inquired about my chair, iron and board (did you bring those from home??)...but the most hilarious was almost all of them made this comment in one was or another "I never thought to bring my machine" WHAT???!!!

Anyway, I went not knowing what to expect, now I know.

Friday it stormed, Saturday it was still stormy but cleared off now and then, at least long enough to take a few walks, we took pictures at the river, pictures of deer feeding in the fields and a picture of the cutest little mushrooms. Sunday we all gathered for a time of worship and prayer. I am so thankful that these ladies accepted me as part of their group and made me feel welcome. Yes, I was the odd gal out, but by Sunday I was a part of the group as well.

Friday we watched a Chonda Pierce DVD...oh my goodness, she is the most hilarious lady!! If you have never seen her, check out her concert schedule and go see her...if that doesn't work for you, find a one of her DVD's (the library??) and watch it....WARNING WARNING...you will want to use the restroom before watching it. I have seen her in concert 4 times and would go again in a heartbeat. Saturday night we stayed up playing a couple of games of Scattergories.

Since I had my own car and another friend had her own car we traveled back together, it was stormy and we just felt better sticking together. Of course we stopped in the city and shopped and then went to lunch before our final trek over the mountain and home again, home again. We made it home shortly before the winds picked up and the rains came.

More details to come in future posts. I know I left a lot of details out...some are too hilarious not to mention...but for now I need to get ready for bed. While I was gone a dear friend died. His death is a blessing, he suffered a long illness but also lived a long and wonderful life. He will be missed by many people in our community. His service is tomorrow.

Home, Exhausted, Sneak Peak

2006-11-06T05:45:00.000-08:00

Had a good weekend. Enjoyed my time. Lots of interesting things to tell you. Here are a couple of pics to share since it will take me a few days to get back up to steam enough to post a real post. A riot of color greeted me everywhere while on my daily walks.

Gramma's Aprons 60x70

My camp accomplishment! I don't normally post pics of tops only, choosing to wait until my projects are done-done projects but was thrilled with how this turned out and not sure when it will be quilted so decided to post it as is. This is my second EQ quilt. The idea for this block was NOT mine, giving credit where credit is due, this was inspired from a quilt in the current Hancock-Paducah catalog. The prints for the blocks are from my 30's repros stash. The pieced border was pieced as leaders and enders while piecing the blocks. It was nice to have the border done when the blocks were done. The pieced border prints were a "Thank you" from Marcus Brothers, in response to a questionaire I filled out they sent me hundreds (yes, hundreds!!) of 3" samples of 30's repros.

OK, that is a sneak peek....more info, not too many more pics (why do we forget to use our cameras???) later. I unpacked enough to find my make-up and tooth brush and give hubby a mini quilt show of my accomplishments (I managed to get 3 Christmas gifts done in addition to Gramma's Aprons) and then I did NOTHING the rest of the night so I need to finish unpacking and FIND MY IRON tonight.

As I was unloading the car the phone rang, Linda and Cher were chatting online and called to check up on me, making sure I made it home before the expected storm hit our area. I made it home JUST in time to avoid driving in the stormy weather. Thanks ladies for checking up on me. I had been home about 20 minutes when they called, Ed was just starting to wonder if I was ahead of the storm or in the middle of it.

It will take me a few days to catch up with all your blogs, my Sage is full of new posts! You are a chatty bunch ~ my blogland friends!

It's raining, it's pouring and DH is snoring

2006-11-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

Yep, the rains started yesterday afternoon. Of course they did...I need to load my car and had planned to leave for quilt camp early this morning. Well...yesterday it was raining and this morning I woke up at 4 a.m. to the sounds of buckets of rain gushing down the downspout outside our bedroom window. I really just wanted to pull the quilt up over my head and go back to sleep but it rained so hard it was drowning out DH's snoring. How can he sleep so soundly~I will never know! It's now 6 a.m. and raining harder than it was when I got up at 4!

UGH!!! This is really putting a damper on my enthusiam for the wknd. I don't mind rain, after all, my native Oregon webbed feet were made for this kind of weather...but packing and unpacking the car in the rain is a pain! It is suppose to rain until the middle of next week. With the coming of the rains the temps have gone up, I'll take rain over freeze any day.

My first EQ project is at the quilters (DH will pick it up on Saturday), my second EQ project is kitted up and packed for camp. It should be a quick top to make so I have also packed a BOM set as a back up ~ sure don't want to run out of things to do. I also have a small amount of applique to do on Countryside Cottage and will work on that if time allows. I wish I had gathered up the stuff needed to make hotpads but didn't and life will go on anyway!

OK, I am not getting any closer to having the car packed and time is slipping away, I still need to crawl under my sewing machine cabinet and unplug the iron and get it packed...and where did I put those extra rotary blades? Have I packed all that I need, of everything I need, to get done what I want to do?? Flight of the Bumble Bee will be happening here as time for me to leave draws closer.

Quilt Meme

Quilt activities (bold means I've done these activities...) This meme is traveling through various quilt blogs, I have enjoyed reading what others have done and will continue to search for more quilt meme's posted. I won't tag anyone, please join in if you feel so inclined.

1. Taken a quilting class
2. Paper pieced
3. Hand quilted
4. Hand pieced
5. Created your own pattern
6. Published a pattern in a magazine or book
7. Gone on a quilting retreat
8. Gone to a quilting convention
9. Met someone who wrote a quilting book
10. Combined your quilting with some other craft
11. Done any three dimensional quilting - like fabric origami?
12. Made something using Thimbleberries fabric
13. Made something using batiks
14. Dyed your own fabric
15. Made a landscape hanging
16 Made a New York Beauty quilt
17 Made a baby quilt
18 Made a wall hanging
19 Made a journal quilt
20 Submitted your journal quilt for viewing
21 Made a fabric postcard
22 Made a artistic trading card (ATC)
23 Exchanged artistic trading cards
24. Mailed our your postcard?
25. Made a lap quilt
26 Made a twin size quilt
27 Made a full size quilt
28 Made a queen size quilt
29 Made a king size quilt
30 Donated a quilt to charity
31 Sent a quilt out to a quilter
32 Thrown away a UFO
33 Given away a UFO
34 Cut up a UFO and made something else with it
35 Ripped fabric instead of cutting it
36 Made a quilt exactly like the pattern, with no changes whatsoever
37 Done any Sashiko
38 Quilted your own quilt
39 Did free motion quilting
40 Put any embroidery or beads on your quilt
41 Given away your quilt to a stranger
42 Swapped fabric
43 swapped blocks
44 participated in a round robin
45 participated in an ostritch round robin
46 kept a journal about your quilting
47 written a letter to someone who made an antique quilt
49 kept a blog about your quilting
50 participated in a gift exchange
51 sent a quilting random act of kindness
52 joined a newsgroup about quilting
53 made a quilt using a pattern from quilterscache
54 joined an online block of the month
55 made a block of the month quilt
56 subscribed to a fabric of the month club
57 bought fabric at an online store
58 bought fabric from ebay
59 own more than one sewing machine
60 have a room dedicated solely to sewing
61 hide a fabric purchase
62 finished making a holiday gift before July
63 made a landscape quilt
64 made a quilt using a book from the library
65 worked with someone else to make a quilt
66. joined a quilt guild
67 become president of a quilt guild
68 taught a quilting class
69 helped someone else get the quilting bug
70 taught a child to sew
71 made a Dear Jane block
72 Made a miniature quilt
73 watch QNN - quilters news network
73 subscribe to a quilting magazine from your own country
74 subscribe to a quilting magazine from another country
75 buy fabric from another country
76 swapped completed quilts with someone else
77 asked for quilting help online
78 gone to a quilt shop to ask for quilting help
79 bought fabric at a local quilt shop
80 travelled more than 100 miles to go to a quilt shop
81 used nontraditional fabric for a quilt - something other than cotton or flannel
82 made a quilt using instructions given to you on a blog
83 make comments on someone's quilting blog
84 meet a quilter in person after only having talked online
85 had a quilting retreat in your home
86 own quilting software
87 made a quilt you designed on your quilting software
88 done any quilt research - history, interviewing quilters, etc.
89 had any quilt related subject published anywhere
90 donated a quilt to a museum
91 bought a quilt from a thrift store
92 made a quilt using fabric from a thrift store
93 made a quilt using photos
94 made a pastel quilt
95 made a quilt using brights
96 made a quilt using ethnic fabric from another country - African, Asian, etc.
97 made a quilt using leftover blocks from other quilts
98 had your quilt in a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, TV, etc.
99. submitted your quilt to a quilt show?
100. won any ribbons with your quilts?
101 had more finished quilts than UFOs
102 made a quilt using reproduction fabrics
103 took a break from quilting that was longer than a year
104 made money with your quilting
105 had a job in the fabric / quilting industry

