Happy New Year!

Where have I been? My body has been right here where it always is, my mind, somewhere else. I have no projects, no fun pictures to post so not much blogging from me. I have read my favorite blogs but made no comments, just a weird, funky, into myself mood going on. I promise this too will pass. Please know that I have enjoyed reading and will be back in the groove soon.

Mostly I have been busy trying to put life back into the order it was before we started the Christmas count down. It amazes me the work, enjoyable as it is, and effort, we as humans put into one day, just to have it over in a flash of wrapping paper. Then,there is the undo of all we have done. The inside decorations are down, just need packed up again for storage along with the wrapping paper, etc.

It has been a great holiday season for our family. I am sad to see it end but yet, ready for the every day hum drum life again.

Julia and Colin are coming to spend the night..........their Dad got a overnight babysitting session on New Year's Eve coupon in his stocking! His parents aren't as available to stay with the kids as they were, so nights out are a big treat for him and DD. The great white hunter and I stay in on New Year's anyway, so figured we might as well just enjoy the kids and let them enjoy a night out.

Promise a visit to all my favorite blogs and a nice long post coming soon. Thank you for your great Christmas wishes. Keep safe on this last night of 2008!

Peace

I know the outside world is not at peace, there are folks out there whose holiday was far from peaceful. In my little corner of the world, peace is the only word I can find to express the feeling.

As a child, Christmas was rarely peaceful. My Dad and his brother's usually marked the occasion with large amounts of alcoholic beverages, and the chaos that followed was never remembered as peaceful. The great white hunter and I vowed as young parents not to have those kind of memories for our kids.

So my little family gathered today and we had a wonderful time together. Our oldest, disabled son was here for the day so the nest was full. A trip home is a real effort for him and his wheel chair. Functioning in a social situation like this is also hard for him but he did fine and enjoyed himself a lot.

When we all sat around the table, and I saw my loved ones with their cheap plastic glasses, I knew that I had been given the greatest gift of all, my family with me on this day. The food was good, the gifts wonderful and the memories and good feelings were all anyone could ever hope for. Long distance family was reached by phone. Again, I am truly blessed, again I need to count those blessings and give thanks. I am among the lucky ones because I know the true meaning of peace at the end of this day.

I hope peace was a part of your celebration and if not, I hope you find the strength to find that peace in the new year.

And That Is The Way It Is

Tomorrow morning, the great white hunter and I will welcome our grown children plus spouses and two grandchildren to our house for Christmas breakfast. We will have home fried potatoes, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy and toast made from homemade bread that I just took out of the oven.DD is bringing a new dish for us to try. It is an annual affair.

I bought a new table cloth along with matching napkins and nice napkin rings. I ironed the napkins and the table cloth. I dug out the crystal candle sticks and the good dishes. (not china but not my everyday dishes).

So, when the kids reach in the cupboard to get a glass for their orange juice or whatever drink for breakfast, they will all grab one of the plastic glasses that I got at WalMart for 4 for $1. Never fails..........the only thing that has changed is it used to be the big plastic cups from one of the hamburger places that had Star Wars pictures. I threw those away when they moved out! Is there real glassware in said cupboard, YEP!

Hope everyone is enjoying time with their loved ones no matter what kind of container they are drinking out of! HOHOHO!

Merry Christmas!

I really have not fallen off the earth! We have just been busy with Christmas things, crafting, baking, buying, wrapping, decorating, mailing.........you all know the drill! It is a fun time of year at my house when I try my best to keep up with the great white hunter and his giving, believe me, it is a full time job! DD is as bad, these two get into Christmas with full hearts and I am support staff!

My wish for all of you, is that this Christmas, you find the true meaning for YOU. That might be something different for each and everyone. So, be it simple or more complex, I hope whatever makes this Christmas season special comes your way.

See you after Santa does his thing!

Flashback, Microwave Peanut Brittle

I have pictures in the camera for a nice post with pictures. Maybe tomorrow, or did I say that last time? It is coming, I am getting there........

Meanwhile, if you are in the middle of your holiday baking or making plans, you might want to check out this post from last year for my super easy peanut brittle made in the microwave. I make this for the folks at my great white hunter's work and they think I am just so talented and work so hard. So I just smile and nod and go spend another 15 minutes making another batch. (had to allow time for the cleaning the dish).

Microwave Peanut Brittle

My great white hunter

Yes, I went to school and yes, I did my homework, hey I even took four years of Latin. (why, who knows, I think it was to keep out of PE!)

I do not capitalize the letters on "great white hunter". Because if I capitalize the letters, it could be ANY Great White Hunter. No caps on the name makes a very special great white hunter............MINE!

I do not post pictures of my family either. There is something about putting pictures of my family on the Internet that makes me very uncomfortable. So, you have to imagine what a lady, who would not put capitals in the name she calls her husband, would look like. Did I mention that I am a little odd in my thinking too????

Thank you all for going along with my "quirks" and coming back to visit now and then.

Speaking of my great white hunter, we got a lovely card from Amelia that was also addressed to the great white hunter. He asked me why it was addressed like that? He had no interest in the blog except that it seems to make me happy. I told him because that was what I called him. He just answered, "Oh". Poor man knows me well enough to just let it go at that.

Stars in My Eyes!

This time of year, it is not supposed to take much to put stars in your eyes and make you happy. I am a simple girl and it does not take much any time of the year to make those twinkles!

Eleanor Burns is my all time quilting diva, I would be thrilled to meet her or even catch a glimpse. I just missed her at the Road to California quilt show last year and was so sad. Another of my all time favorites is Patrick Lose. I watched him on Simply Quilts a few years ago and have so admired his work. Enter Ebay.......and I have a couple of his books right there along with Eleanor on the shelf. Never made one of their quilts but I have longingly looked at the quilts in those books and read every article I could find about them. I do so admire their talent and the way they handle their success.

So, I found Patrick Lose's website the other day........and discovered he lives in Phoenix. I commented an AZ type comment and HE ANSWERED. I had a email from PATRICK LOSE! WOOHOO! Made my day for sure. He suggested that I take one of his classes.......would that make the old eyes sparkle.

Starting the Decorating

One by one, I am digging things out of the bins in the garage. If I keep it up at this rate, it will be time to take them down before I get them all up!

I made this guy (and five others) a couple of years ago. The pattern was in a Christmas craft magazine long gone and forgotten so I can't give credit. Note the blanket stitch........I think if it has blanket stitch, it follows me home.



