Great Mail and Good Reading

Interesting story. About a year and a half ago, I did an exchange with another blogger. I sent her a bunch of quilting books I was no longer using and in return she was going to send me a bag of left over scraps from a Kaffe Fassett quilt she was working on. She asked me to have patience because she was finding it hard to finish with family obligations etc. No problem says I. Send it when you can, I'll be happy with whatever you send. Time goes by. Her blog never gets up-dated and the mystery fanatic in me wonders what ever could have happened to this woman. Not for a minute did I feel angry that she didn't follow through because I was going to donate these books to our library anyway. I just couldn't stop thinking about what happened to her. It's funny what this blogging thing does to you. You really form an attachment to people even if you never meet. We find out things, sometimes personal, about each other and form these friendships that are very close in some ways...but not close in other important ways. I really couldn't imagine what happened to her. If she had up-dated her blog or closed it, I would have just put it out of my head but that didn't happen. The abrupt stoppage seemed to hang there like something profound had perhaps happened.

Yesterday, I was cleaning up my in-box of the hundreds of messages that I allow to hang around much too long and I came across an e-mail from her. Even though I deleted about a hundred other messages, I just couldn't delete hers. It still was a mystery unsolved. Last night my husband came home with the mail and he had a good sized box under his arm that he said was for me. Last week, I won a pin cushion from a fellow blogger but this was a pretty big, and heavy box for a pin cushion. I could hardly believe my eyes. It was a box from the lady of the Kaffe fabric. It was loaded, as you can see, with scraps and even fat quarters of Kaffe fabrics. There are also a huge pile of American Jane fabrics and, my hand to God, yesterday I had the Hancocks catalog in my hand to order American Jane in a jelly roll since I love the fabric and adore the lady who designs it. Cue the Twilight Zone music. I was so excited I couldn't wait till dinner was finished so I could get my hands into the box and play. What a great box of goodies. She included a pattern for a quilt and a nice note. I was so delighted, and a little freaked by the coincidences, that it was a very exciting evening for me. I'm still twirling with delight at my good fortune and so appreciative. I will send her a note of thanks because I'm un-sure if she reads my blog and I want to express my happiness at this lovely box full of goodies. I honestly can't wait to get my machine out and play with these pretty things.

For those of you who are mystery readers I may have mentioned that I'm a big fan of Jonathan Kellerman and his Wife Faye Kellerman. I just finished reading "Bones" by him and picked up this new one(above) by her the other day. She gets better all the time. I'm just getting into it because I have a number of distractions so I can't just sit down and read cover to cover, which is what I usually do with these books.

I hope you have as fascinating a day as I had yesterday in your world. It was really a WOW. Talk to you soon.

If Stacey is reading, I tried to send you an e-mail but it came back un-deliverable. You can e-mail me on my bio page but I can't seem to contact you. Sorry. Let me know if you have a blog. Your page is not open to comments or contact.

Some Good News

I thought it would be nice to share some very good news. James got his biopsy results and he doesn't have Crohn's Disease. That's the best news in a while around here. He has to be more focused on his diet and that can only be a good thing. Our visitors are in Manhattan until tomorrow. They went in for the St. Paddy's Parade and a show on Broadway. Peace is restored for the moment. I'm working on some business for the Pantry and catching up with the laundry and such.

Our weather has gotten really nice for these past few days. Spring is on the way. Love it!

Why is it that when you can't get to the sewing machine you come up with a fountain of ideas that you would love to try immediately. Oh well, I'm taking a few moments to click around and see what you all are up to. I saw a BOM on someones blog that looked like fun

I saw it in the original form as you see in green on the left. Then I saw someone else had made it in different springy shades and I like both ideas. I should probably think of this as a Christmas project to work on now....you know, before
Christmas(heh). Here's the candy colored one. Isn't it adorable? It's paper-pieced and I can't remember where I saw this so I apologize to the very talented person who came up with this great idea. If anyone knows who is offering this would you let me know so I can send my mea culpa and an apology...and lots of praise. If I do make this I'm thinking I would start with the fabulous hand dyed gradations that I bought from Darcie last year. I would need to add something additional but the colors I got from her are luscious. So that's what's on my agenda right now.
I know I said I wouldn't blog till next week but I wanted to share the good news about James and say that my nose is healing nicely. Thanks to all of you who left nice messages. I'll talk to you soon.

Stuff Continues to Happen

O.K. I'm being polite and not using the phrase I would like to but nevertheless it's all too much stuff lately.

I miss my sewing machine, which has been covered, relegated to the basement, and left in the dark...much like me.

We have family visiting for a few more days and so there is just too much going on that is of no interest blog-wise. Cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, dinner out, etc. My son had his colonoscopy last week-he has ulcerative colitis and is taking meds for that-he is otherwise doing well. BIL Bob will have treatments for his illness begining next week. Multiple weeks of radiation. We love him and will do our best to help him keep his chin up during this. As for me, I had to have the cauterization to my nose again last week-bad nosebleeds, blood vessel that will not heal. Too much information???Just shoot me! We will all survive and spring is on the way. Tralalala.....la.

I'll be back with better chat next week when I attempt to resume normal activity around here. Miss you all and I haven't even had a chance to read around and see what's up. Talk to you soon...don't forget me!!!

Stuff happens

You know how life goes along smoothly for a long time and then one thing happens and then another and then something else and then you put your hands up and say Whoa Nelly? We are in the Whoa Nelly phase for the time being. Several health issues have popped up for us. My son has to have a colonoscopy next week-he's been having some stomach issues. My BIL Bob has had some health problems that require more than a band aid-actually they require some prayer and hopeful thought. My other BIL Richard is coming next week for a visit(don't even get me started on that subject) and it just seems like we need some serious attention to things around here that are not blog-worthy. I seriously doubt that I'll have much time for any form of sewing in the next week or so. That said, I hope to have time to read around the blog world and see what everyone is up to even though I just can't seem to find anything worth writing about at the moment that isn't about these health problems and who wants to hear about that stuff anyway. How's that for a run-on sentence?

I would ask you to say a little prayer for my BIL Bob, who means an awful lot to us here. I'll try to get back with news when I have some. Meanwhile, sew something fun for me. Back soon with good news I hope.

