The Threads and Scraps of my Life

May 26, 2010, Purple in my garden

2010-07-09T09:06:00.006-05:00

In March, the dad of one of our good friends passed away. He and his wife live in the San Fransisco area and he was known for the huge varieties of Iris in his garden. Several years ago, he was here for a picnic while my iris were blooming. His immediate response was to get my mailing address and vowed to send me a few from his garden.
Aren't they just gorgeous? They are so huge and heavy that with any rain or wind they tend to fall down. I caught them right before that happened.
Here are the ones on the east side of the house that seriously need division this year:

Thursday, May 13th, Happy Birthday, Candice

2010-07-03T08:53:00.007-05:00

I have to work tonight, so in trying to make Candice's birthday special, I surprised her by taking her to a tea room in Antioch. I had never been there before, but had seen advertisements for it and since she is such a tea connoisseur, I thought it was the perfect place for a mom-daughter birthday lunch.
There have to be about 100 different teas on the menu and we ordered a pot. They bring it to your table with an electronic timer so you can drink it when it has properly steeped. This pot reminded me so much of the tea pot that my mom and I used while I was growing up. We had many a shared pot of Constant Comment with dinner. At that time, that was the only "special" tea other than black pekoe. Candice had the Quiche of the day with a side salad and declared it delicious....just another reason why we will never bring Chuck here.
I had the crab salad sandwich with soup. It was wonderful. I just loved the eclectic china and cups that they use. The silverware didn't match either. After lunch, I took her to a cupcake shop around the corner for dessert.
I love this girl, she has grown into such a delightful woman and we always have a ton to talk about. Also, I am extremely proud of what she has accomplished.

Sunday May 9th, All done!!

2010-07-01T15:53:00.016-05:00

Chuck, Catie and I went to the early Baccalaureate service today. The chapel on Hope's campus is all stone, wood and stained glass. Even though we allowed plenty of time, we sat in the balcony and didn't see her until after the service. If all of her classmates wouldn't have dressed alike it would have been so much easier!
We then headed back to the hotel to meet the rest of the family. Dad drove up just for today and he was waiting for us. The cafeteria had a brunch and we ate our fill of pork, chicken, salads, and desserts.
Then we hung out in a lounge on campus until it was time to head to the ceremony. Chuck, Catie and I went to a reception for the social work majors and met a few of her professors. Today dawned clear and blue, but not a whole lot warmer than yesterday. We decided to sit on the east side of the stadium to get the warmth from the sun, however, we were faced directly in the wind and it was so cold!!

We heard her name announced and yelled "We Love you" but never really saw her. Again, with the dressing alike! Finding her was easy enough after the ceremony. I was amazed how they can get through all of those names, speakers, etc in two hours.
We are so proud and so relieved that she is finally done!
Lots of family love all around.Candice and one of her best friends, Brittany Stock:With the famous anchor:This picture was taken by the very artistic Catie. For more on her amazing work, click here. We love you Candice and you never cease to amaze us!!! And she graduated on the Dean's list!

Saturday, May 8th, Tulip time in Holland and celebration

2010-06-12T07:35:00.011-05:00

Candice is graduating from Hope College tomorrow and we drove to Holland today to catch the last day of the Tulip festival. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and it was way too cold and windy to go to the parade, even though they held it. Because of the weather, the tulips had bloomed early and most of them had already dropped their petals.
Still, you get this group of people together and a good time will surely be had by all!The first place we hit was Red Robin for lunch and had the onion rings...oh yum!!! (Excuse the strange face my mother-in-law is making.)After a belly full of burgers and fries, we walked a little downtown Holland and then went to the Dutch market place, because frankly it was getting into the 30's outside.
I think Candice is making the sad face because the little Dutch boy has a heavy load to carry!!

Sister love!!!

We watched the Dutch dancers for a short while until our toes froze off and then headed back to the hotel before going out for dinner. We went to a spot downtown that has awesome food and then the five girls stayed with Candice's best friend from school and her family for Martini night. Chuck agreed to be our DD and we had such a great time talking and laughing.
Never knew I could do this, but I guess my talents have no bounds!!!It was such fun to have us together, that's me and my two girls, my sister and my sister in law. A good pic except for Chris' eyes are closed!!

Thursday, April 30th, Daddy's ties

2010-05-29T09:28:00.004-05:00

I finished dad's quilt this week. The quilting was hard because the quilt is so big; at least 65x65 and it is very heavy. The result? I think wonderful. I am going to teach this technique sometime in June at a new quilt shop in the area:

Wednesday, April 29th, Rainbow of happiness!

2010-05-29T09:11:00.004-05:00

I have had this project on my design wall for almost a year. Remember way back when Celia gave me a gift certificate to Cherrywood fabrics and I started a bargello? Straight strip piecing really bores me and I wasn't very inspired to finish it. But after I got the fabric stash from Betty, I had the perfect back and then I found the perfect thread at Joannes' for quilting it.The thread was a 20 weight, and I didn't realize it until I threaded my machine, so there was a bit of a fight, but I am way pleased with the result. Another project off of the to be finished list!!

Wednesday, April 22, Another shopping bag

2010-05-29T09:05:00.004-05:00

With "green fever" sweeping the nation, it has also caught on in sewing circles. There are a plethora of shopping bag patterns out there, but when Beryl and I visited Eagle Creek Quilt shop, they had a ton of oil cloth. If you purchased so much, they threw in a free pattern for a shopping bag. As soon as I saw this oil cloth, it reminded me of the table cloth my grandma had on her kitchen table for years.This bag was super simple to make and I wanted to have it finished to take to the quilt show, but my machine wouldn't cooperate, so instead I finished it today.
I am loving it and can't wait to shop in style!!

Tuesday, April 20, Village Quilters Annual Meeting

2010-05-29T08:42:00.012-05:00

Tonight was out with the old and in with the new at the guild. We had our annual potluck and installation of new officers. Also, we had a bit of "Project Runway" and the planning committee outdid themselves!
All of the key people were on hand. The host, Heidi Klum: The head designer, Kim Gunn: (because Tim couldn't make it) and the guest designer, Deedee. I laughed until I was hoarse! They gave each table a bra...ours was a 44dd or bigger, (Needless to say, I didn't fill it out.) two tables of "supplies", some basic tools and a time limit.
Well, what do you get when you have a room full of creative people? Incredible laughter and some delightful ideas.Here I am modeling our table's creation, "Purple Passion". I am doing my best skinny, aloof, model impersonation. Without experience it was not very easy!!Here are all of the "models" Note, Inga on the far right; she was from Iceland and a tribute to the volcano!! There were no winners, because Deedee couldn't decide.
Also, each member made a block for a memory quilt for our outgoing president, Carol Schwartz. It was paper pieced and I have learned so much about paper piecing since then, I wish I could redo my block now!!!

Friday and Saturday, April 16, 17 Last quilt show in Chicago

2010-05-29T08:17:00.007-05:00

Beryl and I went to the International quilt show on Friday and then Celia joined us on Saturday. We had such a wonderful time oohing and aahing over the incredible workmanship in the display area and then....oh my, the shopping!!! Again, wonderful ideas, patterns, fabric, etc. The only fabric I purchased is some homespuns that I split with Beryl, otherwise new and fabulous patterns always lure me in.
Get a load of some of the wonders:This was the grand champion quilt with the quilt maker next to it. For a change, David Taylor didn't win. He usually does and personally, I think he deserves it, because here is this year's entry:As you can see he still got a ribbon. His stuff is so lifelike that you can almost hear this piggy squeal. See the bit of mud on his nose?
While we were admiring this one, two ladies came up that had taken a workshop from him and had the nerve to actually touch it and flip it over so we could see the backside. Well, the quilt police were right there and the offenders got a verbal lashing like I have never heard. It went on and on and on....I was so tempted to say, "Enough already!!! They got it!!!". But I restrained.
For me to pick out any one and say it was my favorite would be impossible, but I am always inspired by African fabrics. I now have quite a collection between my travels, my purchases, and the ones I inherited from Betty. She also had a penchant for African and Australian fabrics. Since I don't need to follow the rules, what about a quilt named, "From Africa to Australia"? Still need to get on the project finish route before I even attempt to cut it out.
I am super sad because this show is moving to Cleveland next year. I guess Chicago has priced itself right out of the market. Many people complained at the IQS booth and I was in a long line of ladies who expressed their opinions. The sad thing is that the vendors didn't find out until Tuesday before the show opened and they were very unhappy. I talked to quite a few vendors who said that for them, the Chicago show is even more successful than Houston. The big show in Padukah is always the following weekend, so next year, I think Celia and I are up for a road trip to Kentucky!!

Saturday, April 10th, A beautiful day in Minnesota

2010-05-17T08:02:00.014-05:00

Beryl and I had an adventure today going to Eagle Creek Quilt Shop in Shakopee, Minnesota. It's a very lovely shop in an old train depot. I was totally prepared as I had programmed it into the Nuvi. Well, the Nuvi is only so smart and she didn't know that the bridge was closed and there is only one other way in and that was a redirection that only a local person could give us. So this little adventure took almost an hour when it should have taken about 20 minutes.
If you are ever in the area, it's worth a visit. The bridge should be finished in the next year or so.
We found a soup and sandwich place that was delicious and Nuvi helped me with that.....

Then we drove back to Minneapolis and spent the afternoon with Nathan and Chuck walking around the old mill area by the Mississippi river. It was a gorgeous day, although slightly cool. St Anthony Falls used to power the mills on either side of the river until around the 1940's when the mills closed down. In recent years there has been a huge revival of the area and it is a must see if visiting the Twin Cities.We walked over to the premier theater in Minneapolis, the Guthrie, which has an observation deck that looks over the whole Mills Park area.
Beryl and I have always been frightened of walking on suspended things like this, but we did it and it didn't fall down under our weight...imagine that!!After our walk, we met the rest of the gang at a little pizzeria in the neighborhood and then walked back to Nathan and Malia's house for a visit and a movie. An exhausting, but fun-filled day with my sweet family.

