Out of the Mountains

End of November

2009-11-30T14:42:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is over and it is time to start looking toward Christmas holidays. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for John's family. On Friday, Annie went shopping in Lexington with friends and John and I took the grandbabies to Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark. (I think you can double click on that last picture and enlarge the waterpark picture)
We had a great time. Annie joined us Saturday for another good day of swimming.

To get in the Christmas spirit, Lily, Bonnie, Karen and I went to the Arnoff Center to see the Broadway version of White Christmas - remember the movie with Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby. Nick Clooney - Rosemary's brother and George's father - was there and I thought about what memories it must have brought back to him of their heyday.

The weather man says snow this week so I guess fall is gone. My impatiens bit the dust this weekend. So I guess my thoughts need to think about surviving winter.

Tomorrow is Lily's surgery so I'll be with her for a few days.

Have a good one!

Char

October and November

2009-11-17T11:20:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that it is November 17th and my impatiens are still blooming!! And I can't believe I have been smoke-free for 9 - count 'em - 9 months! Yea for me!!!What happened in October? Jake and Emerson headed out to trick or treat as star wars fighter and a garden gnome.

Ray and Maureen got engaged although they don't know when or where the wedding will be. Either Red River Gorge or Jacksonville Beach sometime in October 2010 is the consensus so far.

Jake played football which was a hoot - expecially when the coach grabbed the jersey and slung them where they were suppose to be. It was organized chaos and to teach 5 year olds - "Okay between 5 and 7 tonight it is okay to hit people with all your might!" but he wore #33 - John's Whitesburg number. Memories!!!

Yes, I am still quilting. I hope to get pictures today of a couple of the quilts I am working on which are unique. With 8 projects purchased, I am trying to stay out of the fabric stores but it is hard!!

Thanksgiving is creeping up on us and we look forward to it. One of the highlights of the weekend will be a showing of the jewelry Hannah has made which she will selling.

I bought the turkey, pan to roast it in and Sister Schubert rolls. Last year I could find Sister Schubert - this year I got the last 3 they had. I think it is a conspiracy so you will buy Kroger's brand.

Have a good one and I'll tell you more about October/November tomorrow. But for now, Lucilu is calling!!

Where does time go?

2009-11-16T09:46:00.005-05:00

Every now and then someone will email and ask - when are you going to do another blog?

Well, I'm trying now.

It seems that, to do a blog, you have to have some creative juices flowing and I think the creative juices are beginning to dry up - along with many other juices - for a woman of a certain age!! It is horrible to try to get the pancreatic juices flowing - therefore the diabetes - and stoking them with carbs just doesn't seem to help.

How am I you ask? I'm fine. Today is another beautiful fall day - I can't believe that in Kentucky I have the back door open in the middle of November.Today I am dogsitting Prissy so Lily can go get an MRI on her knee. She went to California to see her sister-in-law Doris and, I think, she walked too much. But who would want to miss all the sights she saw - the Getty Museum, the pier on the ocean, etc. Anyways I will let you know how the doctor says her knee is (for a woman of a certain age).I haven't written since the first of August when I was headed to Michigan. So I think it will take me several posts to catch you up. Plus I broke my camera so my pictures are from my phone which aren't so good. John reminded me that they sell Fisher Price plastic digital phones for 3 year olds and maybe I should get one of those. They should be indestructable!!! Is he telling me something?

Speaking of three year olds - how's this for someone who wants to accessorize? Think she might take after Nana?This is as long as Lucilu can stand for me to be on the computer. More later today

August Already?

2009-07-28T12:46:00.006-04:00

I know - I haven't blogged in forever. It is extremely hard to get a retired teacher to do anything in June, July and August. So I have been taking time off from blogging - it takes too much creativity and thought.
But I thought I'd let you know -

I look like this - I am very frazzled - as evidenced by my locking my keys in my car and missing my class reunion. Notice there is no cigarette with that cup of coffee. Another reason my lungs feel better and my nerves are shot!