I blatantly stole these snowdrops from the Internet. There are some in my yard just like them but I haven't had a moment to get out and take any pictures. Monday we had a snowstorm and it was 20-today nearly all the snow is gone and it was nearly 70 yesterday. Same today. I even have to fan on upstairs in our bedroom it was so warm. Mother Nature-Whoa Nelly!

Brrrrrr

Baby, it's cold outside! We got the worst of it yesterday. More than a foot and now the temps are really down and it's windy.

We really haven't had a major snowfall in a couple of years so I guess we had this coming. That's James trying to find a place to throw some more snow so he can get to his car and un-cover it. We got there eventually. Not until it was almost dark out. Memo to snowblower users...the snowblower doesn't like bluestone.It just wouldn't quit snowing. Bah! Last week I had on a light shirt and the windows open. This will take forever to go away. Well, at least the sun is out.

All the "boys" finally went off to work and I'm doing some cleaning before I tackle some sewing things.

I made a quick little table topper for a friend that needs some light quilting and a border. As soon as I finish the border on another little piece that needs mailing out.

Blogger was very bad yesterday-in fact, the whole Internet experience was pretty bad yesterday. It's somewhat better this morning but not great.

I need to get going so I'll talk to you soon.

Lost & Found and manners

That describes both this small piece and the state of things around here for the last couple of days. We had some health issues for my BIL Bob. He's alright now but the past few days have been no fun for him. He's home and happy to be here and resting up so things are getting back to normal again. While I was wading through various piles of fabric and assorted stuff I found this little quilt that is all ready to be machine quilted and bound. I made it from a package of pre-cut 5 inch squares I got a long time ago. It's been hanging around forever under some other stuff. so I'll give it a quick bit of work and a place around here somewhere to hang out.

I am, once again, behind in my work for the Pantry so I really need to catch up. I was reading JudyL's blog these past few days and it struck me again how mean people can be about things on blogs. As I said to her in a comment today, I will paraphrase my Grandma and just say" if you can't say something nice, click away to another blog" These posts are supposed to be about the things we have going on in our lives and want to share. There are some who apparently see it as boastful to express our delight in achieving a life-long goal or getting something we have wanted or even being financially sound. If that offends someone, I'm not sure what that says about them. Read something else. JudyL is one of the hardest workers and most helpful people it's been my pleasure to read about. She really enjoys life and I guess there is a certain kind of person who sees enjoying life as being uppity(is that a word?) Lord knows, life is uncertain and harsh in so many ways. It's a treat for me to read her positive outlook on life and those who have been reading her blog for a while know that she got to this point in life the hard way. Keep the posts coming Judy. It's just sad that there are people who would be so nasty but I guess when you take on writing this way you have to expect to come across a few witches to stir the pot.

I have to get dinner going now. The guys are on the way home and no doubt hungry.

See you!

Baby News & Wonky Stars

I can't decide what I like more-the wonky stars or the polka dots. I really love polka dots. I see a larger polka dot quilt in my future.

We had a really quiet weekend. Seriously, it was like a lost weekend-without the booze. Everyone here was in a sleepy-nap-taking mood and we all went with the flow. I did make a nice dinner for BIL Bob Saturday. I made a pork butt into pulled pork and it was very good. Carrot cake for the birthday boy and, sadly for him, we sang to him. I'm sure his ears are still ringing.

On the what's new front...our great neice made her first appearance on Saturday. Welcome to the world Katie Ray. Well over 8 lbs and Mommy Kristy is a very small woman so an 8lb baby probably took a lot out of her. She and Dad Adam are doing fine though. Wish I could show you pictures but I'm not sure how thay feel about that so I'll wait till I'm sure. Really cute baby though. Pudgy cheeks and adorable face. Everyone is very excited.

Anyway. I spent the day working on the binding for the quilt which I hope to mail out to Katie Ray in a day or so. Now I can put a label with her name and the date on the back.

I also played with the wonky blocks and I'm so in love with this type of block. It's a snap to make and always looks like a party.

Not much else going on around here. We are getting ready for a visit from our nephew David and new Grandpa Richard, my BIL who lives in Washington State. They are coming around the St Patty's Day holiday for a few days. Haven't seen David since he was a little boy. He's around 20 now so it will be interesting to see what has become of him.

This and the fact that the dust bunnies are taking over the house will keep me busy for the next while.

Hope to talk to you soon.

By the way, on the followers list there is a Sandra listed. I have no way of contacting Sandra but "Hi!" anyway. Let me know how to contact you. I love a good mystery and you've got my attention. Does your last name begin with a C ....? Are you a local.

Fess up!

I forgot to mention-I got an e-mail from a very nice person with a new quilting site that lists quilters blogs and has lots of other good info and ideas-check it out!

http://blog.missouriquiltco.com/

Wonky piecing

I made these wonky blocks for Stacey in Australia. They are making quilts for the people who have lost their homes from the bushfires. I hope to get them into the mail tomorrow.

I found an interesting thing happened while making these blocks. It's hard to do wonky blocks. Whoda thunk? You just sew random pieces to make the star points and it never looks right. That's because it's supposed to look wrong. I'm far from perfect in the matchy-match points area but it was equally hard to be randomly wrong. Anyway, the blocks are a snap otherwise and I enjoyed the journey to liberated quiltmaking. I hope to go there again soon. I think I'm becoming a convert. I put an additional packet of fabric pieces into the envelope in case someone wants to make more blocks with the leftovers. I've got too much to do right now to make any more myself . I hope it helps someone.

On the home front, yesterday it was BIL Bob's birthday. On Monday, since the guys were off for President's Day, we took a ride to the south shore and had lunch on the Nautical Mile in Freeport. For those who live far from me, its a place you can go to take a chartered fishing excursion for a few hours. They have a gambling boat as well. Anyway, there are a hundred restaurants on the water and even though few were open this time of year, we did manage to find one and have a lunch together. We had planned to take him to somewhere a bit nicer but that will have to wait a few weeks. Bob had the test for sleep apnea and it turns out the reason he can't sleep for more than a couple of hours is that he has a major case of it. I hope the mask will help him get some rest.

Other than that-I've got nothing. This seems to be a very down time here. Nothing really interesting....Except...the baby for whom I made the Delectable Mountains quilt is due any minute-that's pretty exciting. Can't wait to see the little darling.

Talk to you soon.