Friday, April 9th, three men and a little dog

2010-05-10T14:07:00.006-05:00

Chuck and I traveled to the Twin Cities today to visit my nephews and their wives and pick up my sister. Tonight we all went out for dinner and then back to David's house for conversation. We got to talking about how people dress their dogs and how ridiculous it is and after Dave and Liz got Penny, she couldn't resist some booties. Dave promptly said, "if you are going to dress the dog, then we need to have a baby!!" Hence, a new arrival in June will soon be announced. However, he went to REI and found a manly neoprene coat for her. Now, this was when she was much smaller, but then the 7 of us got the brilliant idea to put it on her.
Question: How many men does it take to put a coat on a very little dog?Answer: Three!!! and it was so hilarious, I literally couldn't stand up, I was laughing so hard. We were all howling with laughter!!Poor, poor, Penny the pooch, she was miserable, and we couldn't let her be in it for long!!
Her body was squeezing out of it at her neck.
Daddy, will you get this thing off of me???

Friday, April 9th, Shocking......

2010-04-22T09:31:00.006-05:00

We had our house built 16 years ago. The first and hopefully the last time we would ever do anything so stressful in our marriage. The builder was definitely a con man who talked out of both sides of his mouth, made promises that he never intended to keep, and used shoddy workmanship. Actually, my list of complaints about his company could fill a book, but we have a roof over our heads and for the most part live a comfortable life. He has declared bankruptcy about 3 times over the years and started new companies with different names. On our way out of town today, Chuck wanted to show me the house that he started, but now is sitting idle due to lack of funds. The extravagance is unbelievable.You must click on the picture to really see the size of this monstrosity. I wonder what the sale of our house purchased here? A window or one of the garage doors, perhaps? Maybe this is just punishment for him....I'm not sure.

Sunday, April 4th, He is Risen....Indeed!!!

2010-04-05T08:23:00.004-05:00

We had a lovely weekend with Dad here. I worked Friday night, so Saturday was a bit of a draggy day for me as I was sleeping half of the day and in a coma for the rest....
Yesterday was a joyful celebration of our risen Lord at church and then the three of us had a wonderful Easter lunch. I purchased a crown pork roast at Aldi at Christmas time, but never found the time to have a dinner party with going out of town, work obligations, etc.
I thawed it in the fridge for two days and simply put it in the oven at 325 degrees right before we walked out the door. Isn't it gorgeous??? It was totally preseasoned and I glazed it for the last hour of cooking with a combination of orange juice, soy sauce and white syrup. This was the total meal, which was such a divine welcome to spring and all things blooming: apricot-apple stuffing (thanks to Chuck's chopping), roasted asparagus, flaky rolls, spring greens with lemon vinaigrette, and key lime pie for dessert. My men were so satisfied!!!

Monday, March 22nd, How Green Was My Valley

2010-03-22T13:39:00.002-05:00

My profile picture was taken in Indiana University's library a few summers ago and the Oscar statue that I am holding was John Ford's. It was earned in 1941 for the movie "How Green Was My Valley". It swept the Oscars that year and even though I had heard of it, I had never seen it.

I recorded the movie last night and watched it this morning. What a truly great film!!! A 3-4 Kleenex job, but I am home alone, so no one to see me.

Monday, March 22nd, Breakfast just for me.

2010-03-22T10:51:00.003-05:00

One of the blogs I subscribe to is www.tongue-n-cheeky.com. She is such a creative writer and she loves to bake and make all things sweet. Her recipe today was healthier than usual because she found that she had gained 10 pounds in the 15 months that she has had her blog.
Today's recipe was for whole wheat banana pancakes with coconut syrup. I used Splenda in the syrup and all the ingredients were totally healthy. It was just such a treat!!!

Wednesday, March 17th, A bit of the Irish from Colleen McTindell!

2010-03-22T10:44:00.003-05:00

Once a year, I turn into an Irish lass. I love Celtic music, fiddling, dancing you name it. I have taped a ton of Celtic movies, PBS shows and have listened to Celtic music on Pandora ad nauseum in the past week.
Tonight, Chuck and I made our usual boiled dinner. I just love this meal, so easy and so delicious!!You will notice that the cabbage is separate because Chuck doesn't like cooked cabbage. We had a Soda Bread mix, but it turns out that it was old and the leavening was dead, so I will have to make a loaf to go with the left overs.
The best part of the meal was a pie I bought on a whim at Aldi today. An Irish Cream pie....oh my, oh my....it was absolutely to die for. With a little taste of Bailey's.....I relished every bite. I would say it rivals the pies from Baker's Square!!!

Tuesday, March 16th, Brown bag auction

2010-03-22T10:26:00.006-05:00

I really wanted to get this stash under control before our guild brown bag auction tonight. The last of the people that wanted to go through the books and patterns came on Monday and then I packed up the remaining books and patterns and notions that I didn't have a use for and brought them tonight for donation.
I assisted in the auction and by the end of the evening, I was totally exhausted from running around.
There were only three things I really wanted and I purchased 50 tickets and stuffed the three bags with my tickets.This is fabric from Holland and no, I'm not Dutch, but Candice goes to Hope in Holland, Michigan and there is a ton of Dutch influence there. Who knows what I will do with it, because, yes, I did win it.I really, really wanted this John Flynn rail quilting system. I have been eyeing it at quilt shows for years and even got the web site for directions to have Chuck make me one. This is brand new and has never even been opened. The majority of my 50 tickets went in this bag and I was extremely disappointed that I didn't win it. The lady that won it didn't really want it and gave it to the other gal that was helping with the auction. I am trying not to be greedy or sour grapish, but I am still a little stung from this one.

These are absolutely pristine birch quilting hoops and I bid like crazy for this one. The gal that won it put one ticket in the bag and has only hand quilted once. Now, where's the justice in that???? I even have the callouses to prove my perseverance at hand quilting!!!

All of this to say, do I really need more stuff???? No...the basement is full as it is!!! I must be happy with what I already have!

Tuesday, March 9th, I wanna dig in!!!

2010-03-22T10:16:00.004-05:00

I know, it has been ages since I have posted, but I have been busy....with what? I don't know, but much of my busyness has been due to this enormous stash in the basement. I have sorted, folded, had friends come over to pick what they want.... I think it is getting more under control.
I want to start using it, but I can't justify it until some things are finished that are in process. This particular piece: has been on my design wall for about 6 months. Straight line seams do not appeal to me, as it is so boring, but I really like the way it turned out. This was from a Jelly roll from Cherrywood fabric that I purchased with a Christmas gift certificate from Celia a few years ago. I literally used every bit of it, the remaining pieces were too small to even put in my scrap stash. The inner and outer border is a hand dye from the inherited stash and this:is what I am going to use for the binding and the backing. I also bought some variegated thread at JoAnne's last week to quilt it.
OK, that means I can move that from the column, "in process", to "to be quilted".

Thursday, February 25, 2010, Warmth for cold feet!

2010-02-25T07:14:00.003-06:00

I mentioned at quilt group one night that no matter how tired I am after work, if my feet are cold, I can't sleep. I always have to wear socks to bed. So, my sweet friend Diane said she has been on a kick knitting wool socks and she would make me a pair.
Last Thursday she brought them to me and I have been loving them!!! No more cold tootsies.

Thursday, February 18th, Sorting this enormous gift

2010-02-19T09:15:00.010-06:00

Back on November 16th, I talked about my co-worker's mother-in-law who passed away and said that she wanted me to have her stash. Well, with some other things that happened, it looked like I would only get some items and some books. Then it turned into all of the books, and last week it turned into the entire stash.
Chuck and I picked it up on Tuesday. I totally underestimated the enormity of this gift. We filled the van to the ceiling and Chuck unloaded it yesterday, so when I got home from the workshop, it was all in the basement awaiting me. It is so much stuff that I can only take it in small increments.
So I unpack a box or a bag a day and sort by color or type. It's a good thing that basically I am the only one that uses the basement, because I am running out of places to sit down there.
So I will take you on a little tour of my sorting:This didn't need to be sorted, but it is the first thing you see when you come down the steps. It is a Horn sewing table. I had been eyeing one at Libertyville Sewing center before they closed, but they were way too pricey. Chuck didn't believe me that this particular model sells for slightly under $1000.00, but when I found it on the Internet, the MSRP is $788.00. It is truly wonderful and there is no more jiggling under me as I sew. As you can see, I have already started using it as I am in project finish mode at the present. I love that I can make the sewing area level with the table top. I think that will help with the pain I have right under my left shoulder blade.
Next on our tour is the couch sorting area. Here we have fabrics with "bling", novelty fabrics and Christmas fabrics. On the table are yellows, grays, blacks, greens and blues. The Foosball table is still against the wall both from project day in November and from Thanksgiving when I had a basement full of sleeping people. The large ironing surface that I had already gotten fits perfectly on top and here you will see neutrals, browns, thread, (which I am not nearly finished sorting and multicolors which still need a place.
Next, there is my old sewing table covered with orangey browns and marbles. My cutting table has solids and reds. Under the cutting table are all of the cuts that are 4 yards or greater. I am having Joanne's and the local quilt shop save the cardboard inserts from bolts of fabric so I can re roll them. Then we get to the areas that haven't been sorted yet. On the desk and next to it on the floor are tons of notions, triangle paper, foundation papers, sketch pads, thread, starch, basting sprays, etc. I sewed a binding down last night at quilt group and I know that there are binding clips in this mess somewhere, but yesterday, danged if I couldn't find them!!
This is the area that all of the fabric comes from. I still have two huge boxes, a Rubbermaid container and about three more bags to sort. Like I said, a bite at a time!! All of the batiks, hand dyes, Asian and brights are going on the day bed to be sorted later. That was what she loved the most, so that is the largest chunk to sort. You can see the Rubbermaid containers that are flipped over with the lids on top and all of the books....those are the books that I have deemed "give aways". But every time I go through them, I find more that I want to keep.
I also found several projects that she had started, so I am putting those in my finish pile. One of them will be perfect for Deb and Stewart.

Wednesday, February 17th, A fun workshop

2010-02-18T09:34:00.004-06:00

Celia and I have been looking forward to the workshop with Robbie Joy Eklow for months now. Celia used to subscribe to Quilting Arts magazine and Robbie writes a column for them. Also, the fact that Celia is an art quilter far more than I am increased the excitement factor. I wanted to take it to connect with her as her son Josh and Catie were in school together from Kindergarten through Senior year of high school and Josh was a friend of Catie's. Her work is phenomenal, which can be viewed at www.robbieeklow.com. You would think that because it is just fusing, that it would be easy, but we found it is very challenging!! Not a whole lot got accomplished in the 7 hour workshop, but we laughed quite a bit because she should have been a stand up comedian!!! Oh, and by the way, the neck brace is because she just had cervical spine surgery three weeks ago and she has to wear it kind of like a cast for the next three weeks.