Sitting at the sewing machine has become an obsession and I need to get out in the sun.....

It seems like yesterday I was out with Luci wishing it would warm up.

Well, it has warmed up - warmed up enough for the fleas to drive me and Luci crazy anyways.

She can't stay ahead of them no matter how high she jumps. If I don't get outside, the summer will be a short memory for me.
So Lily and I are heading for the lake in Michigan.

See you in September!!!!!!!

June Quilting

2009-06-19T09:53:00.005-04:00

This blog is suppose to be about quilting. So I guess I should show you what me and my Singer have accomplished during June. I didn't compress the pictures so, Vicki, if you double-click on them you should be able to enlarge them for older eyes!!! LOL

This is my feeble attempt to teach myself how to do free motion stippling. I start kinda rough but then I can get into a rhythm and my stitches start getting more consistent. I know the quilt police won't come get my work but 100 years from now one of my great, great grandchildren may look at these and say - "Grandma Effie could have been a great quilter if she'd just practice on her machine more instead of watching reruns of NCIS and Law and Order!"

To make my stippling practice mean something, I made a two sided table topper. One side is traditional floral pattern - it's suppose to look like flowers through a black wrought iron fence??? -- and the other side is my hippie personality - batiks of beautiful colors and patterns with no particular pattern. Looking back, I think it is sad that I let the hippie movement pass me by. I couldn't let my hair grow, wear birkenstocks and not shave my legs. And God forbid someone ask me to give up hairspray and control top panty hose!!!!!

These are my two holiday wall hangings. Hope they show that I celebrate Mother's Day - I had beautiful sons instead of hanging out in Haight Asbury!!. And one can be Flag Day (so I can hang it in June) and Fourth of July. That gets me through to August when there are no holidays - just school starts again! Could I hang it for Labor Day????

In an earlier post, I showed my efforts to use up some scraps left over from earlier projects.

I have combined these efforts and have a quilt top for my bed. I can practice free motion quilting on it and when I sleep under it I will be reminded of the quilts I have made and the wonderful people I have given them to. Have you got your order in yet?

If you're having a bad day and the chocolate is all gone, call a friend!! Would love to hear from you!! Charlene

June is plants and good weather

2009-06-18T12:53:00.005-04:00

June is almost gone and I'm just now getting to blog writing. Thanks to all those who said they had missed my comments. Summertime just must be enjoyed outside, not at a computer. And when I am at the computer, I have been downloading all my CDs to put on my phone. John is dragging me into the use of phones for more than talking. I didn't know they could do all this stuff like make your phone almost like an ipod and GPS on a phone makes you brave enough to go without worrying about getting lost!!!

I have been busy with different projects. I went to Louisville to get some wooden ladders that Larry B. had gotten for me. I have put all three to good use. I want to paint all three black and add some trim but so far I have only gotten one painted. As you can see, it may be awhile before I get them painted - at least the one that is supporting the tomatoes plants.

I would like to imagine I am in the tropics!!!

More later!!

Simplify. Slow down. Breathe deeply. Hide your to-do list. Sit still for ten minutes... and use this quiet time to thank God for your friends.

Charlene

I'm Back!

2009-05-21T10:40:00.003-04:00

I'm back. When I looked at my blog, I couldn't believe it has been a month since I posted anything. I got busy. When you aren't smoking, you have to piddle. So I got to spring cleaning - and I mean extreme spring cleaning. Cleaning windows, taking down drapes, moving all the furniture, cleaning carpets, spackling nail holes, touch-up painting, planting flowers and tomatoes. I really thought I was either pregnant (I was nesting!) or getting ready to die (I have horrors of EMTs having to come into a nasty, upkept bedroom to pronounce me dead.) And, although I can wear maternity clothes very comfortably - and fill them out, I'm not pregnant. And, I'm still alive and kicking. So I guess it was just energy you get when your lungs can be filled with oxygen!!

You can see by the picture that the hobby room is organized! All the rulers had to be at the same height and I filled in all the nail holes I had left previously. And the material on the shelves is destined for new projects.