Bright & Random Happiness

I pulled out those blocks I showed the other day and determined that I need to find more of the whirly gig fabrics before I can do much with more blocks of that pattern. After a morning of communing with the vacuum cleaner and dusting, I decided to revel in the sunshine and open windows. Our temps today are nearly 60 and even though I know that it will most likely be 20 next week, I'm so perky today. Well, maybe it's the temps and maybe it's the new treadmill or a combo of both. Just standing at the window in the sun was fabulous.

So, I am putting another random round on the blocks and making them a bit larger. I had the presence of mind to throw the matching fabrics into the baggie before I tossed it into the pile so there are plenty of pieces to make up another couple of rounds of these blocks. I wish I'd had the same presence of mind for the Whirly gig blocks. I think I need to dig in the closet of shame for those fabrics and that may require a cocktail and an exorcist. After the softness of the baby quilt colors and some other things lately-this riot of color feels so...happy! Off to enjoy the probably all too brief taste of spring. Hope you have something fun to do today. If not....find something. Escape from home for an hour or two(hello??? Diane & Erika????)

More tomorrow.

Signs of Spring

The weather here has turned sort of springy and so maybe that's why I had thoughts of spring cleaning today. In my journey to the center of the pile I found these forgotten items and was a little giggly. I like both ideas but in particular, I was looking forward to making a whirly gig mini quilt. I really like this pattern so much and several people around the blog world have lately come up with their own versions. It's always fun and bright. That's the password for the week-fun and bright. I will move them to the front of the line with only two items before them. Besides, I need to leave the safety of the muted palette a little. I like the bolder colors and patterns so much. A bit of spice is nice!

We had quiet weekend with not much going on. It was pretty and warm. I opened the windows to air out the winter staleness. Very nice. By Wednesday we are to be in the high 50s. Time to get out and take a stroll. Maybe I'll hit the beach.

Hope your day is a peaceful one.

The Beast in the Basement

No-it's not me.

First, let me thank all you dear people who were kind enough to send us good wishes. It meant a lot to us both. Merci!

The treadmill finally got delivered yesterday...Yippee.

Tomorrow I'm going to bring the camera with me to the basement because this picture doesn't do it justice. This treadmill has enough displays and buttons to rival the cockpit of most airplanes. It took me over 5 minutes to program it and make it start. Thankfully I have discovered a shortcut for those who are not training for the Olympics. It also has connections for I-pods and such. I need to be entertained or it just won't be happening. Sad...but true. Here's the really bad news. I'm back to square one since it took two months to get it. I huffed and puffed and huffed some more and then I sat down and fell into a coma...just kidding.

For anyone who remembers my little "thread thing" this past year with Hancocks of Paducah, I know you won't believe it but I ordered some fabric from them and you further won't believe-it came in less than a month.....I know, I can hardly contain myself. I figured I'd give them another shot and frankly, I wanted it to work out well because they have awfully good prices on things like Kona cottons. With the stores now selling fabric for 9+ bucks a yard and the personal finances a bit tight, I'd like to help the local shop but to be honest, I know where she lives and it's a 2 million dollar house and her husband gave her the store to play with. I'll wish her good luck and pay Hancocks 4 and 5 dollars less and feel bad quietly. I like to go there occasionally for a treat or two but I have to conserve somewhere and buying less expensive background, backing fabric, and thread is one place I can do it.

So I got the fabric to finish the baby quilt and to use as backing for another piece. I really should buy it by the bolt.

Anyway, that's what's going on around here. The weather has been so cold. I was about 12 degrees out last night when I went out to dinner with a friend of mine. Afterwards we walked into Michael's. What a dump. When I can walk all the way around any craft store and not even be tempted it's really bad. The only thing available that wasn't crappy looking was the Martha Stewart stuff an really...who does Martha think she's kidding? I know...everyone! I picked up one of those multi-rolls of ribbon that she sells cause it was pretty, on sale, and I felt like I might use polka dot ribbon for something nice. When I opened a roll it was a 6 inch piece of ribbon-no kidding. Well, except for Martha-she's kidding....all the way to the bank.

Well, I'm of to enjoy a cuppa and maybe a movie. Roger is home today and he twisted his back-driving my car. He took my 4-wheel drive monster to work in the bad snow and ice the other day and he's not used to climbing in and out of the larger vehicle. His back didn't like the change at all.

Hope your day is a peaceful one.

Gratitude

It's been twenty five years since this picture was taken and I treasure every day since then. I was a different person then, not better or worse, just very different. The thing that remains the same is my love for Roger and our life together. It really doesn't get better than this. So, while I remember those fun filled moments cruising around the islands of Hawaii, the scents and the sounds, I am thankful that I made that long-ago decision to walk away from that old life and begin anew with this one. Roger is my touchstone for all that makes me happy. When I am afraid, he makes it better. He cuts me more slack than the rope will allow and his main mission for the past twenty five years has been to make my life a happy one. I have not always appreciated that gift as much as I should have. For that I'm sorry. Now, when I have a clear vision of both the past and the present, I have grown to appreciate all that has been given to me. One of my favorite quotes from the bible is "to whom much is given, much is also expected". Not sure if those are the exact words but the meaning is spot on. I think it is what drives me to help, to nurture, to give to others, and to care for what is important in this life.
I know I don't say it often enough but I really love this quiet man who took the first wild chance in his life and bet on me. I hope we have many more years together to appreciate each other and enjoy the life you've worked so hard to give us. Happy Anniversary to us.

Anniversary Quilt

Here is the perennial Anniversary quilt I once joked would be for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Whoops...we're there on Wednesday. Up until yesterday it was just blocks in bags waiting for attention. Many of the fabrics came from getting those monthly historical repros from Keepsake. Anyway, I pulled them out and sewed them into rows in the afternoon and showed them to the Thursday Night quilt group last night. I need at least as many more blocks than you see before you to make a good sized bed topper(and new quilt for R and his cold toes). I won't get it done by Wednesday, but it was really good to get it out and let it breathe again. I have a baggie full of finished block quarters and some that haven't been squared up and sewn together yet. I also kept aside a whole grocery bag full of the scraps of these fabrics so there are plenty more. This one will be big so I think I may send my first quilt out to be quilted professionally. I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I really hate football but I so enjoy the party and goodies that go with it. On that note, I have a tray of enchiladas to donate to that effort on Sunday. If you beat the truth out of me(like you would need to) I would tell you I'm only there for the dessert. Someone always brings those mini cream puffs(Hi Terry) and they are my serious downfall. If I were an enemy spy, the other side would only have to put a plate of cream puffs in front of me, just out of reach, to get the truth. So that's where we will be on Sunday afternoon-pretending to be football fans.....go.... whoever!!!