Sunday, February 14th, Smooches and hugs for V. Day!

2010-02-18T09:29:00.005-06:00

Chuck was out of town Friday and Saturday and I am working all weekend, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, so there is no Valentine's Day celebration in this house. We did exchange cards and gifts. I guess after 28 years together, we are starting to think alike. I got him homemade truffles from a local chocolate shop and he got me Ghiradelli chocolates. But even more than the fact that we got each other chocolates were the cards that we exchanged:His to me is on the left, mine to him is on the right....see any similarities????

Saturday, February 13th, A family reunion for Norma's homegoing.

2010-02-18T09:15:00.004-06:00

Dad's cousin Norma died this week after a long battle with lung issues. She had whooping cough as a child and at that time, they removed part of her lung. In the past 5 or so years, she has been in and out of the hospital and nursing homes with every complication imaginable. On Tuesday night, her body had had enough.
It was a wonderful celebration of a life well lived and honoring to God and her family.

Since the funeral was in Lockport, on my way home I took a small detour and went to the quilt shop in Downer's Grove that Denise owns. She was the crazy one that was at retreat last weekend. You should have seen her face when I walked in!! She screamed really loud and all of the customers were in a bit of shock that she should display such behavior. She said, "I knew you were going to come and visit me, but I just saw you on Monday!!".
It's a really cute shop, but very small and packed to the ceiling with fabric!!! I must go back there with Celia and Beryl sometime.

Friday, February 12th, An art show

2010-02-18T08:51:00.010-06:00

My neighbor Tracy, who is a professor of African American Studies at Northwestern University was asked to put together an art show showcasing the works of AfriCOBRA.
The following explains AfriCOBRA much better than I could:

In Chicago 1968, a group of artists came together and began to define a uniquely black aesthetic in visual arts. They sought to make art that spoke directly to the needs, aspirations and experiences of black America, and that celebrated what was beautiful and heroic about black culture. The seed of what would become the AfriCOBRA collective was planted at the “Wall of Respect,” a mural on a Chicago building that depicted black heroes and leaders. The wall became both a meeting place and the community’s visual affirmation of African American cultural, intellectual and political heritage.See AfriCOBRA art and watch videos on the AfriCOBRA.

I went to the opening of the show at Tracy's invitation and was blown away by the beautiful colors and images. All of the pieces in the show are owned by an art dealer in Chicago. Unfortunately, with all that I had to do today, I was too late for the lecture.
Enjoy the following, which in photographs, does not do it justice.

This was the image on the postcard invitation, "Queen Candace". The colors are so vibrant and the angles so pronounced that I thought it was a quilt. It is all dots of color.
The gentleman on the right of the piece which is fiber, is the artist.

This is called "Hip Hop dancers".
If you have a chance to see it, I think it will be there until mid March. It is in the Dittmer Gallery in the University student center. (and tucked behind the Starbucks)

Tuesday, February 9th, While she is away.

2010-02-18T08:46:00.004-06:00

As I may or may not have said, Candice is now living downtown Chicago while she is doing her internship. She has never had much luck with plants, especially in a dorm room as there have been many disasters, like flying pillows, lack of moisture, lack of or too much light....but when she moved back home in December, she brought home her orchid, which had the promise of a bloom. Well, today, while cleaning her room, I was rewarded with a lovely show....There are at least 6 more buds ready to pop. Come home Candice, so you can see it.....and your momma, too!!!

Monday, February 8th, another successful retreat

2010-02-11T16:56:00.027-06:00

This was my 6th time to go to quilt retreat and every time I come home, I say it was the best one yet!!! We always go the day before and this year Celia and I decided to stay an extra day at the end. I never thought I would say it, but I am a little tired of sewing at this point. But, upon taking a serious inventory of active projects, things that need to be quilted and what I want to do, I better get at it if I want to start anything new. I spent quite a bit of time piecing this time and only saw two projects to a level of near completion. One of the things I worked on is a Bonnie Hunter scrappy quilt and the majority of Saturday was spent making 104-4 inch blocks. We adopted a new friend from guild this time and she fits right in with our silliness! Between sewing, laughing and eating, the weekend is very exhausting!!The fabulous group!! There were 6 in our group, 7 from Downer's Grove, (new friends for us) and 4 ladies that we have been with at retreat in the past. We all got along great, which makes for great times!

We shop hopped on the way up and back, which I always love.These are my purchases. The poinsettia fabric is for the backing for the Christmas quilt. I got it at 60% off and I finished the bolt!!
My "big" purchase was this thimble for hand quilting:
After using on Sunday night, I decided it was too big, so Celia and I stopped at Millhouse Quilts in Waunakee on the way home for me to exchange it for a smaller size.

On Saturday, Jenet, Celia and I took a break from sewing and went to Reedsburg to Quintessential Quilts. It has traditionally been the "destination" shop, but it has severely declined since we were last there. The shop samples are exactly the same as a year ago and there is absolutely no new fabric. So, to kill time while Jenet was shopping, Celia and I had an ugliest fabric contest in the "blue and green" room and Jenet was the judge. As you can plainly see from the picture, I definitely won!! I am reminding Celia of this every chance I can!!
I made this cute table topper for Valentine's day:Also, I pieced this top, which has quite a bit more hand work to do before it gets layered and quilted:
Some of the show and tell from the weekend:Pat and Marlene tend to make the same or similar quilts while at retreat. I got this pattern from them, because I love the scrappiness!!
Kathy, aka the General, got a ton done...she pieced two tops and quilted the above top for a wedding gift for next weekend.
Deb, aka the Admiral, pieced three tops which were all happy and bright!
Jenet, our first time, but not last time retreater worked on some little projects and showed this incredible Grandmother's Flower Garden that she has pieced from actual feed sacks that she bought at antique shops and flea markets. Enid worked on a very complicated Batik quilt the whole weekend and showed this cute snowman wall hanging.
Celia paper pieced this stunner! Aren't the colors incredible?
Ann only quilts at retreat and this king size quilt has been in progress for a year. She finished the top on Sunday morning. She is true artist.
Patsy has been able to give up the Saturday cooking to someone else, so she sat and sewed with us on Saturday. She made these cute aprons for her sister and her sister's niece.
Denise on the left is the owner of "The Quilt Basket" in Downer's Grove. She was so much fun and came up both mornings in some of the clothes that Patsy uses for decor. In the same spirit of silliness, I found these vintage hats and the five of us wore them on Sunday night. We also sang along with Celia's Ipod and some great 70's tunes.
Celia and I left on Monday morning and shopped on the way home, but were kind of ready to go. What a great time we had. Sunday night we made a fire and I brought my computer and we watched "Up". A great ending to a great time.

Friday, January 29th, My biggest challenge to date, finished!

2010-01-29T08:39:00.003-06:00

In September, my sweet neighbor and her mom came to the quilt show at my invitation. They enjoyed it so much and even though neither one is a quilter, they drooled over the vendor area and the gorgeous fabrics and projects displayed there. Marie's mom fell in love with an Edyta Sitar wall hanging and asked me if I would make it for her. I helped her pick out fabric, she paid for it and I shook in my boots because it is a technique I have not ventured into. Well, yesterday, I finally finished it. It was a many step process, with tracing images, fusing, cutting, piecing and then quilting.....and quilting....and quilting. I love how it turned out.

Saturday, January 23rd, Another bag....can't get enough of them!!

2010-01-23T09:05:00.004-06:00

I have been very busy cutting projects for quilt retreat. We don't go until the 4th of February, but it is in the boonies, so a quick trip to the fabric store is not really possible. Also, so as not to take vacation time, I am working quite a bit before then. I am down to the last three cutting items and hope to have that wrapped up by Wednesday. I also have to get two projects to a certain level for "show and tell". With all of that to do, you'd think that what I made yesterday could have waited, but I decided to make it while I had the inspiration. This is the same little book bag that Diane made at our project day in November and then Celia made it very recently. When I saw Celia's and played with it a bit, I fell in love with it. The fabric was from a charm pack I bought on E-bay and the lining, handle and binding fabric came from my stash. It should have gone together very quickly, but I cut the charm pack down to 2 1/2 inch squares and then randomly pieced it.
I just love how it turned out, however, the "embellishment" on the pocket was to imitate the circles on one of the fabrics, but I think it looks more like the Target symbol. Oh well, I tried.
It is perfect for a trip to the library and for small group when I am carrying a Bible and a study book and my purse. My Bible fits absolutely perfect with two additional books.

Friday, January 15th, Me...on skis...a bit like an elephant on skis...

2010-01-16T07:30:00.007-06:00

Chuck has been trying to get me to try cross country skiing forever. I have been very hesitant as I am not the most coordinated person in the world, but this week he borrowed Kathy's skis as she is about my shoe size and we set a date. I was scared to death, but in the end, I only fell twice. I think that is because I got a little overconfident and I lost my balance when I got going a little too fast. I am willing to do it again, but only with my very patient husband who actually sat on a bench at one time to wait for me to catch up. He said the conditions weren't very good as we have had warmer temperatures the past couple of days and it wasn't really snow, but more icy conditions. Next time we have a good snow, I will try again to see if it is a bit easier.

Thursday, January 14th, gotta come down sometime

2010-01-16T07:27:00.002-06:00

I thought this was such a pretty pic of dad and daughter taking down the tree.

Sunday, January 10th, Lots of little projects.

2010-01-10T15:33:00.005-06:00

Thought I would share some of the little things I have made in the past few month, some for selling, some for gifts:
I made ten sets of these 4 season place mats for the guild boutique in September and not one of them sold. That just meant that I had Christmas/birthday/shower gifts! Curves also offered us to sell things there for over the holidays and I sold two sets there.
I made a dozen of these wine gift sacks for the boutique. Because they were fairly low in price, I did sell a couple of those and gave some as gifts and sold some at Curves.