What goes around, comes around....

2006-10-31T18:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!!

My sister called me today just as I was finishing my lunch hour and she was starting hers. She couldn't wait to call me...you see it is like this....Let's start at the beginning...

27 years ago we, my sister and I, were pregnant at the same time. Yes, our due dates were just days apart. I was having my first child, she was having her second. We loved being pregnant at the same time, but I think our parents enjoyed it more so. My (our) daddy was hilarious, his daughters giving him his 7th and 8th grandbabies at the same time. My (our) daddy loved each of his grandbabies, and later when they came along, he loved loved loved his GREATgrandbabies. He would hold them in his big strong arms and stroke their little faces with the index finger of his large hands. As our due dates drew closer my (our!!) Momma told us that Daddy had ordered a shopping spree....so my momma, grandma and sister drove to Eugene from Central Oregon and I drove to Eugene from the Southern Oregon Coast for a weekend of shopping. Oh how fun to go shopping for our babies and have daddy pick up the bill!! Back then you shopped for yellow and green things because you didn't know if it was a girl baby or a boy baby. It was in the "old days" when there was still a surprise at the end of the 9 months.

Of course my sister delivered first, Alan was born on October 13. My parents called me with the news...The green eyed monster had NOTHING on me...I was SO SO jealous that she delivered before me!!! Nancy & Mark already had a daughter, Mandy age 4, a baby boy would complete their family...but why did she get to have her baby first, how unfair is that (how is that for being a spoiled younger sister?!?!) Mandy was with my parents during Alan's birth and wanted to talk to me...crying, pouting this is what she asked me...."Auntie Pami, (sob, sob, sob) I got a baby brother...if you get a baby sister can we trade?" It was hilarious. She so badly wanted a baby sister and was willing to trade if, infact, our baby was a baby girl, a "sister baby". Two days later Roy was born...and nope...there was nothing "sister" about him. They kept their brother baby and learned to love him.

Fast forward to this morning. My niece, Mandy, is pregnant...20 wks along. We live in the day and age of ultrasound (neither my sister nor I had an ultrasound when pregnant with Alan and Roy). Today was their second ultrasound and the room was full of family. Mandy and her husband-Wayne, the big sister-MacKenzie and Nancy, aka Nana. My sister was in awe of seeing her newest grandchild still in the womb, who wouldn't be...it is an amazing thing! She was awed by the legs, watching the heart beat, seeing baby move around...all of it.

When the appointment was over she called to tell me all about it...within seconds I knew...I knew she is to be blessed with a grandson, the first thing out of her mouth was "I have a JJ!!, I have a JJ!!" Remember how in love she fell with my grandson...well, ever since then she has hoped that Mandy was carrying a boy. She laughed, she cried, she laughed some more...she stumbled over herself trying to tell me everything all at once. She is so excited and I am excited for her. I wish I had a recording of her telling me about it, this is a call I will not soon forget.

So...back to the actual ultrasound. MacKenzie (age 7) was sitting on Nancy's lap when the tech comfirmed that the baby is a boy....and yep...you guessed it...she was hoping for a sister! She is disappointed about this baby boy, this baby brother. Nana told her that little brothers are good to go 4 wheeling with. Didn't help much! There is another baby being born into the family (on my BIL's side) within a couple of weeks of this little baby brother, and I am sorry to say that MacKenzie will not have any luck trading it because it too is a baby brother.

What goes around, comes around....and I am sure MacKenzie will learn to love her baby brother, she really has no other choice!

Blessings in my life:

Phone calls to share life changing news

Care Bears, Ninja Turtles, Miniture Football players and Beauty Queens knocking on my door

Seeing my momma excited about her 12th GREAT grandchild

Polka-dotted socks

Free nationwide long distance on my cell phone helps keeping in touch with pals in other time zones

The Ahhh Factor

2006-10-31T05:40:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready for quilt camp, and as usual I have waited until the eleventh hour to start gathering and packing. Camp starts on Friday but the friend who invited me asked me if I wanted to go a day early just for some girlfriend time.

This friend lives in another little town, not far from me. Once a month we go "to the city" to have dinner together to offer support, be a sounding board and just get away from the daily routine. She still has children at home, all of my 5 grandkidlets are older than the youngest of her 3 children. Needless to say: our conversations cover a variety of topics and alot of ground!

Anyway, she and I are going to camp a day early ~ which means I need to be ready a day earlier, which means I am more than a day behind!!

Bring in the ahhhhh factor. I love my 30's repro's. I just get that warm fuzzy feeling when I look at them. They make me smile. When the newest Hancock catalog arrived I found a pattern in it and fell in love. I have just recently gotten my EQ and have had fun playing with the block drawing feature and of course I had to try to draw up the block from this quilt! It isn't the same as the pattern in the catalog...but it suits me just fine. So, I have 20 eight inch blocks printed (yes, I will be paper piecing these) and ready for camp. On Sunday I cut all the background and last night I got out my beloved 30's prints (that are kept in a large special basket all by themselves) and started cutting. Ahhhh, they just make me smile!! The story book prints: Little Bo Peep, Humpty Dumpty, Little Boy Blue ahhhh. The sailor prints: anchors, stars, ships ahhhhh. Scottie dogs, circus animals ahhhhh Polka dots, strips, plaids ahhhh The bubblegum pinks, the cheddar yellows, the baby blues ahhhh. Needless to say I had a great time of FF last night!

While cutting the pieces for my quilt I thought "good for you Pam, you are stashbusting" and then immediately went into a panic... "OH NO!!! I can't be stashbusting, I don't want to bust my 30's stash!!" What a goofball! They do print more of these and create new prints all the time!!!

Ahhhh, can't wait to get this top started. Warm Fuzzies!! Did I mention I am having fun with EQ?

What Is Your Heart Singing?