Have a yummy weekend all.

Enough 9-patch blocks

Just a quick note to say that Bumble Beans has enough 9-patch blocks. She wants to thank everyone who volunteered for their generosity.
Back later with a post....

9-patch Jumble for Bumble Beans

I spent part of the afternoon yesterday making 9-patch blocks for Bumble Beans to use for a very good cause. If you have some 9-patches taking up space or a few minutes to make some(2 inch squares-block finishes about 5 in)check out her blog and help out. Nine patches are like eating peanuts-you just can't stop and they are so rewarding. A little effort and a big reward. They're always so sweet. Just grabbed some scraps and went to town.

We had a snowstorm yesterday and my "boys" were home so it was a sort of lost day. I never really accomplish much when they are here-so much distraction and so easy to be lazy....sigh.

Our treadmill from another planet has finally arrived in the store after a trip up the east coast to several Dick's Sporting Goods Stores. Memo to self-do not buy from Dick's. Pardon me but the name sort of suits them. My BIL Bob made the purchase for us as a Christmas gift and we got one but it's in the basement where it has sat for 6 weeks...not working. By now Bob has probably paid the very expensive bill, since he bought a really good model that can support our chunkyness. Roger finally managed to get through and low and behold!!!! it arrived at the store yesterday...yeah...right. Now we have to wait for the delivery company and set-up guys to get it here. Meanwhile we feel like the slugs that we have become. The temps have gotten a little better and most of the snow is gone, due to a heavy, warmish, rain that followed the snow yesterday. That's my kind of snowstorm.

There is the annual Superbowl party at our friends house Sunday and it will be good to get out of the house for something other than a quick trip to the grocery store. By the way, every time I set foot into that place it becomes more like $200. Target. Geez it's expensive to eat decent meals.

Gotta go now and do some laundry and get back to the Mighty Viking.

Borders & Binding to Come

Not sure why but this picture keeps coming out so dark and kind of muddy. Camera battery maybe??My floor is eggshell and these colors look too intense but nevertheless...here's the layout sewn together. A simple, plain border, simply tied and bound and off it goes to it's destination. I really loved making these blocks and will probably make more in the near future, perhaps more scrappy. I would dearly love to do a wall hanging like the one that Amanda, of Crazy Mom Quilts, did. Scroll down if it doesn't show. That girl is so fast nothing stays put for long. Anyway, she made a quilt quite literally of bits and she offers a link to the design concept. It's fairly straight forward but if you were to get stuck the plan is simple and carefree. You really can't make a wrong move with these free form pieces. All of that I credit to "Lazy Gal", Tanya herself and Gwen Marston and, not to forget Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville. Very inspiring ladies all. All except Gwen are in my links on the left.

I wanted to show the two really great gifts I got from the Thursday Night Quilters Christmas exchange this past week. We gorged on delicious appetizers and fabulous pound cake. I can't believe how lucky I am to have such wonderful, and talented, friends. The "coat rack", which will most certainly not be used as such, is stunning and Pam did a beautiful job on the blocks. They are so perfect and pretty. This darling birdhouse, which is really quite big, is all ready to be put out in the spring and the copper will turn to beautiful verdigris in no time. It was a lovely evening and they are such sweet women.

Yesterday I went with Dani & James to IKEA. What fun. James wanted a new chest of drawers and he got a really nice one. Of course, much cussing and fuming later that night-it was all together and since he had already purchased a new tv stand for his flat screen-he's a happy camper. It was fun watching them do something domestic together. My heart is very full.

I must go and put the roast in the oven and do a little clean-up and such. Hope you have a great Sunday.

There, that's better

I just know I'm going to kick myself in the morning but I changed the plan for the baby quilt. Has that ever happened to you? HA! I just wasn't digging the other fabric or the random(stupid) pattern for the sweet little darling to be. So I went to Bonnie Hunters fabulous website and found a pattern I had been looking at for some time. It's a Delectable Mountains pattern and since the couple live in Washington State, It seemed appropriate. The great thing about that pattern is that it's much like a log cabin. It changes every time you change the layout and offers so many possibilities. I'm going to curse myself in the morning because I dipped into my Robyn Pandolph stash that I was saving to make something like this for myself....sigh. I probably can't find any of these fabrics again since I've been putting them away for a while. Oh Well...best laid plans etc...

The pattern is so easy with her directions and it's really fun and kind of mindless sewing with great results and a great fudge factor if you aren't too experienced. I think on her site it's called Scrappy Mountains Majesty. It would be a great pattern for scrappy fabric so I'll keep it in mind for use again. I only have 4 more block sets to finish and then I can lay it out and sew the top. Maybe tomorrow.

We got some more snow...bah. I really hate winter here but I must keep in mind that I have friends who are buried under this stuff BIG TIME! Meanwhile, I've been reading, cooking, sewing, and cleaning. I was going to make chicken soup today but BIL Bob is home from New Orleans and has graciously offered to get take out for dinner. Woo Hoo!

Hope your Sunday is a sweet one. Roger is off tomorrow for MLK Day so we are having a long weekend. Looking forward to the warm-up that's supposed to be coming later this week. The Thurs. Night Quilting Ladies still haven't exchanged Christmas gifts. Maybe this week.

More Holiday stuff

I really must spend some time this year learning to use the camera to take a better photo. My dear friend Diane, who lives in north western Pennsylvania and has mad crochet skills, went me this lovely piece. I'm so lucky to have thoughtful friends. It's so much prettier than this picture and along with it she sent a linen piece with beautiful embroidery that I can't seem to get a picture of at all. I know you're supposed to turn off the flash to photograph very light items but I just can't seem to make it happen. I will see if I can't entice my favorite photographer to help me sometime soon.

Along with this I got a beautiful porcelain hand painted bird from Dani. It is currently wrapped with care and resides with the ornaments in the attic because I'm too dumb to remember to take pictures before putting stuff away. It's really beautiful and I loved getting something so pretty from her. My son gave me new speakers for my car. According to him they are replacing the ones he blew out by cranking up the volume a while back. The sound is fabulous and now I can be stylin' with my homeys while driving to the grocery store...word.