My friend Kathy had this awesome pattern for a reusable shopping bag that I have made multiple times. I had a ton of fabric that I wasn't going to use for quilting that I used and made 6 of them and have 4 more ready to sew. I did sell a couple of these at Curves. But when I saw this fabric:
I knew I had to make one for each of the girls. They love reusable shopping bags rather than getting a plastic bag each time.The cool thing about these bags is that they fold up to go in your purse. (if you carry a big purse like is so popular right now)
This is the inside of Candice's bag, and Catie's is made opposite.
I have been making these decorative towels on a monthly basis since August. I make 4 at a time. They are really cute and I gave 5 of them to my sister-in-law for Christmas. I couldn't get the whole year done before Christmas. I am getting really good at the blanket stitch on my sewing machine.
This is my most recent project, a diaper bag for my nephew's baby that is due next month:The pattern is not marketed as a diaper bag, but when I saw it and the fabric that the shop sample was made in, I fell in love with it. The fabric is by a local designer, Jane Sassaman, who spoke at our guild. She took us through the entire designing process, which was fascinating.
I also made a card and got it in the mail before our big snow hit on Thursday. They actually got it in time for the shower yesterday

Friday, January 8th, A new place for sweet treats

2010-01-10T15:29:00.004-06:00

Friday, Catie and I spent a bit of time together scrap shopping. On our way out of Antioch, we went to a new cupcake shop. We were the last customers of the day, so I bought one for her and Chuck and then got some for Bunco tonight. So pretty!!
Left to right, that's Carrot Cake, Lemon Meringue, German Chocolate, Chocolate Butter cream, Vanilla Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chocolate Chip.

Thursday, January 7th, Been bursting to tell!!!

2010-01-07T17:34:00.005-06:00

We got some great news at Thanksgiving!! After gathering at the table, the head of the household traditionally gives thanks for the meal and for our time together.
David said, "Uncle Chuck, I'll pray for the meal".
Chuck responded by saying "no I'll pray", In other words, "It's my house, kid, it's my job",
David, "No, I'd like to to it."
Chuck: "Ummmmm".
Beryl: "Just let David pray"
Chuck: "Alright"....big uncomfortable pause

So we all bow our heads, David starts thanking God for the meal, our family, (at which point, I get all teary because I always miss Mom especially at holidays) how good He has been to us in the past year and he ends the meal by thanking God for their baby that is coming in June!!!
At which point, Beryl is cheering (their whole family already knew), and I am sobbing as are the grandparents. Liz was pretty nauseous the whole time they were at our house, but she is so excited.
David is going to be the greatest dad.

So cool, a baby!!! I am going to be a great aunt and my sister.....my older sister is going to be a grandma!!! I can't wait to love on this baby!
The reason I can tell now is because David announced it on FB a couple of days ago, which I guess makes it official!

Thursday, December 31st, Once in a Blue Moon...

2010-01-02T18:06:00.004-06:00

Well, that is a year in my life....I didn't think I could stick with it for 365 days, but it was a challenge I gave myself a year ago. Could I document my life every day??? Just like the frequency of a Blue Moon, I didn't think it was very likely. But here I am, 12 months later, and I saw it to completion.
You, my 2-3 faithful readers have stuck with me and seen my joys, my sorrows, my idiosyncrasies, my obsessive compulsiveness....that's my life. I am thankful for everything that is a part of me. I'm not perfect, but I guess I wouldn't change a thing about who I am.
This is not to say I will never post again, but I will only post on an occasional basis. Check back or put my blog in your "reader" so you will know when I post.

Now, what will 2010 bring????

Wednesday, December 30th, Now that's pricey!!!

2010-01-02T17:58:00.006-06:00

On my way out of town yesterday, I had to fill the van with gas. I about had a fit as the price was $2.75.9, which is the highest it has been in months.
Then on the way home, we passed by the same gas station, and this was the price:I guess I'm glad that I filled up when I did!!!
Catie and I were up early today, so I could take her to the airport. There was very little traffic and I had her to the door in about 45 minutes. After a work out, I was home again at 8:30. Easy peasy!

Tuesday, December 29th, Connecting with Aunt Jo

2010-01-02T17:53:00.004-06:00

Beryl, Dad and I went out to Woodstock today to see my mom's sister, Aunt Jolene. She lives alone and her kids are out of state. We had a lovely visit, but I am always so sad when I leave there. She rarely leaves her home and hasn't seen her kids for a long time.
When we left her house, I took Beryl to the square in Woodstock and of course, we hit a quilt shop, a coffee shop and discovered a scrap booking store. We didn't get home until 7 or so and then watched a movie with Catie while she was packing and doing laundry for her trip to Pennsylvania to visit Steve and his family.

Monday, December 28th, Shopping and family

2010-01-02T17:47:00.005-06:00

Catie and I went shopping today so I could spend some of my Christmas money from my dad and to hit some after Christmas sales. I got a perfect pair of jeans at Old Navy for $19.00!! Also, I lost my watch a few weeks ago and got one for $12.00 at Target. The greatest buy of the day was these awesome jammies!
Not that they were cheap, but they totally score in the cuteness factor. Beryl and Dad came today to spend a few days with us and she broke out her adorable PJ's, too.

Sunday, December 27th, Baker extraordinaire!

2010-01-02T17:40:00.006-06:00

Due to budget constraints, my mother-in-law doesn't give us Christmas gifts, but instead bakes cookies to give to us.
Her baked goods are just marvelous and it is something I look forward to every year:
She is famous for her sugar cookie cut outs. This is the recipe that we use at home and the girls tend to make them every year.
Four more mounds of sugary bliss. Pecan Tassies, Cranberry Tassies, Almond pillows and Mexican wedding cakes.
And then there is the homemade Candy....can I say mmmmmmmm?????

Saturday, December 26th, A Tindell Christmas

2010-01-02T17:32:00.006-06:00

We left this morning in a snow storm for Christmas in Springfield with Chuck's family.It took us a couple more hours to get there than it usually does and we stopped in Bloomington for lunch.
Most of us exchange names for gift giving, but we usually all get gifts for Vera:
When she was here in November, we went to a new thrift store and she admired this cookie jar. She obsessively collects snowmen. I bought it that day for her. She never knew and was pleasantly surprised.
We had a fun day with the family, even though when these folks get together, the noise level rivals O'Hare!
Chuck, Christine, Tommy, Robert and Vera.

Friday, December 25th, Brown paper packages tied up with strings....

2010-01-02T16:24:00.020-06:00

My work schedule requires that I either work the Eve or the Day of Christmas. I prefer to work the Eve, because we have always done our Christmas on the day. Since I work with a few Polish gals and they usually celebrate on the Eve, it almost always works to my advantage.
I got home in a timely manner and before my nap, we opened our socks. I bought these cute "magical" socks for the girls. They are all shrinky...and then you put them in water and they expand...
into these beautiful socks....we say beautiful because that is what the package said.

and then I took a 4 hour nap. The girls have always been so patient. We have our traditions; homemade Caramel rolls for breakfast, gloriously baked by Catie, the reading of the Christmas story from Luke 2, family prayer and then the choosing of Santa (this year played by Catie)
I think maybe the crafting gene was passed to Catie as she wrapped her gifts in a most lovely manner:Yep, that "bow" is a fat quarter for me!
Chuck has collected maps for years and he gave a few to her to use:It was just a lovely gift opening and we always make it last and last. In fact, this year, we listened to The Nutcracker while opening and it finished when we opened the last gift.
Here are my thoughtful acquisitions:
A Bare Minerals makeup brush...because somehow I lost mine! From Candice...
My very own personalized return address stamp...from Catie and of course the fat quarter.
Some awesome scrap booking stuff from Chuck.
This quilt book that I really wanted from Chuck and also some delectable lip gloss/stick.
I made these reusable shopping bags for the girls.
After cleaning up the mess, we sat around and enjoyed the beauty of the day, the glow of the Christmas tree and each other. And then we watched the snow fall.
We munched on appetizers while dinner was cooking...another tradition and then had a wonderful dinner of baked ham, potato casserole, green beans, cherry jello and Hawaiian rolls (the same every year).
However, this day is more than just gifts, food and traditions; it is the celebration of the greatest gift ever given from God to man. To think that God would stoop so low to come as a baby drives me to my knees in thankfulness and joy.
My dad's cousin wrote this lovely poem for their Christmas greetings this year and it says so eloquently what I can't:

GOD'S BEAUTIFUL PROMISE

Behold God's Beautiful Promise, kept from eternity,
That plan before creation, to reach humanity.
The Promise sent to save us, for oft we sin and fall,
The hope for earth from heaven, lies in a lowly stall.

The Promise come to Bethlehem, when Jesus Christ is born,
Brings fear, then jubilation, on that blessed holy morn,
As angel hosts sing glory, to God in highest heaven,
Shepherds seek and find him, their homage humbly given.

Among the sheep a Shepherd comes to the world that day,
Who leads us on life's journey and finds us when we stray.
The Lamb of God as promised, is nailed to Calvary's tree,
Our sin and shame upon Him, He dies for you and me.

His star lights up the desert, drives darkness from the land,
Its rays shine down from heav'n as sages cross the sand.
The long awaited Promise beckons seekers far and wide,
To make the journey with Him, and let Him be their guide.

The Promise kindles hope, throughout the darkest night,
When doubts and fears assail us, awaiting morning light.
The shadows that surround us, will not ere-long prevail,
His light shines in the darkness to lead us through the vale.

Charles B. Jessen

Thursday, December 24th, A different Christmas Eve

2009-12-27T21:45:00.006-06:00

We decided to go to the Chapel for Christmas Eve Service today because the timing of one of the services worked out with my schedule. Our church is under construction right now with painting the sanctuary and laying new carpeting. The Chapel is a non-denominational mega church and we know many people that attend there. Well, I think once a year is plenty for us to visit. The bass was so loud, I thought my heart was going to bounce right out of my chest! However, there were several elements of the service that I liked.

After my nap, we had our traditional Christmas Eve meal of Canadian cheese soup, courtesy of Candice's culinary skills.

Also, wanted to share these gorgeous cookies that the girls made:Last year was the first time I tried this recipe and they were a huge hit.

Wednesday, December 23rd, Finally decorating the tree

2009-12-27T21:13:00.009-06:00

We had such fun tonight decorating the Christmas tree....at last. We wanted to wait until the kids were home. We had our homemade oatmeal cinnamon waffles for dinner and while Chuck and Candice were doing the dishes, Catie and I made and decorated a gingerbread house.Catie really loved piping the icing on the roof. The lovely finished product.
We set the timer and actually got the ornaments and the ribbon on in an hour!!
I really look for cute or unusual ornaments every year and I found this turtle for Catie when we were in Saugatuk in October. She informed me that it wasn't a "Loggerhead turtle", as are common in South Carolina, but she still loves turtles, no matter what kind they are.
We laughed and reminisced while accomplishing the task. Then we watched "The Muppets Christmas Carol", Candice's favorite.