You can see the edges of my Jim Shore Christmas figures.......more on them tomorrow.

NOTE
Check out the post under the Spritz post........Ellie is HOME!

Start Your Ovens.........

Spritz are another cookie that I have made forever, but I only do them once a year at Christmas. I do MAJOR cookie and candy making at Christmas and this year will be no different. The great white hunter just changed to day shift but wants to take cookies to the folks on night shift too, so I will be playing in the flour and sugar!

These are great because they are really better after they sit for a few days, so I make them early in the month and freeze them, then dig them out when the time comes. I pack them in plastic freezer bags, then put those bags in a container with a lid to keep them from getting crushed in the freezer.

If you have never made them and want to try, you need one of these. I used a coupon and got mine at Joann's a few years ago but Micheal's or any store that carries Wilton cake supplies should have them. I saw them at Target last year. Before I got this, I had a copper colored one from MIRRO. Let's say it didn't always work so well. Your dough had to be just the right consistency or it was a pain so this was a great investment. (might be why I only made them once a year too!).









Spritz

Cream together;

2 cups butter (I use margarine)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons almond extract

Beat in;
2 eggs plus enough water to make a half cup.

Stir in after mixed;

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Push through cookie press on to ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugar, bake 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees or until lightly brown around the edges.

It's CHRISTMAS!!!

For years I baked a fruit cake at Christmas for my father in law. It started when I decided I wanted to try a fruit cake (why I will never know) and he was the only one I knew who liked fruit cake. He used to like a slice with a bowl of canned peaches in the evening. So, every year I would make the cake and mail it, and the kids would say, "Mom made the fruit cake, now it's Christmas." When he died nine years ago, I could no longer make the fruit cake, the very thought of it still brings tears to my eyes. It was a very special part of a relationship he and I had.

So, we needed something that meant the start of Christmas. That something had to be different than the decorations, the cards or the gifts and wrapping. It had to be something that was the "spirit" of Christmas for our family. I never found just that one thing, but every year starting in December, I wait for the thing to happen that means the Christmas spirit is alive and well in our hearts. Something past all the other $$$$ spending crazy, hype stuff that has taken over what I think should be a simple holiday.

One year, it was the gift of a pair of hand crocheted slippers from a lady who lived at my disabled son's apartment complex. I had cleaned out my yarn stash and given it to her in the early fall. She sent me the slippers and a note saying that thanks to my several bags of yarn, she was able to make gifts for her family for Christmas. I shed a few tears over that one. Another time it was a package that my uncle and his wife sent me that held my beloved grandmother's hand written cookbook and several pieces of household linen that she had embroidered. Again, lots of tears at the mailbox. It was a complete surprise and worth it's weight in gold.

Do these things happen because it is Christmas or do they happen because this time of year I am open to finding the joy in something? I am not sure but my family waits for me to find the special thing that says, "It's Christmas." Then we can get on with the crazy stuff.

I am done waiting this year........It is officially CHRISTMAS at our house. Wednesday night DD called and said that they thought they had found Ellie! After a week of daily trips to the pound, constant emails and searching everywhere they knew to search, along with posting a reward and many flyer's in their neighborhood, it turns out that Miss Ellie took a trip to TUCSON! They received a call from a student at the U of A in Tucson who said she had been home in Gilbert for the Thanksgiving weekend. When she was loading her car to go home, Ellie happened along. The girl wanted to find her owners, but her mother said she was NOT going off to Tucson and sticking her with that big old dog. (much as I love Ellie, I understand! LOL) So, in the car went Ellie and off to Tucson with the girl. The mother saw one of the flyer's and called the girl, who then called my DD. She brought her home last night and she was loved and well cared for during her adventure.

It is Christmas officially at our house. The very idea of a young college student loading a big old yellow dog with skin problems in her car and driving off to school is proof that there really is goodness in people's hearts. The mother seeing one of DD's lost dog flyer's......well, that is up to you to interrupt how that happened. Thank you all for your prayer's in that direction.

Ellie is home with her loving family! Oh, darn, here comes those tears AGAIN!!!

What makes it Christmas at your house? Where do you find your Christmas spirit?

No Word on Ellie

Here we are Monday morning and there has been no word on the missing Ellie. Thank you all for your prayers........please keep on praying for her safe return. She was wearing a tag with their address and phone number and a rabies tag from the county. She did have to wear her collar loose because of skin allergy so we are hoping she did not lose it along the way.

I will post if they hear any news.

Nana with her fingers and toes crossed and counting on the goodness of someone out there to see that she gets home to her family.

Prayers for Ellie

This is Ellie, my first "grand dog". For a while there, I thought she was going to be my only "grand" anything! She belongs to DD and her family and has been a big part of all our lives for the last ten years. I have fond memories of her as a puppy, sliding across our kitchen floor and hitting the fridge with a thud as she learned to walk and stop. That same evening she slid into the swimming pool, we saved her just to have her do it again. She is big and loving, one of those dogs who has NO concept of her size. It is great fun to watch her clear all the goodies off the coffee table with one swipe of her tail.

Ellie somehow managed to get out of the house on Thanksgiving evening. They had a big family gathering with my SIL's family with lots of folks coming and going. DD thought that SIL put the dog out, he thought that she put the dog out, and they went to bed. The next morning they realized that Ellie was gone. Now, much as we love her, Ellie is not very smart, has never known anything but love and kindness so she would follow or approach a stranger or a run in front of a car.

They have listed her on several lost pet websites, went to the pound and canvased the neighborhood. They do live off a major busy street so that is a real fear we have.

If you have a chance in your busy day, send up a prayer that Ellie finds her way home. If she does not, please pray that she is in a spot where she will be loved and cared for the way she has been her whole life. The whole family is hurting but DD is really in pain.........she says she lost one of her children and needs to know that where ever she is, she is not suffering. It's not too much to ask.

Christmas Sweatshirt 2008

When Julia was a year old, I made her a sweet sweatshirt jacket with gingerbread men and hearts to wear in her Christmas picture. Then every Christmas since, Nana has made her girl a Christmas sweatshirt. One year she had two! I made one for Colin when he was a toddler but our Bubba is much too rough and ready to have Santa on his shirt. I found a great camo flannel shirt for him that he really liked.

Last year I bought a pattern and shirt but when it came time to do it, didn't like it and decided maybe she was getting too big anyway. Not so, Nana, and there were tears. So Nana was up late a few nights rushing to get her girl's sweatshirt done. I was thrilled that it meant that much to her.