I got this book from Roger who is brilliant and just follows the list I give him from Amazon. Smart man that! Anyway, the book is fun for anyone who is a big foodie and lover of all things Asian like me.

Well that's about it for today. It's verrrry cold here and going to get colder tomorrow so I'm in and don't plan to venture out. I will go back to the baby quilt and get some progress on that. Hope you're warm and toasty.

The Grace of Friendship & Family

Work still progresses on the baby quilt but I see now that I don't really like the solid-looking barn red squares. They seem to take over the whole thing. Tell me what you think?

This really cool guy who came from Dani's Mom. He's a music box and I don't want to put him away yet. Such a thoughtful gift. Cheryl said she saw that he was wearing a quilt for a coat and she thought of me. What a lovely woman. I can't tell you how much pleasure it gives me to see him each day. I must try and kidnap Cheryl sometime when the weather warms up and take her out for lunch so we can continue to tell embarrassing stories about our kids. Really such a good time and needless to say, lots of laughs. Dani's Dad is one of the nicest men we've met in a long time. So positive and full of funny stories. We really enjoyed our time with them and look forward to much more.

I really worried about meeting them since I'm basically very quiet and it is often mistaken for coolness. None of that with them. They are so welcoming and really genuine people. It's no wonder that they have a daughter like Dani. She's gracious, sweet and very kind...just like her parents.

The other pictures are of Christmas Booty...HAR! I got a few generous gift cards from my BIL Bob and these are a few of the books I got. Roger gave me bookmoney as well so I still have plenty of chances to go crazy when I need to. Dearest Pal Terry gave me a subscription to the new Food Network Magazine. It's really fun(except for the part with that fool Sandra Lee and her stupid tablescapes etc. Don't get me started. She clearly went to the Thomas Kincade(painter of light,pppfffft!!!)school of loveliness . Removing my finger from my throat, I continue. The rest of the magazine is really fun and has plenty of recipes by actual people who cook real food.

There are some books I got. B&N was having a 50% off sale and I got Marcella Hazan's biography...lovely walk down an Italian childhood and fabulous cooking career. The others are escapist travelling postcard-type books from good writers.

Got myself a copy of Jane D'Avila's wonderful book on making art quilts with less stress and lots of great info on simplifying techniques you might not be familiar with. Got it because I never fully give up on the concept of breaking away from the traditional.

I am very blessed to find myself among a collection of really wonderful people who inhabit my life. It really doesn't get much better than this.

Quiltathon saved me!

Thanks to Judy L and the quiltathon I've been busy with the baby quilt for our niece Kristy. The baby is due in February so I'd better get a move on. I found this cute Debby Mum fabric last week at JoAnn's and I'm just making simple blocks-large squares surrounded by accent fabric. It was really fun to get back to something creative even if it is just a simple thing. The big snow storm predicted for yesterday was ,happily, a bust. Just a couple of inches. That's our favorite kind. A little snow, no ice pellets. By next week we are to be in the deep freeze though. I made a big pot of soup and biscuits for dinner last night-everyone was happy.

I took my lovely Christmas gift cards for Barnes & Noble out for a ride Friday. I will show some of those titles tomorrow. Lots of good reading. We have a new B&N just opened nearby and so it's pretty well stocked with good stuff. Borders is going downhill fast. Nothing but coffee table books and crap. It's a shame what has happened to them. I always liked them more than B&N. They offered more unusual things and lots of historical work. Well, I guess any book store is better than none.

That's about as exciting as my week got. Today I will try to get the top done and during the week I'll get it finished.....yeah..that's what I'll do...finish something.

As soon as you all stop laughing get a load of these two guys. There were rumors of an alien invasion last week and I think these two are safe from mind-melding and such. I'm putting down the camera and backing away slowly.

AWOL from my life!

With all of the time I have spent on the computer these past two weeks you would think it would be easy to do a post.....not so much.
I am so grateful for the generous people who live here and have really overwhelmed us with contributions to the Food Pantry. I'm still trying to dig out from under the piles of paperwork. Yesterday I asked the treasurer for some information regarding a regular donor who only requires a yearly statement and she e-mailed me back with that and the news that someone in the community had passed away and the family asked for donations to the Pantry in lieu of flowers.......sigh. My first priority this year when I'm finished with all of this and we are in the Feb. doldrums, will be to organize this in a better way and make a standard letter. Years ago, when I began writing thank you letters to each donor, there were only a comparative handful. It would pick up at Christmas, Easter, and back-to-school time when food drives resumed. Now we are blessed with many more donations and my little letter writing thing has grown into the hundreds. It really needs to be addressed soon. I have just finished over 200 letters. I'm thinking that will qualify for some sort of bulk mail rate. At the current postal rate that's a lot of stamps, and paper, and printer cartridges etc. Not to mention a lot of non-quilty time for Dee.
Well, at any rate, that's the scoop here at Overwhelmed Central. Please don't get the wrong idea. I'm thrilled that we can complain . It means we are able to feed a lot more families and here on the island many charitable organizations are really hurting and many have closed their doors. I found out last week that there is only one soup kitchen in the whole area left. There used to be a number of them in various churches. It's hard to find volunteers for that kind of thing now since so few woman are available during the day. Everyone has gone back to work.
So, on that note, I will finish some more letters and hope to get back to some fun stuff soon. I am having dinner with the quilting friends tonight. We go out to dinner for Christmas and birthdays. I'm looking forward to seeing them. Hope your day is a peaceful one.

Still no quilting going on...grrrrr

Here are a couple of photos of Christmas day with the darlings. They really are so adorable together. The table before the chaos and a few things under the tree. Remember how we said we were not going to buy much of anything since we just got the new monolith for the bedroom? Well...looks like it didn't go according to plan. We were all too good to each other, as always.

It's hard to believe but I'm still trying to finish with all the Pantry paperwork. I'm trying to do a little every day but beginning to think it would be better to just plow through all of it and be done. Roger took a stack of mail out with him this morning.