Tuesday, December 22nd, I'm dreaming of a....

2009-12-27T21:07:00.004-06:00

We had a lovely snowfall today.....is it too early to hope?

Monday, December 21st, So who gets their wish?

2009-12-27T21:05:00.004-06:00

I saved the wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey for when the girls came home for Christmas break. Catie and I made our wishes today and this is how it broke. What is the rule for when it breaks evenly? Each gets their wish or each gets half a wish?

Sunday, December 20th, A Christmas Wedding

2009-12-26T07:53:00.018-06:00

Today, our friend Allison was married to Steve Erl. Candice was a bridesmaid as she and Allison have been friends since they were 2. Everyone told me that she was the most stunning bridesmaid, which I knew.....Andy, giving away his baby girl...The happy couple..Candice was paired with a groomsman who is the brother of one of Catie's good friends from middle school and high school...It was freaky because these brothers could have been twins, they look so much alike.
Daddy, daughter dance
Chuck left early and I was so honored to be asked to stay and party with my girls!!!
Catie and Candice had a ball with their friends.
We had such a blast watching Kevin, the youngest Searle dance and Bust a move on the floor!!These are the brothers dancing together. We closed the place at 11:30. It was a great party.

Saturday, December 19th, A whole lotta Holiday activities

2009-12-26T07:44:00.004-06:00

Candice is in a wedding tomorrow and had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner tonight. So, Catie and I planned a full day of local activities. Chuck still had some shopping to do, so while we were busy, so was he.
After doing some gift wrapping here at home, Celia picked us up at 2 and we went to the Genesee theater to see "Holiday Inn". It was very corny, but it was such fun for Catie to see this fabulous restored theater. We were a bit shocked by one of the very un-PC numbers.Catie had this lovely cookie and Celia and I munched on popcorn.
Chuck then picked us up and we went out for dinner.
At 7, Catie and I participated in the "Do it Yourself" Messiah at the United Methodist Church in Waukegan. We purchased the score and sang like we actually knew what we were doing. I have wanted to do this for at least 20 years and my dream would be to do it at the Lyric in Chicago. Someday, before I die.....

Friday, December 18th, The Tindells are all together now....

2009-12-26T07:41:00.004-06:00

Catie came home tonight. She is getting used to this 18 hour drive from Charleston, but it makes for a very long day. She brought me my birthday gift and I opened it when she got home. I adore Pixar movies and she gave me "Up". Love it.......

The picture above is from Catie's flickr site. Click here for this shot and others.

Thursday, December 17th, One down, one to go

2009-12-26T07:37:00.003-06:00

Chuck took today off and drove to Holland to move Candice home. She is actually done with her schooling on campus and on January 23rd, starts her Social Work internship in Chicago. Because she didn't come home last summer, she had accumulated quite a bit of "stuff" and it wouldn't fit in her car. I worked last night and tonight, so didn't get to join in on any of the fun.

Wednesday, December 16th, My holiday haven

2009-12-16T08:12:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to show you how our house looks at night this season. Chuck did a fabulous job with the outside lights and yesterday, he finished assembling the Christmas tree. Celia tells me that icicle lights are going "out" in fashion, but I don't care.....I think it's gorgeous!!

Tuesday, December 15th, Guild Holiday party

2009-12-16T08:03:00.006-06:00

Our annual quilt guild party was tonight. Very relaxed and fun chatting with my friends. We had Chinese food which was excellent, mainly because all I had to eat today was a protein shake as my sewing machine and I bonded for the majority of the day. Just like finding out Santa Claus isn't real, last night I discovered that you also can't base your life on the fortunes found in those delectable cookies. Two ladies at the same table had the exact same fortune!! And then we heard another lady on the other side of the room also had the same one.
Deb won the poinsettia centerpiece as she had this sticker under her chair. I would totally agree with the above statement.....except when you have a deadline hanging over your head....like I do!
I received this beautiful hand felted pin cushion from my secret pal along with a note that she is going to arrange a lunch date with Amy Walsh from Blue Underground after our reveal. That will be a treat!

Monday, December 14th, Celebrating a little late

2009-12-15T09:47:00.005-06:00

Because of the craziness of Friday, Chuck wasn't able to shop or give me any gifts for my birthday on that day. Instead he went shopping while we were playing Bunco. So, upon getting up Saturday morning, he had gifts for me: (yep, that's my jammies and my "why are you taking my picture when I look like this?" face...)We always get each other an ornament every year. He does such a good job and painstakingly chooses for me. I usually get the ones for him and the girls.
He gave me a new scrapping--quilting tote. My original one has been abused so badly and I was in need of something a bit larger. A good birthday....as always.

Sunday, December 13th, Deconstruction

2009-12-15T09:42:00.004-06:00

In addition to the spire being repaired and cut down at church, we are making some changes to the interior. I wasn't able to go to church today as it is my weekend to work. However, after the service there was a crew of people, Chuck included, that demolished the stage to prepare for a new one. I hope it is cleaned up by the wedding on the 20th!

Saturday, December 12th, Laughed til I was hoarse!

2009-12-12T09:33:00.009-06:00

Last night was Bunco, hosted by me. Chuck and I worked very hard on getting all of the decorations up, but we didn't do the big tree in the front room, because there just wasn't time. And you know what? We still had a party and we still had a good time? Who would have thought?
We finished with our annual "White Elephant" exchange which always provides plenty to laugh about.
I received this hideous um...whatever... last year from Robin and I carefully maintained it so I could re-gift it this year. Poor Virginia got it and didn't quite know what to say.
There is usually one person who forgets to bring something so I bought this t-shirt at the thrift store. Tracy got it and loved it! She is the present, now that could be a gift or have a deeper meaning, such as she is not the past or the future...right?
Now, I didn't think this reindeer was horrible.....Peggy always brings the coolest things and Kim stole this bike riding Santa from Marie that Peg brought. Last year she brought a really neat old game that I wanted to get for my sister, but someone beat me to it.
Kate wasn't entirely thrilled with the candlestick that she got.Janet got a three-fer....Marie cleaned out many of the tacky Christmas homemade decorations that her mother-in-law has given her throughout the years.Now I got this brand new electric deep fryer from Angie that my next door neighbor stole from me. Yep, Robin, the Leanness Lifestyle coach got a deep fryer!!
I ended up with a hat with fuzzy yarn and a shawl. There was so much commotion that I didn't get a picture.
After the party I cleaned up and sat down to check e-mail. I woke up with my neck in a most unusual angle at 1:30!!

Friday, December 11th, 29th again!!

2009-12-12T09:21:00.008-06:00

That sweet baby girl is....hack....cough....wheeze.....51 today!!! How is that possible? I only feel 29.
Yesterday, I nearly killed myself decorating the house to prepare to host Bunco tonight. So, I just finished up a few things and sewed before Celia picked me up for a lunch date.

First, she gifted me for both my birthday and Christmas because I gave her her Christmas gift today. A Edyta Sitar quilt calendar with two free patterns!! A lovely pair of earrings and my own special Diva wine glass.
Then we went for lunch to Park Street in Mundelein. Absolutely delicious!! We both had a greasy decadent Patty Melt, managing to eat the whole thing, and topped it off with Cappuccinos. A fun time with a great friend!!!

Thursday, December 10th, My Christmas project

2009-12-12T08:52:00.009-06:00

Thought I would share my latest journey into madness. I decided to make my dad a quilt for Christmas out of his old ties. I don't think by posting, he would find out because his computer is so slow and it would never load all of this information.
In May of 2007, the girls and I spent a day with mom in their bedroom cleaning out the closet. It was a huge task and dad had at least 50-60 ties. Now my dad only wears a tie to church and the funeral home, and many of them were so outdated or stained that we got it down to about 40, and I took the rest. For Father's Day that year, I made him a pillow:He didn't take it very well, and scolded me for taking his ties and cutting them up. It took him almost 2 weeks to call and thank me for the gift, only after mom made him. So we will have to see how he takes it this time. I mean the ties are already deconstructed, so no harm no foul!! A good friend of mine also gave me a sack full, so I have a huge selection.
This process began a few weeks ago. I washed them in warm water and dried them.
Then, I began the painstaking process of taking them apart. This took an entire 4 hours of movie or TV watching to do. There is a holding stitch on the wide side that needs to be cut, then there is a long running stitch that can be pulled to take the whole seam apart. Then the "guts" need to come out.
Then I pressed them flat and cut the bottom seam off:
Next, I fused interfacing to the wrong sides of three ties at a time. This is necessary because ties are cut on the bias and the fabric is very unstable. Then it should be easier to sew.
Next, I cut the piece into 1 1/2 inch strips. When I started cutting them, I was cutting the narrow way, but I found if I cut the long way, I get much more usable material.
I then get rid of the short ends and start my cutting process:The jagged ends get pitched and then I have some nice strips to work with:Last step before sewing is sorting into my needed lengths. My friends will be happy to know that I am not trying to be "matchy-matchy", but this is going to be totally scrappy with a pattern in mind. Stay tuned for the finished product. Will he get it finished on Christmas morning? I don't think so, but I am going to wrap what I have finished and then take it back to complete it.

Wednesday, December 9th, All the tunes, all the time

2009-12-12T08:35:00.005-06:00

We have had XM radio for about 6 years. Did I ever share the story of how I crashed the van tuning it and took out two mailboxes on my street? A story for another time.
Anywho, XM has 5 stations strictly dedicated to Holiday music starting right after Thanksgiving. I love it because I have options!! While at home, I listen to our multitudinous collection of Christmas CDs, but while in the car I have the following options:
Holly....tried, really tried to listen to it, but Christmas carols by Lady GaGa, or whoever, doesn't float my boat
Hanukkah.....even though in his younger years, many people thought my dad was Jewish, I really don't have an interest. How many Dreidel songs are there?
Traditions....I like this one, but when they play "The Christmas Song" over and over again, I get a little tired of it, and I love that song!!! I can tell it is coming on by the violin swell at the beginning!
XM Pops...my favorite choice because they play choral numbers and orchestrations of classical Christmas pieces and the one I usually stick with, although I flip over to Traditions when I am needing a boost in my jolly meter
Christmas in the country...Ummmmm, no.....Johnny Cash had a great story, but I have decided that he, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton must have had great agents, cause they can't sing!!!