This is a quilt I am making for myself from scraps from all my projects so I can sleep under good memories of the people I made quilts for. It is ready to be quilted.

This is part of the quilt I am making for Annie and John. Eventually it will be a king-size quilt so it is being quilted as I go. And though it looks pinkish in the picture, it is beige.

This is another scrap quilt I am making out of two and a half inch squares. The quilt is called Chiclets - I found it on line.

So, for those of you who have let me know you are concerned, I am just fine. Walking Lucilu every morning - thank goodness warm weather is here finally. One of the sayings Vicki sent me recently said - "I like to walk because that's the only time I hear heavy breathing now." So true!

I have been doing the rounds of the doctors - each part of your body has a specialist to see about it. So far we have the heart - still more tests to do, the teeth, the feet, the boobs, the skin, the eyes, and parts unrecognizable!!! So far I'm just fine - "for a woman of a certain age"!!

Back to Quilting topics

2009-04-20T10:48:00.004-04:00

Thought some of you might like to know what I have been working on since coming back from vacation. It was very nice seeing the children this weekend. And another advantage is that last week, I cleaned very thoroughly because you never know what they might get into. So now the apartment is clean and I can concentrate on sewing for awhile.

First, the important news, it has been over 5 weeks since I had a cigarette. I think that officially makes me a non-smoker. Now the only time I think of one is when I head to the bathroom. Okay, Cord, I know - TMI - too much information - but it's the truth. I thought my inaccuracy cutting material was due to the Chantix or just quitting but I finally decided it was the caffiene I was consuming. I was so jittery and that makes a difference when your whole quilt is made of 2.5" strips. So I quit the caffiene too - except for my 2 cups of coffee in the morning. Don't know if I could function without those. Morning coffee drinking has been with me since 1968 so I think I'll keep it for awhile. Would you believe I can remember my first cup of coffee!

Did I show this before? The colors are off - my editing I guess. It is actually fern green and taupe out of upholstery material. It was outside the bathroom of Cracker Barrel and we liked it so I took a picture to try to remember how to do it. Those black squares are roosters - there is no accounting for some peoples taste - ideas?? I would have used flowers but when I make one, I can embroider whatever I want.

Found this book on sale at Barnes and Noble the other day. Love the pictures of quilt blocks. I may never make a thing but they also gave you a cardboard template of the size of the block!

This is what I'm working on. A quilt that uses 2.5" strips to make 11 different 10.5" blocks to go together as a lap quilt. I am going to make 4 of everything and make a king size quilt. As I said, my cutting wasn't precise enough so maybe my blocks will be 10"! I'll have to make it up in the borders.

I finished my Mother's Day wallhanging and will be putting that up this week for May. Come back for pictures.

Emerson Turns 2!

2009-04-20T10:39:00.002-04:00

This is Emerson Lane! She's hiding in the utility closet because she hates to have her picture taken!

This is Jacob Wilson - her big brother!

Saturday, I was fortunate enough to host Em's second birthday. One of my dreams came true - to have someone to make a Barbie Doll cake for just like Mother use to make.

Emerson gets excited about lots of things - her big brother dancing, her trip to the zoo, her trip for dinner to the top of the Radisson in Covington, her birthday presents, her Daddy's praise, her Mother's laugh, almost everything either excites or scares a two year old.

And my baby can't keep his eyes off his babies - unless he has missed his nap!!! Like mother, like son!

Have a good day,

Char

Easter and a Special Birthday

2009-04-13T17:41:00.002-04:00

Easter means ham, sweet potatoes and Cordelia's birthday!!!! So Lily provided her with a rabbit birthday cake, the ham, the sweet potatoes, Cil brought salads, I brought beans and corn, Sam brought ambrosia; Ric, Haylee, Hannah, Drew, Dale and Cordelia provided good conversation. We had a wonderful Easter being together and celebrating with Cordelia.

On the Way Home

2009-04-13T17:30:00.003-04:00

Sometimes on the trip we had to remind Lucilu that she did not know how to drive and she had to keep the job of navigator!!