So this year, I am ahead, at least on this one thing. I finished it up over the weekend and it went home with her yesterday when they dropped by for a Thanksgiving visit. She was pleased. Not sure how much longer she is going to want a cute sweatshirt but as long as she does, if the hands hold out, there will be one. Great thing is we are having a nice winter storm after a few weeks of unseasonably warm temps, so it might even get cold enough for her to wear it!!

This applique is from Nancy Halvorsen's Art to Heart Pillow Talk book. She is one of my favorite designers. I added a few feet of blanket stitch to my line to California and back with this one.

Over The River and Through the Woods................

Not quite, it is more like "Get on the Freeway, to the House in the Middle of Town."

Like millions of American families, we are getting ready to eat more than we ever should in one day, in the name of saying thanks. We are a bountiful nation, and should be giving thanks! I hope that we can all look past the difficult times that are happening, that are coming and enjoy this day as it was intended so long ago.

To everyone out there, my best wishes for a wonderful day with loved ones. I will give thanks for all of you, for what you have contributed to my happiness.

So, what is happening at the "House in the Middle of Town"? First of all, there is the last ditch attempt to get this stupid turkey to THAW. There will only be four of us at the "House in the Middle of Town". This is the year that our daughter and her husband spend Thanksgiving with his family. The great white hunter son #2 and his wife will be here with us, and we will take dinner to our disabled son. If you are wondering why I have a HUGE turkey for five people, well, I believe if you are going to do all this work, might as well make it worth your while. Lots of that turkey and accompanying dressing and gravy will be frozen for quick meals all winter. This Nana isn't dumb...........but why didn't she take that big sucker out of the freezer earlier is the question???




The pies are done and two loaves of bread. I need to do two more loaves so my children can take a loaf home for breakfast toast on Friday. If I don't make extra, DD wil show up on my doorstep before going shopping looking for toast. After a quick trip to the grocery store, I will mix up the next two loaves. I was not going to the grocery store today but.......that is the same story as the turkey not being thawed.



Whatever, I am free to do as I please, just make sure you do not interfere with the Princess's morning/afternoon/all day nap. She is sure I am crazy anyway.




Happy Thanksgiving from the "House in the Middle of Town" to your house, wherever that might be!

New Schedule and New Project

The great white hunter has worked second shift for the last six years or so. At first it was because that was the job, then because the kids were here during the day, it was a choice because he could spend time with them. He was a lot of help when we were transporting Julia to Kindergarten at one school and Colin to pre school at another. He went one direction and I went the other. But, they are now in school full time and no longer here except to visit, so we have been hoping he could get on day shift. Last week our wish was granted, and we are trying to adjust to a new time schedule and routine. All of a sudden I seem to have lots of time on my hands so hopefully, I will get the creative juice flowing again!

I am such a visual learner. I can read or listen to instructions and sometimes, a curtain falls that seems to block what is being said from getting to the old brain. Try as I like it makes no sense. I had that problem with sewing binding on a quilt when I first started. Then one day, I picked up a magazine in Wallymart and it had detailed pictures, and wow, the clouds opened and the sun shone in. So I love tutorials!

Not only are they a gift from the blogowner/designer to all of us, I know they take a lot of time and thought to make them clear and understandable. It is great though, because it is like you have them right by your side walking you though the process.

This one by PINK PENGUIN is wonderful. Very well done and easy to follow, plus the result is terrific. This make up fast and will make great gifts any time of year.



Being the queen of blanket stitch (a name given to me by my sister), I had to add some around the upper edge. I think I will make a few more for gifts. I am thinking of things to fill them with, maybe a bag of homemade cookies and using them for the few neighborhood gifts we give.

Then. I was thinking how you could use this pattern so many ways......a sweet Easter basket made with Easter print fabric, a Fourth of July napkin basket for your picnic table, a birthday gift basket, baby gift or end of the year teacher gift. Hey, I could do a camouflage one for the great white hunter!! I wonder if I make bigger squares and make it bigger .....?????

Someone, quick, lead me to another tutorial before we have fabric basket mania at our house!

Blanket Stitch and More Blanket Stitch

I love to do blanket stitch around things. Over the past ten years or so, I have done a lot of it between the blankets and burp cloths I made for the grands, plus the appliqued sweat shirts I made to sell and the fleece blankets that I made for everyone and then some. It is wonderful mindless work and once I get going, very soothing for me to do. If I added up all the lengths I have done, I think we could have a blanket stitch line to California!

I have finished the two flannel blankets for Julia's teacher's expected twins. Think these plus some boy and girl pattern burp cloths will make a nice gift.


The Momma (DD) took Julia to pick out the flannel for the blankets. We were kind of disappointed with her choice as there is so much cute flannel print out here, but when they were put together, I think she made great choice. May have to start using her as color consult when the great white hunter is not available!

Here is the sweet little girl blanket.



This one is for the boy.



This is the fleece blanket for DD and SIL's school friend. He and his wife will be here from Portland for Thanksgiving and can take it home with them. They do not want "cutsie" baby items and we thought this was perfect. It is child like yet not blue, babyish print. There are 6 burp cloths to go with this to round out the gift.



I am working on a Christmas applique sweatshirt for Julia now, and then have a request for a new fleece blanket from Colin. Did I say I was done with the blanket stitch? Not anytime soon, apparently. Maybe we will have a blanket stitch line that runs BACK from California.

Circle of Friends

NOTE: Yesterday, I received a email saying I had been removed from the Quilt for Fun web ring. No explanation was given. It was followed by a couple more after I answered that there was no problem. Today, I got a email containing the email that I was supposed to get before I got removed and was not sent to me. I was invited to rejoin. Regardless, I was "dumped". The reason is not important, the fact that I did not in some way "measure up". is. Thank you for all the great comments. We have a friendly, supportive circle of friends going and that has been my goal since starting to blog. I am very happy with that circle............you don't have to join, you don't have to post or comment. You don't have to quilt or bake or have grand kids. All parts of the country and Canada are represented and the age group varies. I think we are doing pretty good on our own with out a web ring. Again, I find that I am one lucky lady! I look forward to anyone who comments and becomes part of that circle.

Thrown Out

It happened. I have been "removed" from the "Quilting for Fun" web ring. I do not measure up, folks. My dreams of being a quilting diva have been squashed. Once again I failed as able to function as the member of a group. Ah, I just looked out the door and the sun is still shining and the clouds are moving so.......think the earth is still spinning. I knew this was coming and took the icon off the blog several weeks ago so as not to disappoint folks who would come for quilting posts.