2006-10-29T18:02:00.000-08:00

Just got off the phone from our weekly call to our oldest son and family who live a 12 hr drive from us...needless to say we don't see them often but we talk each week.

Beginning my converstation with Maddie as we also do with our "secret code" that we have shared since before she could talk we then moved onto how her day was "good". What her favorite part of her week was "playing with daddy". And what she has planned for the upcoming week, which includes a Harvest Festival with another family. She is 100% girl! Loves dress up, can't be dirty and isn't one to take chances on much of anything. Maddie informed her Grampa that her favorite thing to do at the park is play on the slide "but it is high to the sky and scary". We raised boys, our 2 granddaughters are more than precious to us. We did the blue jeans and dirt theme in our home, listening to Maddie's sweet little girl voice blesses my heart over and over again.

JJ and I have a "secret code" as well. Since before he was able to talk I would whisper into his ear that hearing him coo would make my heart sing. Naomi taught him to say "I love you" before he could say much of anything else. During our weekly telephone conversations he would say "I love you Gramma Pam" and I would tell him that hearing that was making my heart sing. On and on, week after week.

Anytime JJ tells me he loves me I tell him he has made my heart sing, he then puts his little head on my chest and listens, telling me what song my heart is singing...."Phantom of the Opera" was what it was singing during their August visit, don't ask me why but that was his response each time. According to JJ, while they were here a couple of weeks ago, my heart was then singing "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Tonight JJ said he doesn't know what my heart is singing because he can't hear it when "Yours heart is in Oregon and mine ears are in Sedro Woolley", he then proceeded to tell me (in his sweet little 3 yr old voice) that if he could hear it, it would be singing "Zippity Do-Da!"

On another note (musical or otherwise) my quilty accomplishment for the day was to deliver quilts to my machine quilter lady. Nothing more, nothing less.

My Corner of the World

2006-10-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the place you can find me when you can't find me any place else. This is where I go to be alone, away from the TV (there is NO TV in our bedroom), away from the phone (OK, there is a phone in our bdrm, but if I am having alone time I don't answer it!), this is my space to read, pray, do a little handwork, give myself a pedicure during the cooler months (otherwise pedicures happen in the sun on the deck!!!)

Let's see, what is going on in my corner of the world (from here on out MCOTW)....

Love my glider rocker. How did I manage without one while rocking and nursing my babies I will never know! I think they should be a requirement for every house and certainly for every new momma.
The pink ducky raggy quilt on the back of the rocker is one I made when I first became a gma. I really wanted to give it to Maddie when she was born but just couldn't part with it so it became a "leave at gma's house" baby quilt. DH was NOT thrilled with vaccuming up after it was used each time. Fear not, Maddie did get her fair share of baby quilts to have at her own home.
The other quilt on the rocker is my wonky 30's swap block quilt that I completed in February. It is getting a bit chilly here in Oregon so this is what I drap over my legs while in MCOTW
The pillow reads "Love Makes the World Go Round" it was on my parents bed for years and some how I ended up with this one and my sister has the one that goes with it that has a saying about Grandkids...can't remember what it says.
The little antique next to the rocker is a Humidor, found at an estate sale for $5. It is worth over $75. They obviously did not know what they had!!! Anyway, I love it! When you open the door you can smell tobacco. My daddy smoked a pipe for years, when I open the door to the humidor I can be transformed to a place where Apple Pie Pipe tobacco is in the air. Currently the only things in there are candles and matches.
On front is a magazine rack, with no magazines in it. Each side has 2 shelfs for knickknacks...aka, dust collectors. The knickknacks have all been moved to who knows where...Maddie and JJ were here, things have been rearranged!
On the top is a tart burner that Ed made for me to match our new bdrm, didn't he do a great job?! We love to go to the pottery barn and paint ceramics. I love burning candles, and do so in everyroom of our home. The tart burner is sitting on one of my Grandma Mattie's hankies. There is a Paper Crafts magazine and my Bible ready for devotions.
On the other side of the rocker is a floor lamp...which has a long story but I will not go into that...I love that lamp, another antique that found its way to our home. The light part swivels so I can turn it just right to give me the most light when I need it and move it out of the way when I don't have the light on.
Hanging on the lamp is: My new-new, just right for me purse...isn't it cute! The chicken head is attached to a sock...it is where I empty my "chicken feed" (aka change) each night so my purse doesn't get too heavy...it is an easy way for me to save $$ and the grandkidlets love emptying it and rolling the coins for me when it gets half full. I had given this to my momma years ago when she complained to me about all the change that had been laying around in their 5th wheel.
Above the floor lamp is an antique urinal. Yes, a urinal! Isn't it wonderful? My FIL was a funny man and we loved to laugh about all kinds of silly things. Until I came into this mans life he did not have a young woman to joke with, shower with gifts and spend time with. He did have 2 daughters but relationships with them ceased when they graduated from HS and moved away, sad...but true... Anyway...my FIL and I would find the strangest things to laugh about and the funniest things to give each other as gifts. We almost made a career out of trying to one up each other. This urinal was a gift from him to me. He thought I would either 1) take it to a thrift shop and dispose of it ASAP or 2) use it as a planter on the OUTside of our house. I did neither!! I called his bluff and hung it in our livingroom for all to see!!! Added a spider plant (in a container) and it was the topic of many conversations over the years. Currently it is in MCOTW with a wonderful display of colorful dried flowers.
If you look really close you can see my bedspring candle holders (that I posted about months ago) hanging infront of the window. There are 5 of them, the picture shows 4 of them. They were fun to make and are a nice soft bit of light in the room at night. I found some battery operated "candles" that I put in them (remember, my nephew the fireman!!!) and we can fall asleep with the "candles" "burning". I love how my candle holders turned out.
When the curtains are open, Spring through Fall you will see a window box full of color...the hummingbirds feast there, butterflies stop by, bees and dragonflies abound...from now until Spring returns you will see the shed, the hedge and our neighbors house.

So, there you have it a tour of MCOTW. Just writting about it makes me realize how blessed I am.

Color...there is color all around me
History...Antiques
Memories...Apple Pie Tobacco and a rolypoly FIL
Love...my tart burner, quilts
Laughter...new-new purse
Creativity & Re-using...bedspring candle holders
Peace...quiet places to hide during busy, hectic living

OK, now...just to offer you a chuckle...during our regularly scheduled Saturday chat this morning my sister asked me if I rolled my eyes when someone asked if "your sister is a quilter"....LOL oh my goodness...No...she doesn't quilt...but she does pack a mean seamripper!!!

SHE KNOWS I AM GOING TO WRITE THIS, DON'T THINK POORLY OF ME!!!!

I AM NOT SLAMMING HER, WE LAUGHED ABOUT THIS TOGETHER, SHE IS HILARIOUS, AND NO NO NO, NONE OF YOU CAN CLAIM HER AS YOUR SISTER...SHE IS MY SISTER

Nancy isn't a quilter...but she does know how to frog stitch!