We got to Ray's and he and Maureen were again ironing their work clothes right before heading to the restaurants!!! We spent the night and then headed out the next morning.

We had seen some beautiful sights and we dreaded heading north. It rained on us all day and all night. We spent the night in Hendersonville. We were suppose to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway the next day. When we got up the next morning it was cold and very foggy. I told Lily if we were on the Parkway we couldn't see anything anyways. So we headed for Knoxville. We got in late that night fighting wind and rain the entire way. But I was determined to sleep in my bed that night.

And that, my friends, is the rest of the story. A wonderful vacation!!!!!!!!

Key West

2009-04-09T11:04:00.004-04:00

Lucilu here. I'm turning the blog back to Charlene. She has her concentration and focus back, she thinks!

Why do they call it Key West when everywhere you go it talks about the Southernmost....? Should they have named it Key Southernmost? Anyway, after driving down the center of Florida on US 27 (where we have the intoxicating smell of orange groves and lemon groves for miles on end) forever, we finally made it to Key West. The drive through the keys was great and the water was an indescribable color - not aqua, not blue, not green, I don't know what color it was but beautiful. The dogs were welcome at most places - on the patio at restaurants. Here Lily tries to corral them. The palms are from outside our B&B room. Wouldn't they make a great quilt pattern?

There were too many people at the tourist place to see the sunset. So we went to another location and got this picture - the sun is right in the middle of the picture. But what was beautiful was this sailboat (yacht or pirate ship) off the coast. I tried to get a picture but wasn't too successful. Use your imagination!

This is the southernmost beach in America??!!

We ate, we walked, we lounged, we saw, and then we left. Without being 22, looking great in a bikini, cruising the beaches and bars or parasailing, after seeing Truman's Summer White House, the Light House, Hemmingway's House, the six-toed cats, the beautifully colored roosters, there isn't much else in the small stretch of land. So we headed north. The traffic to Miami on US 1 was constant and going 45. Then in Miami, on US 1 and I95, it was 12 lanes of bumper to bumper, constant, going 85. It was either keep up and get off the road. So I kept up and Lily pretended to be asleep so she couldn't see the narrow misses (Lucilu and Prissy had no idea how much danger they were in). We stopped in Ft. Pierce for the night at a Holiday Inn Express - of all the chains they have the best breakfast we think - the biscuits and gravey are delicious!

The next day it was back to Ray's for the Day.

That's as long as I can concentrate. So I'll save that for another day.

PS. I'm still a non-smoker. I have gotten over wanting one first thing in the morning, after I eat, when I go to the bathroom, when I leave the hobby room, when I get in the car. My bowels are no longer in an uproar, my house and car, my hair and Lucilu smell a lot better! Now to get my sleep straightened out. I don't know whether to blame all the symptoms on Chantix, lack of nicotine or the trip. But............. I am a non-smoker!

St. Augustine

2009-04-02T17:29:00.008-04:00

Luci here to finish our trip tale.

We headed to Ray's in Jacksonville on Wednesday. The farther we got south, the warmer it was. Billy, the blue beagle, was sure glad to see me and Prissy.
Ray and Maureen had to head to work so they made their clothes extra spiffy - a routine they do every day,
Then they had the day off and we headed for St. Augustine. Even though Ray drove, I still had to navigate. We saw the fort, fountain of youth and walked around the historic downtown.

When the grownups rested, we dogs stayed on guard. Wasn't the sky blue? Friday night Charlene and Aunt E had a margarita at Mo's restaurant and then dinner at Mitchell's. It was delicious as usual. I stayed home with Billy and Prissy and guarded the house.

Saturday we headed to Lakeland to visit Aunt E's friend Ellen. She had hurt her foot and was at the ER when we got there. We stayed Sat and Sun nights and helped her with her dog and food. But I don't think her dog, Duke, wanted us there. He was not too hospitable to us although being me I kept trying to get him interested. He was still grouchy when we left Monday morning headed for Key West. Stay tuned for those stories and pictures.