I have no more time today for that since I was out and the search for leg of lamb took me to more than one store. The place I usually get it didn't have anything that looked nice. It was all packaged in plastic wrap and very unpleasant looking. I wound up getting a fresh ham. That's another favorite around here so no one will be complaining. I'll just have to go to a butcher next time for the lamb. Maybe for Roger's and my 25th anniversary. It's Feb. 4th and usually turns out to be a horrible stormy or frigid day. Note to any young couples interested, don't get married in Feb. I'm filled with nostalgia since Jane Ann just came back from Hawaii and blogged about it. Now friends of ours are celebrating their 25th by leaving for Hawaii tomorrow for a week. One of these days we'll get back there. Jane Ann made me laugh when she reminded me of the chickens on Kauai. They are everywhere. It's basically a giant garden and the poultry runs free. Very amusing. Chickens turn up all over the place. It shouldn't have come as that much of a surprise since we live very near a small farm that has many chickens. Sometimes when I would walk with James in his stroller you could see them roosting in the trees. That was funny. They got just enough lift to make it into the smaller trees and they would make that funny cackle as if to say, "Hey, who says chickens can't fly?"

I'm looking for some new girly fabric. Our niece is having a baby in February. Good time to think about it huh? Terry said she would be heading to JoAnn's possibly on Friday and I may tag along to get something pinky and pretty. I really love making baby quilts. When we went to North Carolina back in July, Holly's daughter, Tatum had brought along the quilt I made for her from Aunt Grace fabrics in a Hugs & Kisses pattern. I never really see where my gifts go that often. It was neat to see her hugging her quilt and dragging it around. Despite all the loving it was getting it looked pretty good. Pays to buy good fabric after all.

We are having a very quiet New Years this time. No partying or dinner out. We're just hanging out at home. I'm thinking of making a seafood stew with clams, shrimp, mussels, and some fish with white wine and garlic...is that cioppino????? (thanks Gerrie for the spelling) Whatever it's called, I think that what I'll do. That and a glass of wine and we should be snoring by midnight if not before.

Hope you have a Happy New Year.

Christmas This&That

We are as ready as we are going to get. Due to the generosity of the people who live here, I am inundated with envelopes containing checks for the Food Pantry. I guess the word is getting out through various media sources. We are well stocked and very grateful. Many letter of thanks will not go out until next week but I'm sure they will understand.

The Happy Couple(Dani & James) will be joining us for Christmas dinner and a poll was taken. The winner (or loser???) was turkey. Dani says she can't eat any Bambi-looking little creatures. Looks like the lamb will bite the dust until New Years.

I feel so sorry for the little tiny birds at this time of year. The giant, very fat, squirrels get all the stuff we throw out for the birds and these darling little guys seems to just hover around waiting for the scraps. It's so frozen out there that what looks like snow is really glazed over with ice and hard for the little ones to get a grip on. For that matter it's hard for the big ones, like us, as well.

I found some pretty Christmas stamps on google images and thought I'd share some unusual ones here. Stamps are such an inexpensive visual treat. Hope you enjoy them and that your holiday is a lovely one. Merry Christmas!

Doing the Happy Dance...Wooot!

Why are these guys so happy? Well, I'll tell you why. Our favorite couple got themselves engaged. James & Dani got engaged last night. James took Dani to the place they first had dinner together and popped the question. We are trilled and happy and misty-eyed. OMG...My baby is getting married. But not for a while. They have promised both sets of parents that they will wait until Dani has finished her education. So that's my best news of the day, month, whatever. We all love Dani so it's wonderful news all around. James has come to love the large Italian family that Dani comes from. It's not surprising since he's an only child and really enjoys being part of the large family unit.

As soon as I can pin them down for 5 minutes I'll take a picture of the happy couple. I knew this was about to happen since I was the one to pick up the ring from the jewelers where it was being re-sized.

It's snowing here-a lot. We will probably be snowed in for a day or so but since it's Friday, who really cares. I've done everything but clean the house and get the Christmas dinner. I'm making Shrimp Scampi for Christmas Eve dinner and we are tossing around ideas for the Christmas meal. Could be turkey, could be leg of lamb, could be duck. We'll have a vote tonight. If James is with us it will most likely be turkey. He will most likely be at the in-laws-to-be so lamb may win out.

I must go and get some things accomplished before long or the day will be over. The weather has given me a really bad case of sciatica and my foot feels like it's throbbing but if I get a few things done I can coast for the rest of the day. Hope you're save and sound and warm.

Jingle Bell Buzz

Sorry for the lack of posting. I am just buzzing with stuff to do and I haven't even written out any cards yet. HELLO...Christmas is next week! Here's a shot of the tree-please don't look at the surrounding mess-I promise to clean it up before long. This was right after we finished a day of tree decorating and finding a place for all the stuff that usually sits where the tree is. Got to find the tree skirt. I just need a day without shopping to manage that. That day was not today. I hightailed it to Macy's this morning because they are now open at 9am. The place was nearly empty and I accomplished a lot. I am always amazed at the mark-up of items and how far down they can go and still make a profit. I got two pair of earrings that were 50% off and then another 20% for using their card. Good grief! They are really nice earrings too. Not crappy or cheap but 70% off for cripe sakes. So that was one of my stops today. Yesterday I made a number of other stops as well. I finished up at Tarjay and headed home with my sleigh full. It's not that I purchased so much but I did a lot of wandering and seeking. I'm really tired.

When I got back to the house I made myself a cuppa and a bagel and made the mistake of putting my feet up and turning on Desperate Housewives, which runs at noon for two episodes. If my life depended on it I could only tell you the first 5 minutes and the last ten of the second episode. ZZzzzzzzzzzztwo hours went by. Now I'm making Pasta Sauce from scratch since Roger can't have a lot of sodium. I make it a kind of Arrabiata with red pepper flakes, good red wine, and a lot of seasoning to make up for the lack of salt. It's not bad. If I had any energy left I would tackle a couple of other tasks but I have admit, I'm a little pooped.

I just haven't had time to take many pictures of anything but I did manage to get a shot of the little quilt I made for Dani's Mom Cheryl for Christmas. I had this top for a while and finally decided that it would look nice in her new house. I just used the walking foot and finished it in a simple stitch in the ditch manner. Better done than perfect and I just haven't had time for hand quilting. There's also the whole problem of the eyes, grrrrrrr.

I must go and finish the sauce. Hope to be back soon with exciting family news.

Thursday This & That

Just as soon as I have this finished and get the steak cut up we will be having Beef Stroganoff for dinner-over Basmati rice. Hurry up over, dinner at 6:30 ish.