Let me say that the web rings are great for those who can follow rules, but I have discovered that making a quilt now and then is just a fraction of who I am as a person. What you see is what you get and this blog is proof of that.

Does this mean things will change........naw, I am who I am!

Remember the Families

I posted last year how I can name four generations of my family who have served in the military. This starts with great uncles in WW I, my Dad and father in law in WW II, a uncle in Korea, my great white hunter in Viet Nam and my oldest son served four years in the Navy. I am very proud of all of these men, luckily they all came home and moved on with their lives. Today is their day. Sadly, my great white hunter has to go to work but at this point, we are thankful for that job.

While these men gave much, I hope that when you remember their and other's service today and hopefully everyday, you will pause and remember the families these men left at home. I have been reading some blogs of Marine wives and know that some of these families are facing their third and fourth deployment. Babies are being born with Daddy not there, birthdays and holidays are missing that important person. Wives who are part of a two person team are running the show all alone. I have been there and it is no picnic. My sister in law and my son were born while their Dad's were overseas.

It is an added stress to the military man, serving his country and wondering if all is well at home. Think how hard it must be to leave their wives and small children, missing parts of their lives that are once in a life time things to go into a unknown war zone.

So, to those many families out there keeping the watch until the loved ones come home safely, you have my respect and my best wishes!!! To those now serving our country making it possible for us to live the life we live, my never ending thanks and respect come your way. Blessings for you all.

Some Progress at our House

I finished the quilt for my daughter's co-worker. It is pretty basic but I think will make a welcome gift with the addition of several burp cloths.



A few years ago, my great white hunter made me a rack for my rulers. Since then my collection has grown and I asked him if he could make me a longer one with a couple more grooves in it. This one just fits on top of the book shelf where I keep my quilting books. I will use the first one he made for the smaller odds and ends of rulers that I keep in a drawer. He did a wonderful job, he has a lot of pride in his woodworking, no short cuts on anything.



Here it is with the rulers in place. It is just sitting waiting for me to use one of them..........and waiting and waiting. You would think with all these great tools to work with, I would be pumping out the quilts. You would think............

Election Day 2008

I have read some very good posts on blogs today urging folks to vote. My great white hunter and I voted with a mail in ballot last week. It is much easier than standing in lines and easier to fill out your ballot. I, too, urge you to vote, so much depends on our vote this year.

The best post I read, in my most humble opinion, about election day was from Mary. I agree with her 100%. I did my duty and voted the best I knew how. I read and listened and then read some more. The only problem was there was no place to vote for "NONE OF THE ABOVE". Surely somewhere in this great and vast country of ours there is a honest man???? Or is it not the man but the political machine and the media that distort things so badly? Whatever, I pray that we, as a country, make the right choice on this one.

Forty two years ago tomorrow, my great white hunter and I loaded up into his dad's yellow and white Chevy pick up. He was wearing his AF uniform, I had a pretty suit I bought off the rack at J C Penney. We were off to find a Justice of the Peace to marry us. It would be the 4th before we would actually be man and wife and now that my mother is no longer with us, I will admit to that one! I was 19, he was 20. We had been dating since I was 15, although we had gone our own way more than once.

He had come home on leave to ask me to marry him and if I said yes, to marry me before he went back. This was 1966, he was in the AF and our country was at war. He was due for orders and there was a very good chance he would be going to "Nam". After a fifteen minute discussion about what I expected out of a husband, I, of course, said "YES!!!" The course for the rest of our life was set.

There was no time to plan a wedding. One problem was the fact that I was raised in the Catholic Church, the great white hunter in the Baptist. His parents had planned a vacation around his leave, thinking he would go see all the family with them. My family was not financially able to do anything for us, so we decided to buy our licence in town, then go else where to get married. One hitch was, that week there was a state wide meeting for the local Justice of the Peace. Everywhere we stopped told us the same story. "Come back next week." We finally stopped in a town where the lady working in the office took one look at the uniform and knew we were on a time limit. She called another near by town where there was a judge who could marry us. She told us that he hated to marry people, he was a divorce judge but that he also was a supporter of our military so he might just do it. He did, we had the local sheriff and a deputy for our witness. When it came time to pay the fee, he refused to take it, saying he would not benefit from doing something that might end up in his divorce court later on. (How I wish he could see how things turned out!)

We had a couple of days alone, then went on the family vacation with his parents. They dropped him off at his base in California and I went home to my family and my job. He did get orders and in Feb. came home to move me to Southern California. The "Nam" thing came a few years later.

He is my hero, my very best friend and my greatest support. He helps me pick out my quilt fabric when I am color challenged! If you ask him what his goal in life is, he will tell you, to make me happy. He has and does. The 42 years have not been without struggle and there were times when both of us felt like we wanted to leave. But every time, something positive happened that told us we needed to stay together. Would I do it again? You bet your boots I would, but this time I think I would like a wedding cake! LOL

Happy Anniversary to my great white hunter!

Halloween Memories

I have some great Halloween memories. When I was growing up, there were no store bought costumes. Sure some kids had fancy costumes that someone made but for the most part, you just put together what was around the house. Gypsy ladies were common as well as Cowboys and Cowgirls. I remember being a Gypsy more than once with a old skirt of my mom's, a scarf on my head and hoop earrings. I got to wear makeup and that made it all fine! It really didn't matter what you wore to go trick or treating because by the end of Oct. in the Colorado mountains, it was pretty cold and there was sometimes snow on the ground already. So you wore your coat/snowsuit over the costume anyway. Funny though, I remember lots of questions about what you were supposed to be???

There were a few years when we all went to a town costume party at the high school gym. I was pretty small when we did that, don't recall much about it, except going. I also don't remember much about school parties, I think we took costumes but that one has left the old brain. Trick or treating at our house was our street only! My mother had a pet peeve about kids who went all over town with pillow cases and got them full of candy. In her eyes, they were wild, unsupervised kids and we heard a lot about how awful that was. LOL Our neighbors all did something special for us so it made it OK. The lady next door made candied apples, across the street had the best homemade popcorn balls. One of the families on the street had their uncle living with them and he gave out QUARTERS to the kids he knew. I loved that, as it was money to go to the movie on SUNDAY afternoon.


