Monday Progress

I finished Jacob's quilt!!!!!!!!! It's been laying around over a year. I finally bit the bullet and started trying to get it finished. I had to hand applique all the parts together. Then I tied it off because I know how rough little boys can be on stuff in their rooms. But it has all the things a little boy dreams of - hot wheels, space, football, baseball, the world map, dogs, construction equipment. And his name of course. Grandchildren will make you do lots of things you'd rather bypass.

I try to model my grandparenting after Aunt Mabel - Ma Buttrey to her grandchildren. She is so involved in her grandsons' lives - interested in their school work, interested in their ball games, interested in their friends, interested in their jobs, interested in their girlfriends. She is still going the extra mile for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Despite turning 87 on September 15th, she would be there in a minute if her loved ones needed her. I'm posting a picture to show you how young and spry one can act and look when one lives a full and satisfying life for the family and friends.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Mabel! We Love You!

Grandchildren

Having grandchildren is the best of all possible worlds. I don't have any responsibility for them - i just do all the fun stuff.

The Week Flew By!

It's Friday and I'm trying to think of what I got accomplished this week.

I went to the lab for blood test Tuesday and the results were fantastic! My diabetes numbers were perfect. Giving up bread, ice cream and desserts paid off!

Wednesday I went to the Licking Valley Quilt Guild meeting. The church the meeting was held in had no electricity so we had to meet in a small Sunday school room. You know what happens when you put 35 women who had storm stories to share? That's right - chaos! But it was just like some of my faculty meetings. Some people listened, some people found fault with every proposal made and some people wanted to talk to the people beside them!! I met some women who grew up in Letcher, Floyd, Johnson and Harlan counties. It was fun and I plan to go back next month.

I have been trying to finish up some lap quilts I plan to give as Christmas gifts and a quilt for my grandson but nothing is finished yet so no pictures today. So I thought you might not mind some pictures of the grandbabies again.

Hope you have a good weekend and I'll talk to you next week!

Terrific Tuesday

The weather is perfect here today. After the wind storm Sunday, it blew in some nice weather. They said we got winds at 75 mph and over 600,000 lost power. All my sisters lost power for awhile but I never did so Lucilu and I just huckered down and watched the trees twist and turn and then crash down.
While all this was going on, I was still practicing on my new sewing machine. And here is what I produced. It was made from some 7" squares I had gotten in Michigan that looked something like batik and something like tie dyed. I don't have enough batting to start quilting so I'll wait for that. In the meantime, I am trying to learn to free motion quilt on the machine. I am frustrated because my thread keeps breaking.

Saturday night I went to a dinner held at the Cintas Center for the International Adoption Center at Children's Hospital. Children's was so good to John when he was there so many years ago that I can't forget their generosity. Mary - Cordelia's friend - is director of the Center. It felt good to dress up and meet new people. By the way, I have added a picture of the new adoptee at Cordelia's house. Her name is Annee - as in Little Ophan Annie. Tomi and Tobi are about to get accustomed to her although Tomi did run away for about 24 hours to show his disdain for their bringing another cat - and a female at that - into his house.

It's Tuesday and it is time to get ready to go to lunch with Ric and Sam. I go to my first meeting of the Licking Valley Quilting Guild tomorrow so I'll let you know if I get shamed by those ladies' quilts.
Congrats, John, on your new promotion. You made me proud - again!!!!!!

Finally, I'm back in business.

I have a sewing machine again! Although it wasn't easy! I had to call yesterday to find out if the machine was fixed. "Oh, yes, we forgot to call you." So, before I drove down to pick it up, I asked how much the charges were. Imagine my surprise when the charge was almost as much as I paid for the machine!! So I called them back and told them, before they fixed the machine, knowing how little it was worth, they should have called me to check if I wanted to spend that much; I wouldn't be picking up the machine; they could sell it for the repair cost.
And I promptly went out and bought another one.
So today I started working on some 7 inch squares I had to come up with some design for a lap quilt to become familiar with the machine. This is what I have so far.
And I feel sooooooo creative! Now to get on with my long list of projects I have in my head.