Charlene says her father would say - "I've raised a foolish family. Animals are for the outside of the house!!!"

Savannah

2009-04-02T17:12:00.003-04:00

Charlene says she's too discombobulated to blog so I, Lucilu, will fill you in on how the big trip went. I don't know if she's tore up because of the Chantrix or the lack of nicotine but, boy, you should smell my fur. I smell like a French whore, not an ashtray!

Anyways, back to the trip, I can tell you about it because the entire time I either sat on the console or on top of Prissy's crate right behind the driver. I was the Designated Navigator - I don't care if she does have a GPS - my sense of smell and direction got us there and back. I didn't take a nap the entire trip just so she and Aunt E wouldn't get lost on those big highways. Plus I had to guard at night and make sure no one came into the motel room. I have a heavy burden for my 11 pounds!!

Our first night we spent in Lancaster, SC so she could see her old buddy, Peggy. They had a great visit and then Tuesday morning, we headed out for Savannah. And Savannah does look like it does in the movies. It was St. Patrick's Day so we saw the green river and the crazy people with unbelievable outfits on - in green of course. Notice in the pictures how the azaleas are in full bloom and the trees are leafed out.

Charlene got to walk me just like she saw UGA being walked in the movie "In the Garden of Good and Evil". Isn't she a lucky lady? I'm so much cuter than UGA! And then on down the road we went!

On March 13

2009-04-01T17:15:00.002-04:00

On Friday, March 13th, I quit smoking. I had been taking Chantrix for a week; I ran out of cigarettes and since I was leaving on vacation on Monday, I didn't want to buy any more. While on vacation, we visited non-smokers and stayed in non-smoking rooms. I've been home since Sunday (it's now Wednesday) and am still not smoking.
I want to be a non-smoker; not an ex-smoker. Ex-smokers have an obligation to lecture others about smoking and how evil it is. I don't want to do that.
I just want to not smell like smoke; not have a smoker's cough; not rush out of restaurants so I can grab a cigarette before we get back in the car; not stink up others' cars. I want my gums to heal faster after surgery. I want my breathing to be quieter.
I am a non smoker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next time I'll tell you about the vacation that brought about this miracle!

Chasing the Sun

2009-03-12T11:53:00.002-04:00

Lucilu and I are tired of wearing winter coats!!!

So we are going to chase the sun awhile!!

This is the sun setting over Key West. I hope to find it!
This is the view outside our B&B in Key West.

This is my son outside his restaurant in Jacksonville.

I will come back with a tan and my bones will be warmed up.

I'll be back after the first of April.

I have plans for a King Size Quilt to start when I get back

and my Easter quilt to share.

Enjoy the March winds while I'm chasing warm winds and sunshine.

The Week That Was

2009-02-23T10:03:00.005-05:00

This week was spent with two things on the agenda - celebrating Lily's birthday and finishing that @#%* purple quilt.
Ric and Sam took us to Newport on the Levee to Mitchell's Fish Market for lunch Tuesday to celebrate her birthday. I was able to have my favorite dish - peel and eat shrimp with two of my favorite people.
I continued adding to the quilt to get it to the size I want. I am still 12 inches short on each side. Hopefully I will have it finished this week.

I did finish my Easter wallhanging and table runner but I will wait until Easter to show those.

Sunday we were off to Belterra Casino to again celebrate Lily's birthday.

We had some good conversation and good food. Lily was disappointed that they had taken her favorite machines away but she still gave them some of her money. A good time was had by all! Not too many people can manage to make their birthday celebration last an entire week but she did!

The weather has turned cold but sunshiney. Hope your life is going the way you want!

If something's unladylike or fattening, it's probably a lot of fun!

Spring is a tease

2009-02-13T09:52:00.004-05:00

The last week has been a tease. It's like - okay the groundhog said you'd have six more weeks of winter, you've had your major ice/snow event for this winter, now let me show you what you have to look forward to. Temperatures in the 50s and 60s, lots of sunshine and after the rainstorm a beautiful rainbow outside my windows. I didn't go searching for the pot of gold but it sure was nice to think about what I would do if I found it.