She is able to quilt, but doesn't. Currently she and her daughter, Mandy, are sewing things for a nursery (Mandy is expecting her second baby in March). This is not something these two would normally attempt, but I give them kudos for what they have accomplished thus far. When Mandy's first child was born (8 years ago) my mother, Nancy and I drove to Colorado for a long wknd to sew everything to create a nursery...curtains, quilts, bumperpads, cribskirt, diaperstacker....oh gosh I can't remember what all we sewed, but we sewed from the moment we walked into the house until we packed up to head home to Oregon a few days later. Mandy knew her mom and her gma (my mother) were coming to create a nursery but had no idea I was going to be with them. Mandy called me for days before hand "Please come, they can't do this without you." It was hilarious because I had planned to go all along, she just didn't know it. It was fun! We sewed from sun up to sun down. Momma cut, I sewed. Then we would switch and I would cut and momma would sew...that is when Nancy came into the act,...she would rip...then I would re-sew. No, I would not say I was a better sewer than momma, she just always...always...had trouble with the directions with everything she sewed...she could get it in a second if she were shown how to do something but to read the directions, well, she just didn't get it. She ended up being the cutter, I the sewer and Nancy the comforter of one very very pregnant young woman.

A few years before that it was the same story...only we were making Mandy's wedding gown. I had taken a wk off from work to get this dress done. I was to make the dress, Nancy was to make the veil...we couldn't buy enough seamrippers!!! I am so glad she has an awesome sense of humor.

It was perfectly normal behavior....

2006-10-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

....but my family thought we had lost our last marbles.

While at the cabin a couple of wknds ago, my sister Nancy came for clamchowder and to love on our 2 youngest grandkidlets that she has not seen much of since they live so far away. My boys love my sister so much, and whats not to love???!!! When you speak to her she listens...I mean really listens, as in looks you in the eye and focuses on what you are saying. She always asks the right questions and is truly interested in your life. When you have been around her you can't help but to feel good about yourself, about your life, about the world around you. So...when the boys found out that Aunt Nancy would be around Saturday evening they both waited like little kids (they are 27 and 25 yrs old) until she arrived.

Roy, JJ, Aunt Nancy, Ryan

What we watched was Aunt Nancy falling totally heads over heals in love with our little JJ, and no kidding~~~JJ fell in love with Aunt Nancy. He followed her around, he took her hand in his little hand and off they went (Maddie included), up to the sleeping loft to play a game of "tea party" or something while Roy and Ryan were left behind to wait until it was their turn to spend time with Aunt Nancy!
As this picture proves, Aunt Nancy can get away with anything! JJ is all boy, ALL boy!!! He doesn't like pink, he doesn't touch dolls, he has the deepest little voice (like his daddy did at that age) ~~ he is nothing but BOY BOY BOY. When JJ admired Aunt Nancy's earrings, she promptly took one off and hooked it on the inside of his ear. You could almost hear a pin drop between the fact that he LET her do that and the fact that Roy & Naomi were shocked that anyone would DARE attempt to do that. And then all of the sudden...his face lit up and he was grinning from ear to ear, he giggled and giggled and the more he giggled the more the earrings swung from his ears. It was hilarious and I wished that someone would have had a camera rolling to catch it as it happened. On Sunday morning, when JJ woke up, he slid down the steps on his bottom, came over to me, curled up on my lap, looked in my eyes and said "Gramma, when is MY Aunt Nancy coming to see me at the beach cabin?" No "good morning Gramma" No "I love you Gramma" not even a "I'm hungry Gramma" The first thought he had upon waking was of HIS Aunt Nancy.

Anyway..back to what I was going to write about, before I was side tracked....as my sister was walking out the door Saturday night, she made a comment about her "dang new purse" being too small and about the same time that I stated I had just gotten a new purse and it was just too large.

We made eye contact
I grabbed my purse
We both walked to the diningroom table
Both emptied out our new, but "not-right-for-me" purses
Switched purses
Reloaded our NEW NEW and JUST RIGHT purses
Hugged
I stated that I got the better deal
She stated that she got the better deal
Thanked each other
End of story

The other 4 adults in the room just sat there looking at us like we had both just lost the last of the few marbles we had to begin with. Hey, it was a perfectly normal thing for us! When Roy finally could say something he just shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and said..."those sisters!"

Which brings me to another story...Aunt Nancy trying to get JJ to understand that his gramma is her sister. Another story for another time.

Tops Done

2006-10-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

This wknd I spent time locked in MCM, giving myself time alone to think my own thoughts and dream my own dreams...lots of things on my mind and the best way for me to sort things out is to hole up in MCM and do what I love doing..create!

I managed to finish the borders on Midnight Hunter, a set of blocks my momma had started. She is in need of a larger lapquilt, on that will cover her shoulders as well as feet this winter and this one measures 64 square....although it isn't square it is an octagone, so I guess I should say that it measures 64 octagone!! I will wait to post a pic until it is back from the quilter and has a label and binding.

While at JoAnn's yesterday for batting and backing, I found a complete set of BOM's including the sashing and setting kit. I love it when I can find a whole set of BOM's in the clearance section. A whole quilt (minus the backing) for dirt cheap!

Last night at 8 o'clock sharp (just in time to watch Amazing Race) I finished the last border in what I am currently calling SSS. Will reveal the quilt after I hand it over. This is my first EQ design, I posted it about earlier. I changed up the border fabrics (trying to use up as much fabric as I can!) and it has ended up being much brighter and happier than my original design. I really like how this turned out. This one is also headed to my favorite (and only) machine quilter.

I have 2 tops ready to take to my quilter (plan to get the backs pieced tonight) and 2 more almost ready. I have pretty much put my WTIL quilting on hold until I get some of my mother's projects finished or passed on. My pal, Barbara, has booked us a January 20-21 quilt day at a shop in a town about an hour from us. The owner of the shop lets you use her quilting machine FREE if you are quilting for charity. As mentioned before, I will be taking tops that have been donated, currently I have 9 WTIL tops ready for quilting, at some point I am going to have to set aside time to get the backings ready. January seems like ages away but if I don't deal with it now I will be caught off guard and then will be doing the flight of the bumble bee, which I hate.

I was going to leave you with a pic of Maddie and JJ, but Blogger has once again decided for me that this is all you're going to get....

Friends Around the World

2006-10-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Back when we first "went online" in our home (1996?) I scoped out a few internet quilt groups to see what was out there. MAN!!! You could find groups for just about anything and everything imaginable, very much like now. I joined a couple but soon found out that they weren't for me for various reasons. I did participate in a couple that were fun but like most things in life: time changes things and people. I joined a few swaps, both fabric and blocks. I did 3 sets...YES, THREE sets of Y2K swaps (WHAT WAS I THINKING???).

This quilt is from a set of Friendship Stars that I swapped with ladies all over the world. Vienna, Austria, Sweden...most from the USA but there are a few others in there as well. It was fun! Cher(R4B2), Linda(R3B4) and Veronica(R5B4) all have stars on my quilt as we were all members of the same group at the same time. I put the top together shortly after getting the stars but did not add borders until a few months ago. After I had the blocks sashed together another block arrived in the mail, that one will be used as a label on the back (which is why there is one corner of binding not yet finished.

I see that Cynthia has posted pictures of various swap blocks she found stashed neatly away. I know I have several more sets of swap blocks that have been sitting around as well as pieces to a rowrobin that I did 5 years ago. I am in a "forget the original plan, just get it done" mode so there maybe some quick finishes for me coming just after the new year.