Our give out was seven milk carton tops from a local dairy with a candy of some sort hooked to it. Every Sat. the movie theater had a morning movie, sponsored by a local dairy. You could see Roy Rogers and Dale Evens in black and white for the entrance fee of seven quart milk carton tops! My sisters and I drank milk but I was the only one at an age to go to the Sat. morning movie. My uncles drank a LOT of milk and my grandmother saved the carton tops all year. So we bundled them together and gave them out at Halloween. Apparently, a lot of families struggled to come up with enough box tops for all the kids to go so we were a very popular stop on the Trick or Treat circuit.

When I was in high school, we paired up and went trick or treating for UNICEF. We collected money house to house and then ended the night with a dance at the Labor Center. What I remember the most about that is freezing feet! By the time you got to the dance, all you really wanted to do was go home and get warmed up!

When my own kids were old enough to enjoy Halloween, there are memories of school carnivals in Texas, with cake walks and games that we enjoyed so much. In Illinois, one year we had a large crop of small pumpkins in our garden. The kids and I loaded them up in a big red wagon and went for a walk. Every house we knew had kids in it, got presented with a small pumpkin. It was so much fun on Halloween, going trick or treating (again with winter coats and mittens) to see our pumpkins on display at the houses.

We try to have a special treat for the kids on our street to keep up the tradition of my childhood. Not homemade sadly, as those days are gone, but something bigger than what the other hand out might be. The past few years, we have had a family dinner of Mexican food before the grands go out to trick or treat. I stay at my daughters and hand out candy. So no one is home at our house. Julia and Colin will distribute the treats to the houses before we leave for their house. This is what we have this year.


Here are the great pumpkins that the kids painted last weekend. They will carve jack o lanterns with their dad on Thursday but this was an activity at Nana/Papa's that we try to do every year. If you carve your pumpkin too early here, you have a shriveled up, moldy pumpkin on Halloween. It is in the low 90's here during the day still and that is not a good temperature for carved pumpkins.


Julia did this one completely on her own.........his name is "Spoty". According to what she wrote, "Spoty is deadly!"




In spite of our making sure he watches nothing on TV of a violent nature, our Colin is a boy. Halloween to him means "scary" and "spooky". So we have a somewhat scary pumpkin with blood coming out of his eyes. He had some help lining up the eyes so they were even but for the most part, he did this on his own too! I love them!



I hope this brings to mind Halloween memories for all of you! If you don't have some good ones..........go make some!!!!

Cinnamon Twists

We are all feeling such a pinch at the grocery store these days that stretching our food $$ is a real challenge. With everything costing so much, it is hard to provide your family with special treats now and then. I have been thinking about things I made when my kids were growing up and we lived on one income, so I could be a stay at home Mom.

These are super simple to make as well as really good and inexpensive. I made them with Julia and Colin last Sat. morning. They start with a can of biscuits. I used the Pillsbury Grands Home Style but when I did it with my kids many years ago, we just used the store brand of biscuits because one can was never enough. I was amazed at the different varieties of canned biscuits they have now. The store brand was packaged in bundles of four cans and that was more than I wanted. You just need to make sure you don't get the ones that are layered as you roll each biscuit into a long roll. (it takes some pulling but the little ones can do this). Then you roll the biscuit roll in melted butter or margarine and then roll it in a mixture of cinnamon sugar until it is coated well. Take both ends and tie it into a knot. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at the temperature given on the biscuit can. You now have a special breakfast that costs very little and makes everyone happy!

32!!!

I do think I could have hand quilted a nice sized table topper in the time it took me to blanket stitch around 32 burp cloths. The stitching really adds to them and takes them from a double piece of flannel sewn together to something nice.

So, I stitched away, having visions of a sweet baby on some one's shoulder with their tiny head resting on soft colorful flannel. I stopped the vision right there because we all know what often happens when a baby burps. Didn't want to think about what these are meant to catch! Anyway, Julia got to choose first for her teacher's twins, then the Mama picked out hers for the coworker gift and then we picked out six for the friends baby. That leaves our nephew's baby that no one has taken the time to let us know if it is a boy or girl. Then my sister tells me that her son is expecting in May........so the stitching may go on and on. It is not in the AZ water folks, only three of these babies are local, one will be born in Portland, OR, one in CA and the other one in CO. The three local are folks I don't even know so I won't see the babies that use the burp cloths. Guess it is back to my vision of the sweet baby on someone's shoulder..............

I have fleece for a blanket for the friend's baby that I will hand blanket stitch around, the baby quilt to finish and two double flannel, no batting blankets to stitch for the teacher's babies. Good thing I like to do the blanket stitch.

Elk 2 My great white hunters 0

The title tells the story. My great white hunters came home empty handed, well unless you count the mud that was on everything. It was cold and wet in Colorado but not cold enough to drive the elk out of the timber. They didn't see one or hear any shots. So, I am shopping the sales for meat to fill my nice clean defrosted freezer. Maybe next year..............

They were home a few days early so my great white hunter still had some vacation days left. He and I headed out for our favorite spot again, in the White Mountains. Just as we drive three hours to see and play in snow in the winter, we drive that same route to see autumn leaves. If you have ever lived where there are four seasons, you feel the need to at least experience fall and winter for a day every year. The leaves are not near as pretty this year as they have been in the past. We had a wet summer and that might explain it, plus it is still pretty warm for this time of year even in the higher elevations.

These pictures are taken just outside the road to the ski resort. There are big clumps of aspen trees all around this area.

Mail Box Treasures

I have been so lucky on the blog giveaways. When I do win something, it is a shock because I never win things! So each and every package that arrives in my mail box is such a thrill. The fact that people do this for complete strangers just amazes my family. They get excited when something comes my way in the mail.

Here is my wonderful crocheted rag strip bag from Granny Lyn. She and I were both learning about rag rugs from Finn's blog. She knows more about the crochet process than I do, she made up her own pattern to make bags out of the strips. This one is one of two that she had in her give away. She even sent me balls of strips so I could try to make my own! She is a good blogger friend and I am so honored to have one of her bags.



Here is my prize from the Fall Into Fall giveaway that many bloggers took part in last week. It arrived in the mail today. Don't you just love those little salt and pepper scarecrows? They really caught my eye when I was browsing the many blogs taking part in the give away. The fat quarters are batik and I love that. Some day, I am going to figure out what to do with the batik I am collecting here and there. The purse patten looks simple enough that a non-sewer (me) can figure it out and it is just in time for some Christmas gifts that I want to make. These treasures came from Tango.

Many thanks go out to these great ladies for making my days a lot more interesting!