Tuesday, December 8th, Snow, snow, snow.....(tune from movie White Christmas)

2009-12-12T08:11:00.003-06:00

We have had unseasonably warm temperatures for November and December, but like they say, "If you don't like the weather in Chicago, wait a few minutes, it will change". And change it has, we have a big storm in the forecast and already Iowa and all states west and north of us are getting slammed.
On that note, thought you would like to see the cute cheese ball I made for our small group get together on Sunday night. Maybe I brought on the snow.....
He was as delicious as he was adorable!!!

Monday, December 7th, A day that will live in infamy...

2009-12-07T08:38:00.004-06:00

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The surprise attack destroyed much of the United States' fleet, especially the battleships.
May we take the time today to remember those who lost their lives in a day that signaled the United States entering World War II.

Sunday, December 6th, The tower is now complete

2009-12-07T08:32:00.004-06:00

The work is progressing on our church and yesterday we approved another $60,000 in much needed improvements, repairs and upgrading. I am totally stoked for how our building will look!! I know the steeple needed to be fixed, but it is going to take some getting used to.
Before:
After:
For as long as I have attended, we have called it the "Rapture Tube", not only because of it's shape, but also because when it was windy outside, you could feel the wind blow down into the baptistery. Guess God will have a different portal for us!!!

Saturday, December 5th, The elf is at work

2009-12-05T16:40:00.003-06:00

Chuck has been getting into the holiday decorating and today when I got up from my little nap after working last night, he was donning lights on the back fence. Unfortunately, he is having a hard time finding more lights in the stores. We need to get to the inside of the house as I am hosting Bunco on Friday. Why is this season so stressful sometimes?

Friday, December 4th, I'm dreaming of......

2009-12-05T16:37:00.003-06:00

The last couple of mornings have given us a little dusting of snow. I love snow, not the driving in it, or the shoveling of it, but I just love the look of it. Hope we get some for the holiday this year!

Thursday, December 3rd, Something cute and a bonehead mistake!

2009-12-05T16:28:00.006-06:00

I have been actively getting little projects done. They have piled up to the point that I get anxious when I am in my sewing space.
This adorable little project only took a couple of hours. It is already decking the front hall! However, when I was assembling it, I made a huge mistake and didn't realize what I had done until I sat down to cut it out:I actually fused on the right side of the fabric, instead of the wrong side. Shucks, that many fewer scraps into my scrap saver system!

Wednesday, December 2nd, I try, I really do

2009-12-05T16:21:00.004-06:00

I am not the best coupon clipper in the world. My intentions are good, but inevitably, I forget my pouch at home. I peruse the coupons in the Sunday paper every week and usually keep at least one, but they go in the file until they expire. Today, I went through the stack of "need to be filed" and the pile on the right are all expired. However, I do use the Joanne's coupons regularly and rarely buy anything there at full price.

Tuesday, December 1st, Finally.....Buck a Roo, Baby!

2009-12-05T16:16:00.005-06:00

After 4-5 months on the design wall and my repulsion for it, I finished Matthew Greer's baby quilt and gave it to Patti on Sunday. I had a great idea...or rather my sister did and I used corduroy as the sashings. Problem is, corduroy and cotton don't play well together. The warp or the weft or whatever it is tries to move at a different pace than the cotton. It is really cute and Patti loved it, and done is goooooooooood!!!!!!

Monday, November 30th, Very early departure

2009-12-04T10:23:00.003-06:00

I was up at 2:30 this morning to take Catie and Steve to meet their ride back to Charleston in Wheaton. We made great time and got there about 5 minutes before their ride did. The little light between their heads is the moon. I was back home at 5:30 and crashed again until about 10. With still more to do around the house, I kept very busy until my nap time before work tonight.

Sunday, November 29th, Out with the girls

2009-12-04T10:15:00.005-06:00

After church today, the girls wanted to do some shopping. As tired as I was, shopping was the last thing that I desired, but I went to enable more bonding time. Chuck is still under the weather, so he jumped at the chance to sleep. Candice always has us laughing. She drew this on her finger when we weren't looking and then said, "I moustache you a question."
Candice kept persuading Catie to try on things, but Catie said if she had to try things on, Candice had to try on these gold lame leggings. If Candice were rich, she probably would have bought them, just for laughs.
Candice left for school as soon as we got home and the rest of the evening was spent lazing around.

Saturday, November 28th, From a full house, to a partially empty one

2009-12-04T10:09:00.004-06:00

Breakfast was Pumpkin pancakes, bacon and juice. Oh so yummy. Daniel and Chuck manned the skillet and grill. The majority of the company left at around 10:30. Dad left at around 2 after lunch.
The rest of my day was spent washing sheets, towels, cleaning the basement and getting the house back in order. I did spend about an hour on the couch in the afternoon. Chuck is sick, so there was no Christmas decorating done.
Catie asked if she could have some of her local friends over and I agreed with the stipulation that I wouldn't have to do any of the work. We ordered three pizzas and while they played games, Chuck and I watched a movie. Candice went out to see some of her local friends.
This picture was taken long after I went to bed. They had a ball playing games and talking.

Friday, November 26th, Not so Black Friday

2009-12-04T09:48:00.010-06:00

Instead of the girls shopping on Black Friday, the boys and Daniel decided that they would go to Best Buy for a Viao computer. So they were up at 2:30. I went to bed at 1:30, so didn't even hear them. When they got back, which was about 30 minutes before breakfast came out of the oven, they said they would never, ever do it again. 6 hours of pure bedlam was not worth it. Daniel watched an entire movie in the TV section and David bought a 10 dollar game. The other two boys did get their computers.
Let me just say that breakfast was just delicious! I made two egg casseroles, a coffee cake and a huge bowl of fruit salad.
After breakfast was cleaned up and I was cleaned up, Beryl and I hit a couple of quilt shops. We had a fabulous afternoon chatting and drooling over gorgeous wares. The cousins and Steve did a little Geocaching, Chuck style. Chuck made a treasure hunt for them and they had a ball finding his clues. One hint was in a cemetery and they had to find a certain headstone.
The Cache was $20.00 and they went to Starbucks for a treat. Don't I have the most creative hubby?
Another Thanksgiving tradition is to put together a jigsaw puzzle. This goes back to my childhood. Mom and I did this at least once a year and through the winter. I get my obsession for them from her. Dad bought this puzzle when he rode the riverboat this fall for us. Catie and Steve predominately did the puzzle and some of us puttered at it, but they pretty much owned it.
This was hilarious because they both had kept a piece so they could put in the last one. There was a bit of a struggle as they each fought over that right!!
Our friends Lynne and Roland came over for dinner tonight and we had Lasagna, rolls, a little left over Thanksgiving and salad.
Also, today was Beryl's birthday, so we sang to her, had birthday cheesecake and she opened her gifts.
What a fun filled day!

Thursday, November 26th, Thank full for so much

2009-12-04T09:12:00.015-06:00

This was probably the most perfect Thanksgiving in recent memory. The food went without a hitch, thanks to my incredible husband and my organizational skills. We had more than enough for 21 people. The only thing that was missing was mom, but we ate many of her traditional dishes and talked about her.
I did indeed work last night and didn't get home until about 8:45. I made baked oatmeal last night and I came home to the wonderful smell permeating the house. After sitting down with my family for breakfast, I finally got to bed at 10:30. With all of the adults in the house, and my carefully executed directions, I got up at 1:30 to help finish things off.
The girls made our traditional turkeys. This goes back to Grandma Bev and we have been doing it for years. This year, I didn't buy the usual fruit roll ups for the waddle because the package was so big and I end up throwing them away. Well, each turkey instead looks like he is armed for battle to defend his life!!
When I got up, the cousins were playing poker at the dining room table. They love to play games together.

Candice is a great help in the kitchen and never has any hesitation when asked to help out. We managed to get all 21 people at one table. It was crowded, but oh, so much fun.
The pretty and simple table scape. I had a center piece planned, but forgot about it, which was a good thing because then there was room for the food down the center of the table. Also, I forgot about Thanksgiving napkins, so we used Christmas napkins and folded them the other way. They matched quite nicely.
Dan's usual job on Thanksgiving is to carve the turkey. Chuck made two, one in the roaster and one on the grill, for a total of 34 pounds of turkey. They were absolutely delectable and we had very little left over. The grilled one was so good that Chuck and I decided that in the coming weeks, we will get another one and grill it. The food getting passed. Again with the load of people in the house, we didn't get to go around the table and say what we were thankful for. My heart was so full, in addition to my belly, that I don't think I would know where to begin.
A sampling of our food. Now this person obviously didn't chose everything. There were also delicious brussel sprouts, German red cabbage and Mom's traditional stuffing, now made by Beryl. There were great crusty rolls also. I have the genetic defect of poor gravy making, so Chuck made the gravy. It was great!! Again, we followed Mom's lead and boiled the necks til the meat falls off and add some drippings. He used cornstarch instead of gravy and it was beautiful.
Poor Steve, I am not sure how he took this loud, laughter filled family. They had driven all night Tuesday to get here and he said that Thursday was his tiredest day.
The grandpa's keeping each other company and watching football.
After the dishes were done and dessert was ingested, we got down to playing some games. No Risk this year, but Catie and Steve introduced us to "Bowl of Nouns". Very fun! Charades, Password, and Taboo all in one.
The kids also played Chronology while I did the dishes. Candice wanted to play with David, the history teacher. Don't know how that turned out. He probably skunked them all!
This weekend was especially sweet because Peter and his new wife Kelly are going to South Korea for 14 months to teach English. They are leaving on December 10th. He always entertains us and right before everyone turned in for the night, he and Nathan did the "you will be my arms" bit. We laughed til our sides ached! He is eating a banana. At one point, Nathan broke off part of it and put it in his pocket, smashed it and then took it our and fed it to him.

Let me just say, without hesitation, I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!!!

Wednesday, November 25th, So disappointed!!

2009-11-30T12:39:00.003-06:00

Last night when I looked at the schedule, the unit was overstaffed, so I was pretty positive that I could be cancelled for work tonight. Well, with several admissions throughout the day, it filled up and I had to work. I know that after midnight, it is time and a half, but I just look at the lost time with my family!! With how well I have organized, I know that tomorrow will go without a hitch, but I will be very tired with lost sleep!
On a more positive note.....I avidly watched "Dancing with the Stars" this season because my teen idol was on it. I'm sure most 50 something women watched for the same reason!!! Well, to my utter pleasure, he won!!! Not that he was the best dancer, but he was definitely the most popular and I think probably the whole state of Utah voted for him....twice!