Even without that pot of gold, I'm going to Florida!!! This afternoon we are going to AAA to plan the trip to Key West. I am so excited to visit Ray, walk in the garden of good and evil in Savannah, see Peggy after several years, watch the sun set in Key West.

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks because not much was happening. If I wasn't out eating at Marabelles with Ric and Sam, eating a Maggiola's with Bob and Joyce and Ron and Iva, eating salmon from Lake Michigan with Karen and Bonnie, eating at Appleby's with the in-laws or eating birthday cake with Jake and Emerson at Bounce U. , I was quilting that @#@% purple quilt. You can tell my social life revolves around eating. That's Southern Hospitality - eat and drink sweetened tea!!

Jake's fifth birthday party was at Bounce U in Lexington Saturday. I would have pictures but those thirteen pre-schoolers were bouncing and running so fast they were just blurs for the time we were there. Thank God, He gives children to the young because I was just exhausted watching them move so fast. Emerson was as brave as the five year olds going to the top of the slide and sliding by herself.

Today is my baby's 35th birthday. Can you believe that? It seems like yesterday sometimes that he was grinning at me to get his way!!! Course he still does!

This is the progress on the purple quilt. What do you think? This will be the center of a queen size quilt. I am doing a quilt as you go and it is going very well.

Gotta go! Lily and I can't go to Florence without going to Cracker Barrel for lunch and then to AAA.

A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin. H.L. Mencken

Country Music

2009-02-04T17:46:00.003-05:00

I got a letter today from an old college roommate. She said - you are a strong, independent lady who has strength and resolve. HA! If she only knew!
Few of my friends have experienced widowhood yet although several of them have experienced divorce. I don't know how much that hurts but let me tell you something - to survive widowhood, you are either strong and independent or you lose it!! The experts tell you to expect a least one year of indecision. HA! Mine lasted 4-5 years. And you don't know you are crazy until you aren't crazy anymore. And if you need it, you get professional help.
What does that have to do with country music?
When I was growing up there was one radio station to listen to. And it played that horrible country music all day long. But between 4-6 pm you could get "contemporary" music until it was time to "come home, come home, it's suppertime". I loved what is now called Motown and Elvis, of course. I loved the rhythm, I loved the bass, I loved the words - you could understand them. Then along came the Beatles and I thought they sounded like they were standing up there shouting and screaming the words and sometimes I couldn't understand the words. So through college I shifted between country (but not bluegrass) and Motown.
When I met Ivan, he was pure country - that beer drinking kind of country - the sadder the better. So I learned to like Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Charlie Rich and all those of that generation. I could understand the words and I liked the rhythm. For 34 years, I listened to country daily. Until the day Ivan died. After that, I couldn't listen to country music at all no matter how I tried. So I switched the radio stations to what is now referred to as Golden Oldies.
Until this January - and for some unknown reason, after over 8 years, I can again listen to what is now referred to as Country Classics. I was searching radio stations, landed on a country station, liked it, and could listen without being flooded with sadness and misery. I could actually laugh as I remembered where Ivan and I heard that song, who we were with, what we were doing and whether he sang along or not!!
So for all those out there who haven't faced widowhood yet - one of these days you are going to think you are crazy and you are and that's okay. And as the saying goes, time heals all wounds. And you will be strong and independent as well - or you don't survive!

January Quilts

2009-02-04T07:09:00.006-05:00

Thought I would show you what I've accomplished during the month of January.

I've shown you this fabric before but the pile keeps growing. I am trying a new technique where you quilt as you go. Quilt a section. Sew two sections together; put a fabric strip over the seam and when you get to the last section, your quilt will be finished. We'll see if it works. I hope it will so I can do queen and king quilts easier since I do not have a long-arm machine and do everything on my Singer.

This is a lap throw that Lily made me from fleece. Doesn't the green and burgundy look good together? And it is so warm and comfortable.