Huntn' Cookies or Better Known as Apple Sauce Raisin Cookies

If you have a reader, you have my picture and my misspelled title. Why does it do that???? I do love it when a machine does something that makes me look not so smart!

Anyway, back to where I was before I pushed the wrong button....These are the only cookies, besides Chocolate Chip, that I remember my mother baking. I don't remember anyone being too excited about them, so I think my dad must have liked them. The great white hunter likes them when he goes hunting because they don't crumble like a crisp cookie and they stay fresh longer. He carries them in his pack when he is out in the woods. I have sent them with him every year for years and years, they are as much a tradition in our house as the chili and stew that I make for him to take.

They got the name, "Huntn' Cookies" when I made them to take to a get together with the great white hunter brother in law and his family the night before our nephew's wedding. I made chocolate chip also. When my brother in law reached in the bag and came up with a applesauce raisin, he got a big smile on his face and said, "You made huntn' cookies!" When they left for home, he had the bag under is arm and was telling everyone to stay away from HIS huntn' cookies! So, the name stuck.


Here is the picture of this years batch of "huntn' cookies" and the recipe follows.

I am not sure, but I think this recipe came out of the same Betty Crocker Cookie Cookbook that I posted about earlier.



Apple Sauce Raisin Cookies

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

1/2 cup apple sauce

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar and egg thoroughly. Add applesauce. Blend in dry ingredients and stir. Mix in raisins and nuts. Drop by spoonful on greased sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Enjoy!

I know that last post was long and rambling. I am really not obsessed with the copyright thing. I know that no one is going to put me in jail for my quickie baby quilt. But, I do have a lot of questions about the whole thing. Everyone just seems to ignore it and do whatever.

I don't sleep well, haven't for years now. The great white hunter and I went to bed at ten thirty every night for years and years. Right after the ten o'clock news where ever we were laying down our head in our many homes. Then about seven years ago, he was laid off from a major company. For almost 11 months, life didn't have quite as much structure to it. We had things to do but could still stay up if we wanted to. Somehow my sleep patterns got messed up and I have been up and down all night ever since. Add the fact that when he did find a job, it was working nights and weekends, then a second shift. So, you never quite know what will be going on at my house at three in the morning. I might be reading or listening to music, I work on what ever project I am working on, I play games on the computer and read blogs. I would clean house but the noise might wake up the great white hunter.

Then, after two or three nights of less sleep than I need, my body crashes and I sleep and sleep, then have a hard time getting up and functioning for awhile. My DR. and I have talked about this every visit but all the help she can give me is pills and they make it worse because I am groggy in the morning. So, I just go with it. Let me tell you, there is NOTHING on TV at three in the morning, just in case you wondered.

With all the bad news that is out there, and it seems with the economy and all, there is plenty of that, I got some great news yesterday, I won one of the granny bags from Granny Lyn! She and I were doing the rag rugs from Finn's blog at the same time, but she adapted the pattern to make very neat rag bags. How cool is that? Made my day completely yesterday and I even forgot about the copyright quilt police for a while! LOL Thank you from one old fat granny to another. I will post a picture when it arrives.

What I Think About When I Can't Sleep!

I have read, with great interest, over the past couple of years, a lot about copyright laws and crafty/quilt patterns given out for "free" on the Internet. My reading comes from the blogs, where the owner gives their interpretation and from the list of a Yahoo quilting group I belong to. These are layman interpretations and to be honest, don't think you can go by them. For that, you need someone who has a degree in copyright law and vast experience in that field. The laws were not written to cover the great access we now have with electronic media.

I have also, read several skirmishes that "designers" have had with folks who they claim are selling their "free" designs as their own or claiming them, or flat out not giving credit where they feel credit is due. I am amazed that anyone can claim credit for a quilt made from a block design that has been around for a couple hundred years or a block design that was made from a computer program with the basics built in. How do you define original? Is there such a thing in quilting? When does the quilt I make with a design I find in a book or on a blog/website become mine? Is it ever mine, even though I may have bought the pattern/book, fabric, thread and notions, used my sewing machine and most of all my labor to make it? I am not talking about quilts for sale here, I am just talking quilts/crafts.

When I pay money for a pattern, or when you give that pattern on a website with no charge, is it not mine at some point? Do the rights transfer to me when there is a cash exchange? Best I can figure, the answer is no unless that designer gives me those rights.

I find this scary territory for all of us. How many times have you seen the same quilt block used in quilts designed by different designers? Who is to say that if you make that quilt, place a picture on your blog and give proper credit where it is due, that someone else might come along and say it is their design you used and you did not give them credit? What if the design you got from a website is a stolen one and you don't give credit to the true designer because you did not know? In a field where nothing is really new except perhaps applique and paper pieced patterns, how can you know what is what?

The chance that anyone would pursue you for a copyright violation is small, who has the money or the legal resources to do that? But, what if someday, a publisher decides to use you as an example that they WILL enforce their copyrights? You, "Mrs Everyday, Quilt for Fun and Blogger" might find yourself in a world of trouble. I know there is abuse of copying and folks out there who steal patterns and profit by them and designers need protection, I am talking about those of us who are just thrilled to have the sharing of free patterns out there. Who will protect us?

The source of this questioning comes from my latest project. I was going through my box (es) of flannel looking for large enough pieces for the burp cloths I am making for gifts. I found enough scraps/remnants from the quilt that I made for Julia before she was born to make another baby quilt. In the interest of scrap busting, here it is. I used NO pattern, just cut the 4 1/2 inch strips, sewed them together and cut the rows. The borders also measure 4 1/2 inches. Is there a pattern out there for this quilt? I am sure there are several. Have I seen those patterns? No doubt........but this one just came about without any written instructions. How many quilts are there out there, that came about the same way, that no one gets credit for but they have been "designed" somewhere along the way and published the same exact measurements and layout? Makes you think twice about sharing your work, doesn't it?

The Momma has claimed this one for a gift for her co-worker. I have the backing and the batting, just need to move on to the next step.

Fall, Arizona Style

If your image of Fall is beautiful colored leaves and crisp air, you would have to go to the floral department of a craft store to visit, or drive three hours to Arizona higher elevations to see the trees turn color. Our Fall is a mix of Summer and Spring. The one thing that is similar in our house to other parts of the country is HUNTING SEASON. My great white hunter and our great white hunter son #2 are gearing up for a elk hunting trip to Colorado. Now when I say gearing up, I mean several weeks of putting all their gear together, food, maps and long conversations. They both have that far off look in their eyes. When I was younger, I fought it, but I am older and wiser and just tell myself it is just a few weeks out of the year, besides, I won't have to cook while they are gone!