I took my little life into my hands and went over the river and through the woods to...the book store, Sears, and a couple of other stops. Sears now carries Lands End clothing so when I'm looking for something from them I would rather not pay shipping charges if they have it a couple of miles from me. The downside is that nearly all the time, the don't have what I need. Today they had what I needed but I refused to stand on a line a mile long. My own fault since I got a late start. I'll get an earlier one either tomorrow or Monday. I don't do weekends in stores unless there is something earth shattering going on. Especially this time of year. But I digress. While I was heading back out to the car I passed through the men's dept. and found a great buy for James. They had really nice pullover fleece in gray and orange. Two of them marked down to less than half price. Also, a great heavy duty lived windbreaker marked down from $100.00 to $39. I couldn't let that one pass and since I hit it at the perfect time there was only one person ahead of me. Good thing too since it was about 95 degrees in the store and I was melting.

Here's a shot of the brief snowfall we had the other morning. I couldn't sleep so I took this at about 5:30 am. By yesterday it was all gone. We are having the weird weather again. Monday it was 21 degrees and yesterday it was 60. A little consistency would be great.

I really miss my sewing machine. Don't know how I can call myself a quilter much longer. I am sewing bindings on things but it's stuff I've shown here before. The Pantry and shopping have taken over my life. When the holidays are over things will calm down again...I hope.

Hope you're having something delicious for dinner too. Talk to you soon.

Monday musings

So much festivity afoot (snort)in my neck of the woods. My best friend's store now has an annual Leg Lamp Lighting. Sorry to say I missed the festivities. They had a pretty good turnout I hear. I must try to get a picture for you when the lamp is lit. Terry got this lamp as a joke for Jim a few years ago and until someone had this brilliant idea it was standing in the huge oval window of her very beautiful house. That window is on the back side of the house in case you're wondering. She's funny but the leg is really only funny for a day or two and then it mimics the movie in an unfortunate way. By the way, whenever I see a box that's marked FRAGILE I cannot pronounce it any other way than fra gee lay now. She's got the most gorgeous house and I'm sure she wasn't unhappy to see the leg lamp go.

Believe it or not, there are still thing being finished on the roof and fascia. Our carpenter guy has a medical emergency in his family the other day so he couldn't work. No problem, it will be done tomorrow. Today the weather turned scarry cold. This morning it was 21 degrees when I got up. The carpenter came by and told me it was too cold to work with the stuff he's got to put up. He'll be here tomorrow. Now for tomorrow it is supposed to get to about 50. A little consistency would be nice. James has a cold so everyone will have one soon. Bah! We are hunkering down with the echinacea and Airborne. It doesn't stop the cold but it seems to cut the time short. I swear by the echinacea. That stuff is gold.

I really need to get myself a list going and get to the store for some small stuff for the guys for Christmas. Time is flying by.

My son and husband did some setting up of the HDTV monolith I got last week. The set works either way but we needed to get the HD receiver, which James picked up Saturday for me. The he fixed the tuner in my bedroom so I can get some music. It seems the plugs were just hanging out on the back. I wasted a lot of time on Sunday discovering all the HD channels I get now. Way up there around 800 or so there are two foreign movie channels and many, many music channels. All kinds of music from Jazz to holiday, to easy listening(gag) and classical and classic rock (wahoo) and more gagging....rap. I also get Voom, a movie channel and some others. All of this is important because I need another good reason not to be productive. I must admit that the music is pretty nice though.

Well, I must go get a few more things done. Roger would probably like to wear a shirt tomorrow I'm thinking. Although...he's always looking for a reason not to be able to go to work and this would do I'm sure. I'm conflicted now.

New Roof 'n stuff

When up on the roof there arose such a clatter....Today's the day folks. Here are some guys getting the new roof started. There are many more of these guys on my roof and the surrounding area. The stuff is flying off all around and it's hanging on trees and bushes all over. I sure hope they clear up all the crap that's lying all over. Tar paper floating through the skies and the banging...ugh! I just dropped in to say Hi and for something fabric related I finished the binding on a little pre-printed thing for Christmas. Nothing creative going on here, just something to perk up the house and get a little festive mojo going.

I'm making Chinese for dinner. Chicken and snow peas. Easy peasy just saute and make a sauce-make some basmati rice and there you go. I think I'll make myself a cup of tea and some tylenol. No chance of dropping off for a quick 40 winks today but that means I'll get something more done. I am on letter 41 of the 55 letters I need to get done. My eyes are rebelling. I'll take a little break and then gt back to it later. It's funny, I'm so secluded up here and I don't pay it much mind but I feel like I can't wait for these guys to finish. I find I really don't like having anyone here during the day. Can't concentrate and it feels weird. with all the guys outside. I don't like curtains but today I wouldn't mind having them. Nothing against the guys, just weird.

Hope you have a good, and quiet, day!

Christmas Art and stamps

My late Father-in-law Jim had a large stamp collection. I think of him often but never more than this time of year because we had a number of discussions about stamps and art. Although I am a not what anyone would call a good Episcopalian, I am a woman of great faith. I have many questions regarding organized religion and in my everyday life I am part of a very eclectic and ecumenical group and, sad to say, have not seen the best representation of faith, humanity, or compassion among my fellow members. Be that as it may, I have a great love for religious art. In particular, representations of the Madonna and child. As you may know, this is a subject that has been made into Christmas stamps for many years now. This painting is one of my favorites. It is by Botticelli. I love his bright use of color and the Christ child is represented as a sweet, chubby, darling boy. There are some Madonna & Child paintings that are bleak looking. That I think is a sign of what ever time they were painted in. This painting comes from the Renaissance period. A time of re-birth of society and culture. Given the time that came before it, the Renaissance was a recovery from darkness, death, and starvation. I have seen some wonderful ethnic paintings and religious art coming out of Mexico and other Latin countries as well. I really like them very much too. Of course the wonderful Russian and Greek Icons are a wonder as well.

I miss my Father-in-law very much. He died on Christmas day after a very long period of illness. I miss our conversations. At the end he didn't want to talk much and couldn't see. All that was precious was taken from him...except us. It must have been so hard for him and since he was a very circumspect and quiet man, I can hardly recall our conversations at the end. But I can recall our talks about stamps before that time.