Tuesday, November 24th, My idol, Paula Deen

2009-11-30T12:30:00.003-06:00

I love trying new recipes and while coming up with something to feed the masses as they arrive tomorrow night, I found this awesome soup in the Internet. The smell is intoxicating!

Taco Soup

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time:: --
Cook Time:: 6 hr 0 min

Level:: Easy

Serves:: 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

Directions

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

Monday, November 23rd, Finished for Tracy

2009-11-30T12:25:00.003-06:00

When we had our "bag day", I started this big bag for Tracy. She brought me the fabric and I quilted it. The fern fabric is a heavier drapery fabric, so I had to adjust the tension. You probably can't see the detail in the picture, but I quilted the ferns with silver thread. It wasn't really difficult, but it was very time consuming. I finally finished it today.

Sunday, November 22nd, More decorating

2009-11-30T12:20:00.003-06:00

I try to hang a quilt in the living room for every season. I made this one when I first started quilting and made a ton of mistakes, didn't know how to use a walking foot, or for that matter, didn't even know what a walking foot was. Still, I think this wall hanging is adorable for Thanksgiving.

Saturday, November 21st, Getting ready for multiple holidays!

2009-11-30T12:15:00.004-06:00

While I was in the house cooking more for the freezer for the influx of company this next week, Chuck was outside hanging the icicles on the house. This has been a bit of a struggle in past years because we have a gutter guard system, so normal light hooks don't work. Chuck has tried the Velcro system and other plastic hook devices, but they have proven very frustrating. This year, he drilled tiny brass hooks into the soffit and I think he finally got it right. After Thanksgiving, he will do all of the cord configurations and hang the lights on the big pines in the back yard.

Friday, November 20th, Let's all go to the movies!

2009-11-24T07:52:00.010-06:00

Hyacynth, the new owner of Curves, is starting special outings for the members. Tonight, a group of about 20 went to the Genesee Theater in Waukegan. This theater was built in 1929 and for several years, lay in disrepair. In an attempt to revitalize downtown Waukegan to it's former glory, it has been restored in absolute magnificence! It reminds me of the theater where we saw Wicked in Chicago. I understand the attempt to boost the economy in Waukegan. It has suffered similarly to many Illinois towns whilst the malls are being built and the locals ignore the local shop owners in favor of big boxes and chain stores. See Kankakee, Peoria, and Springfield.

This is one of my favorite "oldies" and I have seen it a gazillion times. Wanted so badly to sing along, but that would have been rude!
The gorgeous chandelier in the front lobby is not original to the structure, but none the less, fantastic and of the period. Other details:
Just a few of us that attended:
The plan afterwards was to go to Rudy's next door to Curves and he agreed to stay open for us. However, when we got back, it was dark and locked, so we ended up at another Mexican restaurant in downtown Grayslake.

Thursday, November 19th, Patience, my dear!

2009-11-24T07:47:00.003-06:00

The ladies in my quilt group don't always bring quilting. Elaine has a variety of interests and she loves to sew. She is starting Christmas projects and has made some doll clothes for her daughter and her granddaughter. Yes, they are near the same age. I tried doll clothes at one time, but the tiny arm holes were so frustrating.

Wednesday, November 18th, Gearing up for a houseful

2009-11-21T10:06:00.004-06:00

Since project day is now behind me, I am preparing for the next influx of house guests. My family is coming for Thanksgiving and since I am working the three nights prior to the big day, I have been menu planning, cooking and freezing.
Today, prior to my nap, I made Starbucks Cranberry bliss bars and Texas sheet cake. The privilege of being the baker is that I got to lick the icing bowls. Sugary delight!

Tuesday, November 17th, Breathtaking beauty

2009-11-21T09:19:00.009-06:00

Tonight our guild speaker was Annette Hendricks, an incredible art quilter. She predominantly uses hand dyed fabric and thread painting.
This is a digital image of the inside of a poppy that she printed on fabric and then quilted. Amazing!!
This picture doesn't do this justice. The cat is all thread and she used 38 different colors on him! It literally felt like you could pet him. Can you see what he was looking for next to the pumpkin on the left hand side???
This won a huge award at Houston. It is called "Three Sisters". It features two other art quilters that Annette is friends with from Australia and Canada. All three ladies worked on it and it is to depict their ages, spring, summer and fall.
Here are some of the details:
Annette uses hand dyed velvet in many of her quilts. The dimension makes them look like real roses.
My mouth was agape for much of the meeting.

Monday, November 16th, A quilter's last will and testament

2009-11-20T07:40:00.007-06:00

Last Wednesday, my co-worker's boyfriend's mom passed away. Basically I could say she was her mother in law, because she cared for her the past 6 months of her life as she died from cancer. Betty was a quilter and even though I only met her once, Deb told her that I was a quilter. Betty's wish was that I get her stash and anything else that I wanted, except for the machine. Deb called me on Thursday to offer me this gift and we set up a time when I could come and take stuff. I was so overwhelmed!!! Well, the next day, Deb very sheepishly called me back to say that Betty's daughter in law from New Mexico wanted the fabric. But Deb and Stuart still wanted me to come and take some pieces that I wanted because the amount of stuff is so huge.
Chuck and I went yesterday after our meeting and I did get quite a bit. It was hard because they are still mourning and they watched me the whole time. As I looked at things and pulled things out, I caught glimpses of Betty, in her writing, some stray blocks and a set of pillow covers. I showed them to Stuart the entire time and when I was finished, there were some things he kept for himself.

I came home with a big bag of fabric, with quite a few batiks, a design wall and about $400.00 in books, one of which is the Gee's Bend coffee table book. I am loving the books, but I am not incorporating the fabric into my stash until after the daughter in law finishes because one of the pieces that I have may be the very one that she remembers!!
Here are two of Betty's quilts with Deb and Stuart:
This all reminds me of something that was given to me a few years ago:

THE QUILTERS LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

Being of sound mind (a statement which does not bear close examination), I_______ do hereby record my last will and testament. Knowing that_____, my______(husband, sister, child or friend) hasn't the least appreciation for, or for that matter, knowledge of my extensive fabric collection which collection is suitably deposited in sundry pales for safekeeping. Knowing also that________has already notified the local dumpster to pick up and dispose of the fore-mentioned collection "willy-nilly" (the thought of which causes me a most severe case of hives). Therefore, I do will this collection and all other collections related to it, to my dear friend and fellow fabric preservationist, __________. I is my wish that she/he, upon hearing of my death and obtaining clear proof that I did not manage, although goodness knows I tried to take it with me, would come to my home post haste, before the dumpster, and search out my collection which is similarly stored at their own abode. That she should rescue said collection and stack it in my quilting studio, along with my sewing machines, frames old buttons, lace patterns, quilts, dolls and works in progress. After she/he has done this, she/he should purchase refreshments for my friends not yet departed, which friends are also her/his friends, and every last one shall be in that room and they shall hold a wake and say lovely and kind things about me until they run out and then they shall divide amongst themselves, by lot, my wonderful collection. I shall be hovering over that very spot until this is done. ______ shall then quit this spot and close the door, leaving trivialities to those who do not understand.

This is my wish in the matter.
Signed:__________Date:_______
Notarized________Date:______
(this is not a legal document)

Just so you know, the order of my fabric and quilts goes like this:
1. the girls and Chuck
2. my sister
3. Celia
4. my quilt group

Sunday, November 15th, Celebrating with the family of God

2009-11-20T07:37:00.005-06:00

Today was our church's annual meeting. Actually now we call it an annual celebration. Complete with slide shows, food and lots of laughter and singing, it was perfect!!!
We had 7 people join the church. We are small, but every week, we see new signs of growth. I love my family!

Saturday, November 14th, Bunches O Bags

2009-11-20T07:10:00.014-06:00

Today was our quarterly quilt group's project day. Because we have had so much inspiration from the bags we all tend to carry, we decided to make some today. The last time I hosted was a year ago, so I took my turn.
Of course, when we get together, it's all about the food.
I made a peach french toast casserole and a cream cheese coffee cake for breakfast.
Kathy brought Taco Soup for lunch.
and Celia brought dessert. We are usually so full, and today was no exception.

At least 4 of us in the group have spaces large enough to set up work tables, ironing boards and cutting tables. I am grateful for the creative space I have in the basement. The only thing is, it was a warmish day and the can lights produce a lot of heat, so we were all sweating!
Elaine made the ruler bag and the X bag. I didn't get a picture of either finished product.
Diane makes these adorable Library bags. I asked her if I could get a picture of her bag with her in it and this how she interpreted my request!!
Kathy made the ruler bag to match her "big bag" and wanted the straps to match the binding on the big bag. She had a rather frustrating day and didn't get to finish, but I declare the bag lovely, none the less!
Tracy doesn't do machine work, but is finishing a commissioned piece, so after finishing the hand quilting on it she set out to make the binding.
Celia also made the ruler bag and got into her bag!
Deb is working on a bag that the group made several years ago, prior to our joining. It is rather complicated and is like a making a mini quilt. I have made this bag, but because of the poor workmanship on it (I was a newbie) it is now relegated to being my workout bag. I am planning on making it again and I love the half square triangles. She bought all of these squares on E-bay.
What did I do, you ask? Well, Tracy has commissioned me to make her a big bag and she brought the material. I sandwiched it and started quilting it, but am using metallic thread, so it is very tedious. I have about 1/2 of it quilted and then took a break and made this little thread catcher for Celia. An early Christmas gift. I made a few mistakes, but now I know what not to do the next time I make one.
This was a great day with my friends, but man I am exhausted!

Friday, November 13th, Wore out my MIL

2009-11-18T08:26:00.004-06:00

This was an errand day. I finished a project for my sister to put in the mail and then Vera, my Mother in law and I were off for a full day of running around.
This was the list:
1. Work out
2. Visit the new thrift store two doors down from Curves, which I gotta tell you, was awesome. I found a pair of jeans, a blazer, a Christmas cookie plate, welcome lights, some white elephant gifts, a gift for my MIL, and I spent about $40.00. When I found out it benefits the Tri-county Crisis Pregnancy Center, I was even more enthusiastic.
3. The quilt shop for an item for Vera
4. Home Depot
5. Post Office
6. WalMart in Antioch (because they still have sewing notions, wherein the new one's craft
section, in a word, SUCKS!!)
7. A quick stop at the quilt shop in Lake Villa
8. That meant we didn't get home until 5:30 and then we picked up Chuck and promptly went out for dinner to "That Pasta Place".
9. Upon getting home from dinner, making food for the quilt group gathering here tomorrow, and last minute house straightening and table setting.
Wore her out??? Wore ME out!!!!