This has hung in our house for many years and no truer words were ever spoken. All you wives of hunters will relate I am sure. Sorry for the glare from the flash.



This is our old pop up camper, all repaired and ready to roll. It is like me, old and needed some patching before it hits the road. This belongs to the kids now, we replaced it with the RV that we don't use because the gas prices are so high. The great white hunter did tell me if gas goes under $3 a gallon, we are going to celebrate with a fill up!





The great white hunter built a new frame for the shade cloth around the raised garden bed. We planted more of the Sweet 100 grape tomatoes that we had such luck with in the spring. We did this last year and lost them to frost so cross your fingers.


The grape fruit will start turning in month or so. They are good size but we don't have as many as we should. Julia and Colin had a great time this spring picking smaller ones off the tree........oh well, we just give them away anyway.



Lemons on our neighbors tree that falls over into our yard. There are lots and they are good sized this year.




When the temps start to fall, the roses start to bloom. The buds are tiny and sometimes not formed really well, but bless their stems, they give a effort. It is like they are saying, "We survived!" in spite of the blazing hot summer. They will bloom now until the weather turns colder.




The hibiscus is full of full sized blooms and I enjoy it so much. This one thrives on heat, we have lost several of these to frost though. I look out my kitchen window and see the two that we have in bloom and the day is good! Who needs fall leaves? (I do but that is another post).





Last but not least, the VERY best part of our Fall. This was taken last week about ten o'clock in the morning. It is supposed to be cooler this week with some small chance of rain.

Donations, Warning This is a RANT!

I just got off the phone with the American Diabetes Association. Reason for the call was that I had not sent them a new donation which would mean that I would continue to receive their magazine. They have been calling four and five times a day for the last two weeks. Get in line folks, there are several before you.

We don't make large donations to any one cause but I have made various donations for various reasons to several. What thanks did I receive? Let's see, I have more unordered address stickers than anyone could use in a life time. Add to that greeting cards, note pads, and calenders. Why? Because they SOLD our name and address to other fundraising organizations who, thinking they had a sucker on the line, sent their solicitations to us also.

The folks who run the solicitations for the Komen Cancer foundation are one of the worst. We donated to them by sponsoring a co worker at the great white hunter's work place in a Walk for the Cure several years ago. That started multiple mailings from them and the others they sold our address to. Then we sponsored our daughter in a walk for cancer, in the name of a good friend who had lost her battle with breast cancer. So, here comes the flood of mail and phone calls from that direction. The Arizona Lung Association sent me some cards I liked, so I sent a donation to them. Our daughter has asthma and so does Julia, so it felt like the right thing. Oh my, do those folks think we use address labels in HUGE amounts! I finally wrote both the Komen folks and the AZ Lung Association and said, "STOP, I am not sending more money every time you send me something, so please use the money that would be spent to solicit us every six weeks for needed research." It worked but only after I did it several times.

Add the National Wildlife folks who think because I bought wild life magazines for the grands that I have unlimited resources to save every species of endangered animal out there. Then there are the organizations who want to protect the environment and so on and on. All good causes, I know, but we are just average people trying to now and then do the right thing.

My feeling is that the thanks we get for giving is harassment, both through the mail and by phone. Sad thing is, it will make me hesitate before I make a donation next time and chances are, I will decide it is not worth it to have my money used to send more address labels to more folks rather than use it for the research that I thought I was supporting.

OK, got that off my chest and crawled off my soap box. I had a choice, I could rant about the political system in our great country or charity organizations. There is not enough space on Blogger for me to take on the political thing, so I will sit on that one for a while.

Busy Week

Last week I got a email from "the Mama" (DD) wanting to know if "you are interested in some Utah peaches?" They belong to a fruit and veggie co-op where they go about every three weeks and get a basket of assorted fresh fruit and vegetables for a great price. She often shares with us, so nothing goes to waste. I am thinking maybe a peach pie and sliced peaches for my Special K, so I wrote back and said, "Sure."

Later in the week, she emailed that she had signed up for peaches on Sat. These were a extra that they were offering their members, not part of the regular basket. Then on Friday, she told me she had ordered some tomatoes too. I am thinking BLT sandwiches and salad for next week. Yum!

The kids had a Nana/Papa sleepover on Friday night, so when we took them home on Sat. afternoon, we got our peaches and tomatoes...........a HALF a case of each. She had to take a whole case, so we got half. Quite a few more of each than I had planned on.

So this week will be spent baking peach pie, trying a frozen peach yogurt recipe in my new ice cream maker and preparing the rest of the peaches to freeze, making fresh salsa and spaghetti sauce for the freezer plus dealing with the large amount of apples that are left from the apple picking trip. I think I have enough applesauce so I will make apple pie filling or just freeze sliced apples for pie. I froze corn in the spring. Last week I made a huge batch of chili and froze it for quick meals. I will do the same with stew later this week.

End result will be a freezer full of fresh goodness for the winter! My great white hunter and the great white hunter son #2 are going to Colorado elk hunting next month so we are crosssing our fingers that they will have good luck and we have meat for the freezer. I have the great feeling that my great grandmother's used to have after the crops were in and the food stored for the winter. Now I need to finish a quilt to keep my family warm, finish a rag rug and whatever else needs done to prepare for the hard AZ winter. LOL I feel like a squirrel.

Here is my share of the "good stuff".

Did I Say "BABY"?

I took the picture of my burp cloths, and sat down to write the post. When I turned around, here is what I found. I think she approves.

Add washing to the list of things to do to the cloths before they become gifts!

Baby Boom

Julia came home from school last week with exciting news. Her teacher told the class that she is expecting twins! She told them she was going to find out if she was having boys or girls, or one of each, and would tell them. Julia told DD that was good because then Nana would know what to make for them. Yesterday, the teacher told them she is having a boy and a girl. The Momma is taking Julia to pick out flannel for blankets. I just sew two pieces of flannel together and blanket stitch around them. They are great for Arizona, where a quilt is sometimes too much. We used them a lot with the grands.

Our nephew and his wife are expecting baby number four. This one follows three precious little boys and the entire family is hoping for a girl to round out their family. A co worker of DD is expecting a girl. A close friend of our daughter and son in law is expecting his first, and we are excited. They have all been friends since seventh grade, so he is almost one of the family.