OK, was suppose to be headed to a corn maze and pumpkin picking but I copped out and decided to stay home to finish a couple of tops, with the hope of getting them to my machine quilter by the end of the month. I better get to it or I will start wishing I was lost in a maze listening to the laughter and giggling and hooting and hollering of the kids...wishing I was stumbling around looking for the perfect pumpking....wishing I was digging into the picnic basket getting out the cups for hot chocolate...drats!!!! I should be at the pumpkin farm!!! Too late, the kids have already left! Drats and double drats!!!!

Fishin' & Campin' We Will Go!!!

2006-10-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Another UFO crossed off my list. I started these for my sister several years ago, she and my BIL had just gotten a 5th wheel and she was so excited! This new-to-them 5th wheel was a fun step-up from the truck and camper they had. Anyway...I started these shortly after they got the 5th wheel - - and guess what??? now they have my parents 5th wheel. None of that has anything to do with anything but just wanted to state that these have been in a UFO state for ages. Two placemats, a hotpad and a mini wallhanging (which needs a stick as the hanger). Her husband, son and SIL are currently fishing and camping so I told her NOT to leave these surprises in the 5th wheel until she went camping...you know how guys camp!!!
Here is a picture of the "I love you ~~~ so ~~~ please get a mamogram" goodie bags I made for some special women in my life. I found the pink ribbon fabric for the bags at Wally World and filled them with: Pink M&M's, pink breast cancer awareness socks, and a pink ribbon lapel pin. I really wanted to get some pink Hershey's Kisses but we live in the sticks and there was no place to get them here. I have been wearing a pink ribbon all this month in memory of a dear friend who died 3 years ago on October 13, she did not have breast cancer but a rare form of lung cancer. Walking through Marcia's cancer with her was one of the defining times of my life. I miss her terribly, I know her family misses her more. Ladies, if you have not had a mamogram...please do so.

I am currently about half done with the first EQ quilt I designed a couple of wks a go-just a day or two after getting my EQ software! I can't show you until it is finished and given. I can tell you that this is BRIGHT and happy and of course has a story behind it. I am so liking how it is turning out that I would love to show it to someone but can't DRATS!!!!

Cher had mentioned that so many get EQ but only design with it, seldom actually making a REAL quilt from their designs. That is one of reasons I hesitated getting EQ, I was a bit afraid that I would fall into that syndrome~I know myself too well!!! I do have and use Sew Precise ALOT. I love all 4 of the sets and when I am in a foundation piecing mood I can print patterns and sew for days and weeks at a time. I wasn't sure exactly how much I would use EQ but having one quilt designed and almost completed has given me the drive to design again. I know Linda will hold my feet to the fire and help me when I need it, she is a wealth of information and a great encourager.

I was going to add a few more pics of our trip to the cabin but Blogger has decided FOR ME that two pictures for this post is all it needs. Gee, thanks Blogger.

Soccer tomorrow morning, then a trip to a corn maze and pumpkin patch. It is about an hours drive away. I am anticipating a beautiful drive along the river.

2006-10-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Roy, Naomi, Maddie (4½), Ryan, Gma, JJ (3½), Gpa

October 2006 ~ Bandon, Oregon

Spiders and Rain and Sunshine

2006-10-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Still Alive

2006-10-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

I'm still around, just nothing much quilty to post about since it is so close to Christmas.

I am currently working on 4 different projects, the only one I can post about is a Hunters Star that my mother started but did not finish, yes...she left many many UFO's undone. She and I would usually talk about our projects, sharing who we were sewing for and for what reason, BUT ~I have no idea who she was making this for!!!~ this Hunters Star was bundled in yardage that I can only assume would have been more blocks, borders and maybe the backing and binding. Well, I am giving myself permission to not make more blocks and have added borders only, trying to get it to the lapquilt size. One more border should do it. She will laugh when she sees it because it started out to be a 2 print (both pink) quilt and I have added BLUE as a border....LOL....As soon as the top is done I will try to get one more lapquilt size top done and then get both of them to my machine quilter pal. Both of these should be done and ready to give her for Christmas. Picture when the top is done..."one more border...one more border...ONLY one more border." That is what I keep telling myself!!! This really has become a UFO-UFO, once for momma and once for me!

Last night I cut out the blocks for a new quilt, which I am hoping to get done before Christmas as well. Can't post a pic but I can tell you this is one where I am really having to keep the grid next to me at all times...the blocks are really mixed up and is causing my brain to concentrate which isn't all that easy at the end of the night. I can say this is going to be fun!!! I know the receiver will be surprised. We will both get a good laugh out of it. This is the first quilt I designed with EQ. First quilt designed and I am actually making it!!!

Tonight is our last "home alone, in our quiet little home" night for a few days. Our youngest son, Ryan, is flying home tomorrow afternoon from San Diego. We will pick him up at the little commuter airport in the town near us. Our oldest son, Roy, and his family will arriving tomorrow evening - after driving from a few miles from the Washington/Canada border! How is that for living on opposite ends of the world with mom and dad in the middle!!!

An aside: Ryan is feeling much better!!!

It's birthday time for boy our boys, Roy will be 27 on the 15th and Ryan will be 25 on the 16th. We will celebrate Roy & Naomi's 6th anniversary (October 7), both boys' birthdays and Christmas in just a few short days. It will be non-stop pandemonium until Monday afternoon when Roy and family will need to make that long drive home again. Ryan's plane leaves Tuesday afternoon. By Tuesday night our heads will still be spinning and we will already be missing the kids.

Saturday night will be our celebration night with Clamchowder in breadbowls (tradition!!). There will be between 14-18 people for chowder...I still have not gotten the sourdough breadbowls....ugh!!! I better get them tomorrow for sure!

Warning! Warning!! Warning!!! This blog will be chalkful of pictures of our long wknd...you've been warned.

I had really hoped to have a few things ready for binding while at the cabin but I only managed to get one more table topper done to the binding stage. Drats!! Oh well, who was I kidding??? I will not have time to do handwork. I have only one side of a swap block quilt to finish the handwork on and then will be able to post that. Maybe I can finish that tonight! If so, I will post the pic tomorrow morning before going into the office.

So, there you have it from me! Never a dull moment.

Lost Pics...read previous post.

2006-10-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Table topper for my pal

The next two pics should read, Grandma is Wonky!!! Not sure why these two pics flipped on their sides...but they did!!! Both wallhangings are square...it just don't look like it. JJ's room has a construction zone theme...Maddie is princess pink! I should have pressed Maddie's before taking a pic but didn't...oh well...the scallops did press out

JJ's Wonky

Maddie's Wonky

I like Saturdays

2006-10-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

Update on Ryan: No news is good news, I guess....he is tired and sore and bored. Went into the office on Friday to get some work done ~ no, he doesn't know how to slow down! Spent Friday evening home alone reading a book about water filtration for hikers. What a goofball. If he gets to feeling not-so-hot again he will go back to the ER, in the mean time we are anxiously awaiting his coming home this coming wk. We will pick him up at the airport on Thursday and he will need to return to San Diego the following Tuesday. While he is home I will spend alot of time staring at him....scoping him out and enjoying having him nearby so I can get a better handle on how things are. Thank you all for your concern and care.

A Big Thank YOU!!: to Jeanne who sent a wonderful box of backing fabs to be used for WTIL quilts. If you are ever in need of packing just call 1-800-JEANNE. This gal really gets the most bang for her buck with priority shipping. All of this wonderful fabric was in this one tiny little box!! Thank you Jeanne, many young children will soon be wraped in love with some of this fabric!