In the end, the stamps have come down to me. There are some that my BIL Richard wanted and I would gladly give him those. The ones that mean a lot to me are the collections he gave me as gifts. The reason they mean so much is not because I couldn't live without them but that he gave me a gift he purchased himself. Pop never purchased anything in his last years. He never left the house and if someone needed something he might pay for it but he never went and bought things for anyone. The stamp collections mean a lot to me because of that. I wish there had been more time. Isn't that something that we all say?

At any rate, those are some thoughts about Pop and stamps that come to mind at this time every year.

I'm not sewing. Too much to do for the Pantry and my family right now.

I got my Christmas present early this year. Well, it's really a gift for both of us. My eyesight is giving me a great deal of trouble and I couldn't see the television from the bed in my room. It was too small. Roger came home with a 40 inch flat screen for me last night. He's such a wonderful husband. So now there is a monolith in the bedroom as well as the living room. We said that it would be our gift to each other. Well, other than a couple of small things.

I've got to get back to work. There have been some computer problems in the past few days and it's messing with my getting things done. Thanks for letting me babble. I really just wanted to get that turkey off the page a little.

Hope your days are merry and bright!

Turkey Day-Take 2

I blatantly filched this from the web because we forgot to take pictures and consumed the bird faster than you could day gobble gobble.

It was a much nicer day and we were happy to have Dani with us to pig out. I got a small turkey and there's hardly a piece left. We have a sweet stuffing recipe that my late MIL Dot always made and we still love. Surprisingly, my son and Dani both enjoyed it as well. As I've said, for James it's all about the smashed potatoes and gravy lake.

Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for us. The roofers are supposed to come tomorrow and it would be a great thing if we didn't have too much rain for the next few days. Winter is coming fast and we need to get this project finished before we have to run around and catch rain in pots and pans for winter. The roof is ancient on the older part of the house and getting some of my relatives to start a project is like pulling teeth-all of them.

I would dearly love to do some sewing today but I'm happy to say that I will be writing letters of thanks to a large number of people in the community for their generous outpouring of money to the Food Pantry. The day before Thanksgiving I stopped by to pick up the mail and nearly fell into a carton of vegetables that was as big as I am and generously donated by a local small farm. We are basically a Pantry of canned goods and a few frozen items so when we get fresh groceries it's a treat to be able to get them to the families.

I'd better get myself moving so I can finish this work and possibly work on making the place ready for some decorations soon. I have new window toppers and it goes without saying that it would be nice if people could focus on their lovely barn-red color rather than the cobwebs and dust.

Thanks to all for the nice comments. Back soon.

Lost & Found

I have no picture today. There's nothing that quite sums up my feelings about the last couple of days that can be captured by a camera.
Yesterday, I man was trampled to death by people(?) literally breaking the doors at a big box store and running like a mob over him. These same people continued to make purchases while an EMT crew worked over this dying man tyring to revive him. A woman was also trampled and nearly lost her child. All of this took place about 20 miles from my home. It upset me so much that I had trouble sleeping and when I did there were some bad dreams to contend with. For a while now, I have wondered just what the turning point for society would be. The turning point where we would all come back to humanity first and "things" last. I am reminded of when my husband bought me my beautiful engagement ring so many years ago. I asked him if he thought it was a good idea to get insurance on it and he replied "it's only a thing". I loved him even more from that moment on. It summed up for me the essence of a real human being. Things and stuff-all of goes away and is lost. Humanity is nearly going away with those "things & Stuff" as well. I am sickened by this. I want to know who all of those people are so that when I may come face to face with them I can know them and run away disgusted and frightened by them-which is the least they deserve.
What was found was an e-mail from a very talented friend this morning. She finished work on a commission piece that is an amazing piece of art. It's unbelievably beautiful and an exact copy of a famous painting done in fabric and quilted to perfection. Because of copyright issues it can't be shown on a blog and more's the pity. It's gorgeous. I wish she could share it with the world but understand that it could cause problems. That was the beauty in my morning and I was so grateful for a picture coming my way.
I think that when we view these amazing pieces of art it renews something visceral in us and Lord knows we can use some civilization today.
Our Thanksgiving was not such a happy one. We were happy to be with our friends but they were not happy about much of anything except us spending the day with them. The recent horror-filled economic crash has left our friends without a ladder and hanging on by their fingertips. What can happen in a six month period to a lifetime of savings is astonishing and scary. I am filled with fear for them. Tomorrow I am making Thanksgiving here at my house. My son was at his girlfriends house and missed my version of the day so now I will make it again and hopefully things will be a little brighter if only for a few hours. It's all about the smashed potaotes and gravy lake for James.
I hope you all had a wonderful day and that you have peace in your world.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I wish you good friends, good food to share with them and peace.

Turkey to cook, potatoes to mash, pie to bake, wine to drink.

See you all soon.

Got a Match?

I'm just checking in to say Hi! I haven't fallen off the face of the earth although, that might be a great feeling right now. They're playing jingle bells and dashing through the snow and next week is Chris....Uh....Thanksgiving...I think. I'm about to set off the bomb in front of me. Somehow the bloggy mojo is gone. It's that time when I can't think of anything that would interest anyone and I've got nothing to show. I did get out the machine and work on something today but I'll take pics tomorrow as this day is nearly over. Trying not to listen to the news-it's a mess out there.

Roger is taking off a week so we will have some nice time together and we are going to our friends house for the annual Thanksgiving feast. The day after that it will be Christmas.

BIL Bob is back from his trip to the Caribbean and in one fell swoop every leaf on every tree came down with a whoosh. I'm heading back to the sewing machine since I have the day off from cooking. Maybe I can get a couple more things done. We watched Kung Foo Panda yesterday afternoon and had a laugh. Lots of mail at the Food Pantry to answer. This is our really busy time. Everyone donates something from the kids in school classes to the civic groups around town and many businesses. Lots of work for me but it's for a very good cause. We have many more families this year. No surprise there.

I made Lydia's chicken & eggplant with basil and fresh mozzarella last night for dinner. I recommend it. Lots of prep work but worth it I think. The guys seemed to like it very much. Not a diet meal but you have to go off the reservation sometimes.

I really hate having my picture taken but the guys snapped this one a while back. Please to ignore my many chins and sloppy outfit. I think I was cooking and cleaning that day.

Talk to you soon and please remember that the camera adds thirty-five pounds.