This is my Valentine's Day wall hanging from the book Holiday Collage Quilts by Joanne Goldstein. I got adventurous with the edges - won't do that again. I don't like the effect and it doesn't hang very well. But it is done!

Since I had given away all my lap quilts, I decided to use this material to try out making zig-zag blocks. It wasn't as hard as I thought. And I have a colorful lap quilt for these snowy days.

This is John's looooong quilt I made out of my batik material (the center column is not batik - just filler) and some other odd material. I used the Greek Key stitch to quilt the rows and I think the back may look better than the front. If they don't like the brightness of the front, they can always flip it over and use the solid side.

That's what I got accomplished during January on the quilting side of my life. Not much else happening since the weather is not pleasant enough to do much else.

February is dedicated to making the purple quilt, celebrating John, Jake and Lily's birthdays, celebrating Valentine's Day with the ones I love, seeing Lucilu's vet, seeing all my doctors - GP, Cardiologist, dentist, mammogram, and any other part of my body I think is older than my brain and is in danger of falling apart!!

Shopping is an addiction!

2009-01-28T09:22:00.003-05:00

This is the scene outside my front door this morning. Brrr But I have no guilt about whether I should try to make it to work or not!!! LOL We were warned that this storm was coming - snow, freezing ice, sleet, hail, more snow. But no one warned Whitley County that they would have an earthquake last night. That is as much a freak of nature as the lady who had 8 babies Monday. Why would she want that?

Lily and I went to Cabin Arts Quilt Shop Friday. I got lots of beautiful material. See the striped material. That is the piece I started with and wanted to match for my DIL's king size quilt. The three purple at the top are for Mo's queen size quilt I've been working on for weeks. But I now have a deadline to finish it. Mid-March I am headed to Jacksonville with stops in Lancaster, SC, Savannah, Ga, Lakeland, Fl, Key West, Fl. Can't wait to get out of this winter weather. Just knowing there is a reward at the end of this winter is motivation enough to hucker down and endure.

See the muted material on the bottom? That is material Cord picked out for me to make her a window seat this week. So I guess I am a quilter for hire now!! As you know, I never took Home Ec in school; everything is self-taught. The only things I sew are projects and costumes. So does that make me a seamstress - I spelled it that way because working for someone else is stressful.

Extraordinary Weekend

2009-01-21T09:36:00.003-05:00

What an extraordinary weekend! It was all about family. Ray drove in from Jacksonville so Mom had to cook all his favorite things - fried chicken, soup beans, corn bread, fried cabbage, swiss steak, baked garlic potatoes, and all the fixins'.
All the sisters came over on Saturday and Sunday. We laughed, we reminisced, we made plans. It was wonderful.
Jake and Em's day care was closed Monday for MLK Day so I went to Wilmore to babysit. Ray went as well so they got to know their Unkie Ray. It was so much fun to play on Em's stove and with her baby dolls. To watch them dance, to listen to Jake begin to learn to add, to watch Ray and John interact.
All that made my heart swell with pride. I knew Ivan was there with me in spirit taking pride in what we had left for the world to enjoy.

I finished John's looooooong lap quilt - it is ready to wash and then I'll take a picture. It is made of batiks so there isn't much coordinating in it.

I am binding my Valentine wall hanging. I started a lightning quilt for myself. Pictures when they are finished.

It is soooooooo cold but at 7 degrees the dogs still got to go to Pendery this morning. We were as cold as the Obama's were yesterday. My prayer is that they can make a better world so things will be more secure in the future - for me, for you, for my sons, for my grandchildren.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2009-01-14T13:53:00.005-05:00

I know it is January but...... This cold is not easy on someone who has to walk a dog!!
We did something new yesterday. We went to lunch at Karlo's - had a delicious tomato soup which fit the weather. Then went to a matinee ($1.75) of the movie Australia. I loved the scenery in that movie. Especially when Hugh Jackman took off his shirt. It was enough to warm you up!! LOL The movie theatre was quiet - no children or teenagers at that time of day. And I think the average age of the others was an old 68!! Maybe that's a good place to find an old man - although if he was rich, would he be in the matinee? LOL