I totally believe that it takes each of us working together to make something happen, and no matter how much or how little money we might have, no matter how much or how little spare time we might, no matter how much or how little talent we might have.....if we each one do our part we can help someone who has less than we do...and we all know we are blessed and recieve more blessings as we help others. Nancy donated some wonderful tops, Jeanne donated the backing fabs, I have the batting and will do some quilting and in the end some beautiful children like these will join Nancy, Jeanne and I in being blessed. Simple recipe! and it works! So, once again thank you ladies...you are awesome.

On Thursday I spent alot of time sewing, it is my form of therapy! I managed to get a few things completed and will add them to my Done, A Very Good Word list. Our two youngest grandkidlets are now in their own rooms so a wonky door hanging for each of them, along with a table topper for my bestest of all bestest pals who lives in San Diego who just did her own kitchen remodel. (OK, so now BLOGGER IS NOT PLAYING NICE AGAIN and will not let me upload my pics!!!)

Remember back in March when the kitchen remodel hit a snag...and I decided that rather than let it get to me I was going to do a "when the going gets rough the tough go shopping"? Remember the wonderful "Apple of God's Eye" fabric that I was going to decorate my new kitchen with? Well, it has been sitting in a sack since March and my kitchen decorating idea switched gears when there was a change in countertop color. Oh, my wonderful bag of fabric therapy would have work in the kitchen...but I am so so loving my bright ME kitchen with all the black and white checkerboard prints. So....I used some of my therapy purchase to make a table topper, and once it was done-done I liked it so well that I decided to cut a couple more out and will make those up as well, one for me and one for a certain someone (she reads my blog so no names).

Dang that BLOGGER!! I really wanted to add pics to this post...oh well, I have other things to deal with than to expend my energy on blogger frustrations.

Do you EQ? I DO!!!! I am now the tired owner of EQ5. Tired? YES!! I have been staying up late playing with it!! I designed my first quilt and am totally loving using EQ! (can't post the new design...but LJ says I did OK) I have been sent a few files from others and have enjoyed tweaking them with various layouts and fabrics. HOW FUN IT IS! I have been looking forward to getting EQ for many months and am so thrilled with it! Thank you LindaJ for helping me along, for guiding me and holding my hand and giving me all the pointers and using up your last ounce of patience on me. You're the greatest!

Today we went to our granddaughter's soccer game. She is the cutest little goalie, even if she would rather be a forward so she could run and run and run. She is the coaches favorite for a goalie so that is the position she plays and does it with just a "little" bit of grumbling. Now we are waiting for a turkey to come out of the oven ~~ yes, a 21+# turkey! Then I will head up to the kids' house to help cut spacers for the new addition. (again, blogger photo posting is on strike!) I really wanted to sew, but they need to get this addition done before the rains set in, at least get it all enclosed. I took a hard fall on Thursday (I am sure we would have won AFV's 1 million prize if someone had been taping it) and banged myself up pretty bad...mostly my pride. So, due to the fall sitting at the machine is limited.

And lastly it is a bit of a sad day for me, today is National Card Making Day. My favorite card making buddy has been in a funk for a year or so and has shut out pretty much everyone in her life. It is hard to accept because it seems to be an on again-off again situation with her. She tends to like the "newer" and "better" not realizing that living by the rule of "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold" is an OK way to live-that there is no need to choose one over the other. This time I have just been hands off and will let her come around in her own time, it is just too bad that the wedge between us continues to be driven deeper. Oh well, the ball is in her court. Just another thing I will not expend energy on when there are so many wonderful things happening in my life. God is good and I am blessed.

Blessings in my life:

Hearing Ryan's voice and knowing I will be hugging him soon

My sister, she makes me laugh and loves me inspite of my warts

Listening to hubby hoot and holler during the baseball playoffs

Email and cyber friends

Walking into the house and smelling turkey in the oven

"He told me to tell you: "Everything is OK" "

2006-10-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

In mom talk that usually means:

I don't believe you, so how about you giving me the whole story

so I can decide if everything is OK.

For us there is nothing worse than to get a call from someone telling us our youngest son is "OK" ~ the red flags pop up and wave with gale force winds...just give me the details as thoroughly and quickly as you can.

We know each day is a gift when we think about this young man who has overcome various health issues in his young life from day one to today~ten days before his 25th birthday. He didn't come home from the hospital when I did following following his birth, as a toddler and preschool child his playmates were his Nurses, Doctors and other hospital staff. He slept more nights in a hospital bed than his own during his first 3 years. During our boys' school years we planned our vacations around surgeries and/or hospitalizations. He is no stranger to a Dr's office or emergency room.

Last night we got one of those "Everything is OK" phone calls. Ryan was born with Marfans, has a heart condition, pectus excavatum and his body looks like a tic-tac-toe board from his many and various surgeries. He is very good about taking care of himself, taking his meds, getting his check ups and etc. He knows when the slightest changes take place and which changes warrant a trip to the Dr, urgent care, or ER. Yesterday it was a trip to the ER.

He is fortunate to have a cardiologist who is well versed in Marfans treatment. Dr ran all the tests - didn't like the way some of them turned out and decided to keep Ryan overnight for observation and run more tests this morning. He was admitted to the cardiology unit and was hooked up to monitors and etc.

We got online and checked airfare and flight times last night. We knew we would go if needed and he knew we would be there if he asked us to be there. Ed wasn't sure he could make the trip due to his recent surgery so we thought about flying our oldest son, Roy, from Seattle to San Diego. My sister decided Ryan could not have surgery without her there (there is a story behind this!!! and someday you might hear it) I cancelled my business trip and we spent the night and this morning sitting by the phone waiting to hear something, caught between don't wait - just go and wait - we need more information.

More tests today, and all of them "inconclusive". Ryan was released from the hospital late this afternoon and hopefully he is at home sleeping. He left his phone at the office yesterday but he said he would borrow a phone and call us tonight.

Today Ed and I held each other, prayed, drew strength from my sister, Nancy (thanks for being there for us!) and our oldest son, Roy. Ed paced while I put my anxious energy to work by cleaning, doing laundry and sewing and sewing and sewing.

Sherrie, thank you so much! You are a great second mom for Ryan, and we know that boy-o needs more than one!!! That Ryan, he will give you gray hair, this I know, this I have proof of!

Nancy, thank you for always being there when I call and cry, and then laugh, and then cry some more....Thank you for laughing and crying with me....I love you. Today you can be both the SO and the PO, because you are!

BLOGGER IS NOT PLAYING NICELY

2006-10-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures to go with my previous post, Blogger wasn't playing nice and wouldn't let me add them to my post...so, here they are. Christmas placemats
Pepper Jelly

Merry Christmas!! and other ramblings

2006-10-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

This set of 4 placemats has been in my UFO pile for years, literally! So long in fact, I can't even remember when I started them. I know they have been at least 8 years in the making. So, what did I need to do to finish these? The binding....isn't that awful, all I had to do was stitch the binding down! How sad! And these were not the only placemats in my UFO pile that only needed the binding hand stitched down,yes....you are reading this correctly...the binding was machine stitched, I only needed to do the handwork. Sad, just sad. I did finish up another set but can't post the other set yet because they are a gift.