Thursday, November 12th, A good cry

2009-11-18T08:19:00.004-06:00

We just recently started Netflix. We love it, because even though we live about 2 blocks from Blockbuster, we are lazy and don't really want to drive over there and go through the whole process of walking around with a movie asking the other one if they want to see it. In Netflix, we have a whole queue of movies lined up and when we watch one, we pop it in the mail and get the next one on the list. So far, it has been perfect. We get the next movie in about 2 days.
Tonight, we watched this one and I really loved it. Will Smith is starting to look more and more like a serious actor. I finally have the "Fresh Prince" stigma out of my head for him. This is directed by the same guy that directed him in "The Pursuit of Happyness". So if you loved that one, you will love this also.

Wednesday, November 11th, A day to thank those who served

2009-11-16T16:43:00.003-06:00

Every citizen in our country needs to thank a veteran every day, not just today!

Tuesday, November 10th, A little change

2009-11-16T16:31:00.003-06:00

Since John has been pastor, he is very active in updating and repairing the building. One big issue we have had is a leaky roof over the sanctuary. He consulted some contractors and found that the bricks on the "rapture tube" were in severe disrepair. The decision was made to take the spire off.
Soon our church will have a whole new look.

Monday, November 9th, Remnants of scary things

2009-11-09T08:09:00.005-06:00

The weather this weekend was absolutely glorious with temps in the 70's, blue skies and gentle breezes. Since the house already felt stuffy because the furnace has been on for a month, I opened some windows to let the Indian Summer in. Front and back door open to get movement from North to South and then family room and living room window open for East to West. Well, upon opening the living room window, I looked up and saw this:
That's an entire sheet of cobwebs at the top of the window....icky!!!
I promptly got out my swifter to nab it....it's gray, meaning that it's been there for a looooong time! Guess I need to look up more when I clean.

Sunday, November 8th, Fun at the quilt show.

2009-11-08T18:37:00.004-06:00

Vera, Dana, Celia and I went to the Northern Quilt guild's biannual quilt show this afternoon. So much eye candy and they a couple of stations for hands on activities. One of the things they do is make baby quilts for Good Shepherd Hospital. Dana and Vera colored blocks for this project.

Saturday, November 7th, All day crop

2009-11-08T18:33:00.004-06:00

My sister-in-law, brother-in-law and mother-in-law came this weekend for a visit. We had an all day crop at church and Dana and I spent the day immersed in paper crafts, stamps and ink. I am working on my project 365 and am terribly behind. This "week of" header was the best of my creativity for the day! I love the two swirls! The black one I cut on my Cricut. I did get quite a bit done today, but am still behind.

Friday, November 6th, Creative neighbors!!

2009-11-08T18:29:00.003-06:00

Recently, our neighbors took their kids to Apple Holler in Wisconsin and they had a little kiddie hay ride pulled by a riding lawnmower. Aaron came home and decided that for his oldest daughter's birthday party, he would make something similar. Isn't it the cutest?

Thursday, November 5th, Another old quilt

2009-11-08T18:26:00.003-06:00

The only thing I know about this one is that it was made by my great-grandmother. It is super scrappy and some of the seams are coming apart. Maybe made in early 1900's or late 1800's? The horrible thing about these old quilts is that they weren't labeled, so we know very little about the makers.

Wednesday, November 4th, Seeing steady progress

2009-11-08T18:24:00.004-06:00

I haven't lost much weight in the past month, but also haven't gained any. However, my fat percentage has dropped. I am OK with it and am comfortable with my body right now. I can't slip!! It's too much work!

Tuesday, November 3rd, wondering about the past

2009-11-08T18:16:00.003-06:00

Since the quilt appraiser was at our guild meeting, I was interested in looking at the quilts that I own that are considered antiques. The one pictured was made by my grandmother. She is the reason that my sister and I quilt. She used all scraps and only made one quilt with new fabric, which is hanging at the farm and for which she got grand champion at the Illinois State Fair. I know now that the blue and white quilts were made around the 1920's during the Temperance movement. That would make sense since my grandmother was born in 1894 and would have been in her late 20's and mid 30's in that time. Unfortunately, there is much staining on it and the blue in the inner blocks is discoloring. I am itching to hear more about it and will get it appraised sometime.

Monday, November 2nd, 2009, Met the dealine

2009-11-08T18:12:00.003-06:00

My manager, Raeann hired me to make a baby quilt for her niece's baby. It has been a month long process and I finished it today, label and all. I found the fabric on a sale day and was inspired by the nautical colors to call it "Ahoy, Baby!" Thankfully, the baby was born on Friday, the 30th, so it was right on time.

Sunday, November 1st, Nursery duty

2009-11-02T09:05:00.009-06:00

I had the very difficult job today of working in the nursery. We have been blessed with three new babies and they are now old enough to be downstairs during worship. We were a little short staffed today and I was there by myself. We have a paging system should I need mommies, but amazingly, it worked out fine.
This is Sawyer, the first to arrive. We walked around for a while and then he was rubbing his eyes so I put him in a swing where he fell asleep for the entire hour. His mom says at home he screams every time she puts him in a swing.
This is Matthew. We didn't interact at all because he came in his car seat and he slept the entire time. He woke up right when Patti walked in after the service to nurse him.
This is James, the busy, busy boy. He rolled around on the floor for the longest time and played with some toys that Tricia brought. When he got fussy and started rubbing his eyes, I picked him up and we rocked. He fell asleep and every time I tried to lay him down (only because my arms were completely numb) he fussed. So, we bonded....very hard for me!!

My friend Pat, who checks in during the service to make sure all is in control stopped by and this is what she found. Me and the boys hanging out....
I noticed how they were dressed like casual Friday in corporate America. James in his khakis and oxford button down shirt.....
Sawyer in his wide whale cords and plaid button down shirt. So cute!!!
Man, can't wait to get my hands on grand kids someday, but for now, I get a baby fix doing this job.

Saturday, October 31st, Missed out on the trick or treaters

2009-11-02T08:58:00.003-06:00

We made the decision not to give out candy this year for Halloween. I felt a little guilty, but with me working tonight and a needed nap right in the middle of the afternoon and Chuck going on a planned bike ride with some buddies, it was an easy choice. Then I don't have candy in the house either. For my sake, Chuck disconnected the doorbell so my nap wouldn't be interrupted. It didn't matter because when they found out that I wasn't responding to the doorbell, they opened the storm door and pounded on the inner door. They even pounded on the side light windows. I felt like a prisoner and had to stay either in the basement, the kitchen or our bedroom where they couldn't' see me from the front window. I thought the universal sign that you had candy was the front light is on. Well, we didn't have it on and they still came!!

Friday, October 30th, Project day, a little early

2009-10-31T09:19:00.003-05:00

November 14th is our fall quilt group project day. We are having a bag day with an assortment of bags being made. Stay tuned for the results. I was going to make the bag pictured above on that day, but instead I am going to make a "Big Bag" for Tracy, my neighbor. That will take the entire day as I have to quilt the fabric before actually cutting it out and sewing it. Therefore, I was itchy to make this ruler bag. I have had the materials for about two weeks. It was a snap and only took about 2 hours to make. I love the fact that I can carry my rulers and a mat safely to retreats, sew-ins, etc. The 24 inch ruler retails for about 20-25.00 and breaking one would put a total stop to any sewing.
On to more UFO's!! (unfinished objects for the uninformed!!)

Thursday, October 29th, The life of a social butterfly

2009-10-30T07:56:00.003-05:00

So we have been anticipating the opening of our new WalMart for about 2 years. We made a date of it this afternoon and spent about 1 1/2 hours perusing the joint. Chuck and I are once a week (if not more), WalMart shoppers and we figured instead of the 4 stores where I shop, it would now be a one stop shop.
In an effort to be an informed consumer, I came with three of my last Aldi receipts and a Sam's receipt. I am so sorry to say that I can do much better for the items I buy most frequently at Aldi. Almost everything that I purchase regularly, Aldi beat WalMart's prices by .50-1.00. That means that instead of shopping at Aldi, Sam's, Jewel and WalMart, I will eliminate only Jewel for the groceries that I can't get at Aldi. I will probably still get meat at Sam's as their prices and quality are the best. Most of my friends are encouraging me to go to Woodman's in Kenosha, and if we had a big family to feed that would be an option, but with just the two of us most of the time, it would actually be a bigger expense to drive the 40 minutes.
I rarely used to check prices, but just automatically put things in my cart. This economy is changing me.....

Wednesday, October 28th, Soup's on!

2009-10-29T14:28:00.006-05:00

It hasn't been very cold this week, but the leaves are mostly down in the backyard and the wind is blowing and the sky is overcast. Therefore, I am in the mood for soup or chili. Chuck came home from work this afternoon feeling lousy, so the food choice was obvious!
I purchased a butternut squash this week for only $1.50, so I made a pot of squash soup at the same time the chili was simmering.
I have made this chili recipe for the 27 years of our marriage plus a couple of years before that. It is easy and oh so spicy. There has been a bit of tweaking as it calls for 4 tablespoons of chili powder (I use 2), a full teaspoon of red pepper (I use 1/4) and canned tomatoes (I used V8 juice). Also, in the past 5 years or so, Chuck rebelled against green pepper in it. I can never remember if it is green pepper that he hates or celery, so I have to ask him every time. He gets pretty irritated by my asking, so today when I pulled out the recipe, I noticed that he made an editorial comment on the recipe. (click on the picture to get the delicious recipe and to see what he did)
Thanks, Chuck for the reminder!

Tuesday, October 27th, The reds of October

2009-10-29T14:25:00.005-05:00

The burning bushes along Butterfield Road in Libertyville are really gorgeous this year. It looks like someone came along with a can of spray paint and colored them in. The one in front of our house has never really "burned" like these. Celia and I were discussing it last week and I think it is because it faces North and is sheltered by the house.

Monday, October 26th, Ghosts of visitors

2009-10-29T14:21:00.004-05:00

Tonight Candice came home with 3 gals from school for their internship interviews in the city tomorrow. I worked for a good part of the day straightening up the house and making dinner for tonight, but never actually saw them as I worked tonight.
One of the girl's birthday was today, so I made her a cake.

I imagine that it was good to be in a home instead of in a dorm just for a night.