Still quilting but nothing is finished. I usually have only one project at a time going. But reading other quilters' blog, I decided to try having several things going at a time - which might teach me patience - not - as the cable guy says - git 'er done! So, I have the purple quilt, redoing the beading on the four seasons wall hanging, John's long lap quilt, the Valentine wall hanging, and the wall hanging for the mitre project at church. All in different stages, I don't know if it will help my patience but it is keeping me from being bored.
Today is Haylee's 19th birthday. All of my nieces and nephews are adults now! Makes me feel old!

Winter Time

2009-01-08T11:07:00.006-05:00

This is where I want to be!!!

Instead this is where we were this morning!!! Lily keeps the treats in her pocket so Lucilu and Prissy stay close to her!

Not much quilting is going on around here. This is a ribbon embroidery piece I tried to make into a wallhanging. I was using velvet to surround it; the velvet crawled so much that I got nowhere. I may try water soluable stabilizer between the satin and velvet the next time. But for now it has been put in my UFO - unfinished objects - pile.

This is my four seasons wallhanging. I used a Bartlett pear tree as my theme. But I am not happy with the bead work. So I took all the pearls on the spring section off to try to put them on more randomly for the beautiful white blooms the tree has in the spring. And there are not enough beading on the other three. So I have been doing hand work which doesn't show much.

So for now, I will continue to blunder on!

What is in my future? Manicures, pedicures, hairdos, prom dresses, homecoming dances, ballgames, high heels, jewelry - how much fun!

Have a good one!

Char

My idea of a Super Bowl is a toilet that never has to be cleaned!

The Holidays are Over!

2009-01-08T10:32:00.005-05:00

I don't know why the holidays make me so blue. When I was growing up we called that time when you didn't want to deal with anything or anyone and felt in despair as "putting on your long blue" - referring to the robe you kept on for days on end while your mood changed. I don't know if it is because the holidays never live up to the Hallmark moments the advertisements tell us we should have. Or the fact that once you grow up, Christmases never seem to live up to your childhood memories. Or the worrying about whether your presents are adequate, you have enough food for everyone, your house is decorated fine enough. Whatever the reason, for me, I wish I could put on my long red and the last two weeks of December would just go on by me. But now that I am on the other side of the holidays, I can look back on some good memories.
On the 20th we gathered at Cil's house for an exchange of gag gifts just between the sisters and nieces. Christmas Eve we all went to Lily's to exchange gifts. Thanks everyone for some good stuff. Christmas Day we went to church for some spiritual moments and reminders of what the season is all about. Then Lily fixed dinner for all of us. Last summer I had bought some shuckey beans in Whitesburg and those beans were the highlight of dinner for me. Lily and Daddy could always make those beans taste like something besides "leather britches".
New Year's Eve Lily, Ric, Sam and I celebrated with dinner at York Street Cafe. The dinner was delicious and the atmosphere was festive.

But the highlight of the Holidays was spending January 2 with John's family to celebrate Christmas. The grandbabies made the day for me!

John kept an eye on the babies during dinner to make sure they behaved in front of Nana and Aunt E.

Emerson enjoyed the chocolate cake we had for dessert!

Jake had to bring the Ben 10 toys to the dinner table with him!

He had gotten so hot running around from toy to toy he had to remove his shirt! Just like his Uncle Ray - whose birthday was Jan. 2 - 36 years ago he was a 5 pound ball of white fuzz!

I don't have any pictures of Annie cooking our delicious dinner, picking up the zillion little pieces of toys Nana and Aunt E brought for two babies who won't need another toy for years or trying to remove the oodles of wrapping paper all over the place without throwing away any of those small parts!

I made it through to yesterday - Ivan's birthday - he would have been 68 - I would have been married to "old man"!!!

Thus ends the holiday season for me. On to an exciting 2009!