I love 30's prints and when I saw these prints I had to have them! I am so excited to have them finished to use in our new kitchen this year, and look at all that red!!!

Yesterday we canned this batch of pepper jelly, aren't the jars cute? One more batch of pepper jelly and we can cross it off our canning list. These will be gifts, when we can for ourselves seldom do we use the cute jars and lids. Next up in the canning dept is turkey soup stock but that will be later in the month after the kids come and go since we will be cooking a 24 lb turkey while they are home.

Today is the first day of October, how did that happen? Where did September go? October already? Well, OK, if we must ~ but that doesn't mean we can't protest just a little!!

October is busy for us every year, but this year it seems to be more so. To start with I have a business trip that I will be out of town for a couple of days this week. I am so so so looking forward to time away and alone.

Our boys (including DIL and 2 youngest grandkidlets) will be home the following week, everyone will arrive on Thursday. The house will go from 2 people to 7. On Friday we will all head to the cabin and spend the wknd enjoying sunsets, rockclimbing, skimboarding, laughing, games of Skipbo, clam chowder in breadbowls and we will celebrate both of our sons bdays. Roy turns 27 on the 15th and Ryan will be 25 on the 16th. I am getting old!

Each Saturday morning in October two grandkidlets have soccer games so we travel to various little towns in our area to watch games. Tuesday's our oldest grandkidlet has football games which start right after I get done at the office.

Hubby is considering attending a men's retreat the 20-21st, kinda waiting to decide to see if he will be sleeping better by then.

Of course we still have to keep up with our regular routine, trips into town to see momma several times a wk, Dr appts (hubby MIGHT be driving by the end of October!!) etc etc. With the days getting shorter and shorter I am wondering if October will fly by as quickly as September and I will be ponder the same thing about December when I flip the calendar to the eleventh month of the year...the ELEVENTH MONTH...HOW DID THAT HAPPEN???

Quilt Retreat. Ed has encouraged me to attend so I sent in my ck and have made the commitment to go. So, now I need to prepare for it. I have narrowed down which project(s) to take, need to start gathering stash and etc. Will also need to go through my traveling sewing tote and give my FW and once over. I have not been to any quilt camp for a couple of years (and never been with this particular group) so will need to make sure I have a well stocked sewing tote and everything I need since the nearest store is a 45 mile drive (one way) from the camp. Yes, it is literally a camp...quilt camp is held at a church camp up in the woods near Diamond Lake. It is beautiful up there, I am hoping to go on a photo shoot walk to stretch my legs from time to time.

I had planned to take half a day off from work in order to get to the camp (2½ hr drive from my home) before dark but my boss gave me the day off WITH PAY!!! How cool is that??? I have the best boss around! I will leave on Friday morning (Nov. 3rd) and return Sunday early afternoon.

The Secret Wonky

2006-09-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Jeni's Wonky

I made this wallhanging for my niece-in-law's new office. This is her first year as an elementary school counselor and we are all so so so proud of her! She worked hard to get her degree, landed a job as a school secretary to get her foot in the door, when this job as counselor opened up she applied for it and of course she was the favorite!!!

That in itself would be just too wonderful BUT this year she is once again a full time student, studying to get her Masters. She has to drive over an hour to get to the campus for night classes, she is really committed to her grad school goals. Add that to her new job and she has her hands full....but that isn't all...she is also pretty much a newlywed (they just celebrated their 1st anniversary) and has a toddler and infant at home (well, ok...ok....the toddler is Luna - their one year old lab and the infant is their new bird dog puppy who as of yet doesn't even have a name~ but the pups are THEIR babies!!!). Wow just thinking about all that is going on in her life makes me tired, it is a good thing she is young!

So....I made this silly wallhanging (which started out to be a doorhanging but the letters were too big!!!) to help her celebrate her new job, and to be a daily reminder to her that I am so proud of her. I hope when she looks at it she remembers I am praying for her and am a silent partner as she reaches into these young lives and makes a difference in the world. The world can be such an unwelcome place for kids but having Mrs. Hume available will be a blessing to them. Did I tell you how proud of her I am???

Why the parrots?? Jeni and Alan's beautiful and fun outdoor wedding was a Hawaiian party, complete with professional hula dancers, coconut shell bras and grass skirts. After the wedding they packed up all the fun decorations (including blow up monkeys and palm trees) and put it all in a box in the closet...when Jeni needed to decorate her office, she pulled that box out and instantly had a fun theme!

And I mustn't forget to mention my nephew, Alan. I am so proud of him. He is an EMT/fireman. You know when they are little boys and throw rocks at each other and fight with their sisters and spend their time feeding the cows and pigs (raised on a farm) and land their first job pumping gas at the local gas station....it just seems like they will always be little boys....and then they grow up and become responsible men who become husbands and fathers (ok, ok...those puppies really are their children!!) and they pay their own bills and buy a home and etc etc etc. Sometimes I just want the world to stop spinning so I can catch up with these kids!
Have I mentioned how proud I am of this young couple?!? Thank you Alan and Jeni, the world needs more people like you!

Bug 1 Pam 0 The bug won!

2006-09-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Things I Learned From a Bug Today

When you find a bug in your car and flick it out the window it will fly back in the sunroof
Swatting at the bug while driving will make you drive like you have been drinking
Stopping the car on the side of the road to remove the bug from your car will only send the bug into hiding
While stopped on the side of the road several people will stop to ask if you need help
If you are honest about why you are stopped you will look like a sissy, which you will hate yourself for, thank the good samaritans and send them on their way.
If you get back in the car without getting rid of the bug, he will return
When he returns he will drop from the sunroof and land on your steering wheel
DON'T SWAT AT THE BUG>>>you don't want to get pulled over for drinking and driving
When you flick the bug off the steering wheel...the bug will still be in your car and he will still be alive ~ he knows he is winning this game
Since you did not rid your car of the bug you will think he is crawling on you
It will make you itch
....all over
...at the same time
...non stop
When you stop to pick up lunch for your mom the bug will be no where in sight, you will know that the bug is laughing at you, this is not fun!
As soon as you get back in the car the bug will land on your hand, this will freak you out...
You will flick your hand and once again the bug will go into hiding
You will be strong and continue on your journey
When the bug comes out as you round a corner...remember this is the best time to maintain control of the vehicle and begin chanting "You are just a bug and you can't hurt me"
You neglect to chant what your heart really feels "You can't hurt me but you can startle me over and over again"
When the bug flys off your hand and lands on the door near a window remember it is best to have the window down before flicking the bug once again OUT the window
This is best done when the window is OPEN
When you arrive at your destination, the bug will still be laughing, he will not pay for his free ride but will instead fly out the window and be a happy bug...
You on the other hand will sit there and be amazed that a little half inch bug can hold you hostage for 25 miles and 45 minutes ~ and make you wish you HAD been drinking!

Just not the same

2006-09-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

Ed and I are canning salsa again today, should be the last batch of the season....yippee.....but it really isn't the same without my sister here!!! She is funny and busy and keeps one step ahead of me with the jars hot and ready, the tomatoes cut and the peppers and onion (she HATES onions!!) chopped and ready to go. I can hear the "pop" "pop" "pop" as the jars seal...isn't that a cool sound, to me it says "you done good!"