Feet vs. Biscuits

Just returned from the park. Lucilu got me up at 4:30 this morning and I needed to do the walk before I decided to climb back in bed. Another advantage of being retired - napping whenever you want.
Monday I went to see my doctor. I had lost 7 more pounds - a total of 24!! Despite being on vacation the month of August. So he refers me to a opthomologist for an eye check. Tuesday we went to lunch with Ric and Sam at Red Lobster. Afterwards Lily compliments me on saying no to their cheddar biscuits which I dearly love - could eat a whole dozen by myself.
I told her my restraint came from looking at the two biscuits I would normally eat and then looking at my two feet.


I know if I continue to eat the carbs I will lose the feet eventually if I live long enough. And remembering Bertie, I don't think I want to be footless - maybe footloose and fancy free - but not without feet. Not only the pain and suffering, but having to have someone with me 24/7 to help. I only want to share my space with Lucilu and family (occasionally!) So that's my motivation for saying no to the delicious biscuits. I need to keep that thought!!
Wednesday I went off to the opthomologist - Lily went with me so she could go to Hobby Lobby afterwards. Neither one of us were sharp enough to realize he would dilate my eyes and I would need her to drive home for me; she just thought of shopping at Hobby Lobby. He ask me why I was there - duh? My answer - when you get to be "a woman of a certain age" your doctor starts sending you to specialist - one body part at a time. The good news is - my eyes are great. The bad news - my eye lids don't droop enough for the insurance to pay for eyelid plastic surgery; I have no cateracts for the insurance to pay for lasik surgery!! Oh, well, my next man - notice I didn't say husband - will be filthy rich - not just filthy!!!!

My cousin Suzanne was generous enough to offer me her traveler sewing machine. But I need to not have a machine for awhile which would be my motivation to get some of this hand work done! Thanks Suzanne!

Never too Old

20 to 25 years ago, Lily, her friend Ellen, Ellen's brother Jack and his wife came to Whitesburg to visit. They had heard of Bad Branch Falls in their newspaper in Indiana. Ivan's friend David Kincer offered to guide us all to Bad Branch Falls on the top of Pine Mountain. Bad Branch Falls is a natural waterfall of pure water in a nature preserve up there. It about killed me to make the climb up to the falls.

I had heard through the grapevine that Uncle Russell's wife Dorothy was not doing too well. You can imagine my surprise when I saw this picture in The Mountain Eagle. I guess she's not doing too bad!! Great going, Aunt Dorothy. By the way, David Kincer is Dorothy's brother - guess climbing runs in their family.

NEVER TOO OLD FOR FUN
Seventy-eight-year-old Dorthy Collins of Isom, recently hiked to Bad Branch Falls and enjoyed a cool shower under the falls.

Rainy Day

The rain is falling; it is cool enough for the doors to be open; Lucilu is asleep so she won't interrupt; there is nothing on television except politics. A perfect day to sew! And I still don't have my sewing machine back!!! I am having withdrawal symptons!

I am tired of embroidering my flower of the month blocks. So I guess I will start on Jake's comforter.

I started this project a year ago. I bought material appropriate for a boy up through teenage years. I quilted them in various geometric shapes. I added a rainbow stripe border to each. Now I have to blanket stitch them to a comforter that is too thick to go into the sewing machine. I have no idea how long it will take to finish but hopefully it will be completed before winter sets in.

One of the reasons I like the Episcopalian chuch is it has definitive seasons. Sunday was reminiscent of the first day of school. Everything seemed fresh and new. That could also have to do with the fact that I hadn't been to church in five weeks. Vacation interfered. But now I guess I will be back in the routine. Although since I quit dressing up every day, putting on high heels is uncomfortable. But I am of the age where one dresses up to go to church.

The weekend's here!

I can't believe Friday is here. I don't work but the Labor Day caused me to have a short week too. Or maybe the saying about time going faster as you get older is true. Anyways, this week went fast as I did laundry, went to the park, and rearranged my hobby room. I took the sewing machine to the shop so I've been working on embroidering these blocks for my calendar quilt.
Thought I'd share a picture of John's family while they were at the beach on their vacation. Emerson's hair is getting lighter. I bet she will be like her mom and dad and be a tow head by next summer.
I'm glad Freida's Michael is on the mend. He has to stay in the hospital in Gainesville for awhile but he should recover completely.
Hope your weekend is restful and the weather is pleasant!