I have another finish to post but can't post a pic until it is received. I don't think "she" reads my blog but she knows others who do and I don't want the surprise spoiled on accident. It will go out in Monday's mail. Man I wish I could be a mouse in a corner, she has no idea this is coming. It will be delivered to her place of work, which is where it is meant to be used as well...all of that will make sense when the picture is posted and the story told....Maybe by Friday, we'll see.

OK, while sewing today (salsa takes 45 minutes to process...plenty enough time for a quick trip to MCM between each of the 7 canner loads) I needed to get my trusty tape measure out and my trusty bodkin as well. I knew right where they were, just turn my sewing chair and pull out the drawer and yep...right there, top drawer ~ on the left. These are not my 2 most used sewing items, I would say my pins, scissors, rulers, rotary cutters and mats are used most every time I sew-those are the items that should be where they belong each time I need them...but that isn't always so. Now...why would my tape and bodkin be the 2 things that ALWAYS get put back the very second I am finished using them??? I have no answer to that but that is the way it is. Without fail my tape and bodkin are right there....I don't think I have ever misplaced either one of them. Just an interesting thought I had while sewing.

While sewing the binding on said "secret project" I sewed over a pin, which snapped the machine needle in two, the sharp end popped up and hit the lens of my reading glasses. I just sat there soaking in all that could have meant. I wear soft contacts so had I not been wearing my reading glasses I would have gotten that sharp needle stuck in my contact, in my eye or at the very least on my eyelid. It was a very vivid reminder to me not to sew over the pins, which I do on a regular basis. I must quit doing that. Earlier in the year while teaching my granddaughter to sew I was very strict about her stopping the machine about an inch away from the next pin until she had better control over the foot pedal and then let her sew up to ½ inch away. Ladies, we never know when this might happen...accidents are just that: accidents, which means that we have no idea when something might happen. I gotta be more careful, that is all there is to it.

AND THEN....I went to replace the machine needle and couldn't find a new one....grrrrr....grrrrrr. hunt hunt hunt (obviously THOSE aren't in the right place!) so hunt some more!! Not one machine needle could be found (I know I have some, I just purchased them!!!)~~~dang nab-it! Ah, but wait....let me just look in this other drawer...oh baby!! The mother-lode (literally) of pins and needles of all sorts!!! When in need, when in doubt look in Momma's sewing stuff!!! And I was back in action...and able to finish the hanging sleeve I was working on.

I have been invited to attend a quilt camp in November. Ed is encouraging me to go since I did not go to the camp I usually attend in January and will not be attending next January either. I am giving this some serious thought, I would love to have some uninterupted time to sew. This is a no rules, no classes, no schedules kinda camp....just the kind I like!!! I just might even take an extra vacation day and go up a day early just to be alone.

To those who have inquired: Ed is doing really well. He is getting stronger and has upped his walking to 5 days a wk. He is actually walking further than he has in a long time. I am so proud of him for pushing himself to gain back as much as he can. And no, he is still not driving MY new car. LOL LOL Thanks for asking!!!

OK, 10 minutes before the canner is done...better go heat up more jars, I have a feeling I am going to be up all night and will smell salsa in my sleep!

Oh Brother!!!!

2006-09-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

See, I told you I think the cartoonists have been spying on me!!!

Addition to yesterday's post

2006-09-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

I try to have handwork to do while visiting with my momma. She seems content to have me there no matter what I am doing, we don't have to chat, sometimes companionable silence is all she needs.

Before her stroke we would often sew or craft together. When we had family gatherings someone was always in charge of coming up with a craft that all of us would like and then all the ladies (and a few of the grandkids) would have our crafttime....oh good grief the odd ball things we have done over the years!!!

When I packed her sewingroom up, the quilt on her machine was a WTIL quilt which I finished and gave to a little boy in Mexico this past June (yes, it took me 5 years to be able to finish it~I was torn, should I finish it and then keeping it as her last project or finish it and give it WTIL, I decided she would want it to go to WTIL...). As a team, she and I made one niece a wedding gown, when my oldest son married in 2000 she was my biggest supporter and encourager as I sewed over 15,000 beads (yes, you read that correctly ~ FIFTEEN THOUSAND) on lace and then made our daughter-in-laws gown from the lace. Handwork has always been a favorite past time for us to share.

When I am working on a project while visiting her she watches me like a hawk. She laughs when I poke myself, encourages when there is a lot left to do, cheers me with each finish ~ watching me the whole time. We count the corners when I am binding a quilt ONE, TWO, THREE and finally together we shout FOUR!!! Then she lays whatever the finished project is out on her lap and starts picking all the loose threads, pointing out if there is something that needs to be cut etc. Since I am currently working on OLD OLD OLD UFO's she is recognizing some of them and making comments (which I cannot understand!!!) or laughing if by chance it was something we each worked on or something she too made WAAAY back when.

This is one of many sets of sewing kits I have made, Linda posted a picture of a set I made for her and yes it was a gift for working on my row robin years ago. However, this set was made for my momma. She actually had a couple of sets, but this is the set I choose to use most. I love the bright happy print.

The blocks are foundation pieced. For a while I was a foundation piecing maniac. This was YEARS ago...years ago. (don't get me wrong, I still love foundation piecing just not a maniac about it). The blocks I used to make these sewing kits are 2½" or 3" square and the foundations were made from rubberstamps (yes, ink the stamp and stamp on cloth). Most are Granny Nanny stamps but there are other brands as well. Linda and I had a blast stamping muslin and sending sets across the USA to each other. I have a couple of miniture quilts that I made for myself that I will get a few pictures of and post at some point. Most of the miniture quilts I made were given away, and sadly I did not take pictures of them. I know my sister has one (hey, Nancy, can you take a picture of it and send it??? please and thank you) and I know several are packed away in my mothers things.

OK, time to shut this down....I finally found a new purse while shopping tonight and want to "move" into it before bedtime.

Survivor was just so-so tonight.

OK, I'll play too....

2006-09-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Here are the pincushions that are by my machine. My sewing cabinet was my momma's she put the magnetic pin catcher on the corner...boy is it ever handy. The other one is wool, keeps my pins sharp, a friend of mine gave me this years ago...it is getting a bit ratty (where Katie bug picked at it!!) but will last for years to come.

This is my trash. Let's see....the orange and green are from a current project that I can't post until the receiver gets it. The pink is from my mothers wall wonky wallhanging. There is a bit of green from my sisters wonky wallhanging. I see a bit of black and a dash of red...that would be from My Bloom. There are a few pins, which no doubt are bent from the machine needle hitting them and 2 machine needles that were changed out stuck on the side. This little trash is beside my machine, when it gets full I empty it into a larger trash that sits next to where I cut and iron. And here is my iron. I love my iron. It is a Pansonic Cordless. I have had it for several years and when it gives up the ghost I will get another one just like it, if I can find one. AND it's purple!!!

Other notes:

Tonight I finished the binding on 3 more Christmas placemats, they are so cute! Getting these years old UFO's finished is helping my attitude!!!

I also finished putting the border on a secret something as mentioned above.

Currently I am re-reading Life is Tough But God is Faithful by Sheila Walsh. I really appreciate her honesty in tough times.

Blessings in my life:
An ok 90 day assessment for momma
Unexpected giftbasket full of wonderful surprises
Flat-Out Bread Sandwiches
Reading my sons hilarious blog post today