I dug out my stash of flannel, the great white hunter sent me to buy more and the burp cloth marathon is in full swing, to be followed by the two layer flannel blankets and fleece blankets edged in the blanket stitch. I love the finished handmade look that the blanket stitching adds to these simple items. When gift giving time rolls around, we will be ready.

Here is a start, I have more cut out and waiting to be sewn together. The three in front will be ready to go after a light pressing.

Apples and Grandma Toot's Biscuits

I have posted the last three years about going outside of Wickenburg, AZ to pick apples from a orchard out in the middle of the desert. We did that on Saturday so I am busy making my Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce that I posted last year. Most of this will be for the freezer. There will be a pie or two plus apple crisp. I love the feeling of using fresh fruit now and having the results mid winter.

There weren't many apples this year. The lady said they had a late frost. Too, a lot of them had worm holes, as these apples are not sprayed in anyway. We did get quite a few though. Colin loves to take Nana's applesauce in his lunchbox so I need to make a extra this year.

My Colin also loves homemade biscuits. So what is a Nana to do but make sure that a little boy has things that show him how much Nana is thinking about him? Julia likes the biscuits too, but it is not as big a thing with her as it is with him. He told the pre-school teacher last year, that his Nana could make anything. That is a high standard he has set for me! I am working hard to live up to it.

I grew up with biscuits made from Bisquick about twice a year. When they put them in a pop open can, we had them more often. I was amazed when the great white hunter told me that his mother made biscuits almost every day. I was even more amazed when I saw how she made them. I thought the main ingredient in biscuits was shortening but these are big and fluffy, and have two ingredients!

She makes them by pouring flour in a bowl, adding enough MOCHA MIX coffee creamer to make a dough, cuts them, and adds them to a pan that she has poured a little vegetable oil in, turns them to coat on both sides and pops them in the oven. I had to stand there and watch several times just to get the feel of the process. Then my kids wanted me to write it down because they said it was no good to them in MY head. I took the time one day to measure and this is the result. I use buttermilk because we don't use coffee creamer. I do use buttermilk in my cornbread so I don't waste what I don't use for biscuits. We also don't have these everyday. They are the big draw for Christmas breakfast with gravy and I have been making them a couple times a month for Colin to take home and have for breakfast.

Grandma Toot's Biscuits

2 to 2 1/2 cups SELF RISING flour (do not use all purpose)

1 to 2 cups buttermilk (today I used about 1 1/2 cups)

Mix about 1 cup buttermilk into flour, keep adding buttermilk a little at a time until you have a dough that is moist but not really sticky.

Flour a surface and place the dough on the flour. Knead dough a few times into flour until it no longer sticks to your fingers. ).



Flatten out and cut into circles. I used a 11" by 7" by 1.5" pan but a 8" square pan works as well. Pour about 1/4 cup oil in the pan, lay each biscuit in oil, then turn over to coat. Bake at 375 until golden brown. (about 40 minutes for my pan today.)







Now for some reason, I sometimes end up with a tough bottom crust, don't know why and I am sure there is someone out there who could tell me, but, I have my own solution. When I take these out of the oven, I immediately cover them with foil. That seals in the steam and it keeps them moist and makes the bottoms soft.

Serve with butter for Colin, butter and honey for my great white hunter and Julia, and gravy for my great white hunter son and my son in law.

Wash Out

We worry more about lack of rain in AZ than we do actually rain. It is routine to schedule outdoor weddings, birthday parties, sporting events, festivals and the like without so much as a back up plan for bad weather. Of course this sometimes backfires with Mother Nature being who she is. But, it does rain more in the higher elevations than here in the valley and when it is raining in the valley, it is most likely raining higher up. I know that, my family knows that.

We had planned picnic for a late birthday celebration for me. They had surprised me by us all going out to dinner the weekend after my birthday but we still planned on this trip. I bought hamburgers and brats and all the fixings. We loaded the car and met everyone for breakfast. The sky is full of gray clouds. The sky has been full of gray and sometimes black clouds for the last week. I said it was going to rain, NO one listened. We ate and loaded up for the trip north.

All was well until we got to the planned meeting place before heading for the lake. It was cloudy but the great white hunter assured me that the clouds were heading the other direction. DD and family were at the meeting spot when we got there but great white hunter son #2 was not. We waited awhile and then decided to go back and check to see if we could locate him. He was along side the road with his Jeep hood up, he had a engine light go on and things didn't feel right. Oh, and by this time, it had started to drizzle. My great white hunter helped him check things out and then son headed back to town. It is raining harder so we go to get DD and family. By the time we got back to them, it was raining so hard that you could not see two feet in front of the car. Hmmmm, guess who is doing a slow burn in the passenger seat?

We drove back to Payson, where it was not raining, by the way. We met up again with our son long enough for him to find a auto parts store, then went to the park in the middle of town where they have a great lake for the kids to fish in. All ended well with the kids getting to fish, Julia caught five tiny blue gills that they put right back in. With help from his great white hunter uncle, Colin caught two but he was more into the neat stuff Papa put in his tackle box. The rest of us hung out and enjoyed the lake and the lovely green grass at the park. The trip ended with lunch at our favorite resturant and a very special birthday gift for Nana.

The great white hunter and I had hamburgers yesterday and brats today. And, I never did say "I told you so!" but they knew............LOL

If you look really close, there is a fish there.



Here is a special picture of three of my favorite fishermen.

Tripping Down Memory Lane

I had my teens in the wooly and wild Sixties, but I remember all of this. This one really brings all those memories rushing back. How in the heck did I get so old so fast?

For a great trip back, click on this.

Take Me Back To The Fifties

Rethinking

I love this block. It is easy to do and so striking. I am not sure about mixing them up though. Not sure if it is my color mix or what but not as excited about the the end mix. Maybe more colors will help?

I saw a medium brown batik at Joann's that I love and think a quilt made with that and a lighter brown would be wonderful. I definitely plan to do one with just two colors.

As with all my quilts, it is a journey. This one might be more about color that I thought. Now the question is, what do I do with all these wonderful blocks if I decide it is a no go?

If you have Google Reader, the link does not work for the quilt pattern, Try this. Hopefully that one will do it.........if not, maybe do a search> :)

Out of the Slump and Out of the Box

Drum roll, please, light the fireworks, sound the gong, do the dance. I cleaned the rust off my cutter, dusted the mat and sewing machine, changed the bobbin and found the pins.

Today someone put a message on my Yahoo group about a quilt called "Bento Box" The pattern is here. The first thing I thought of when I saw it was all those cool fabrics that I got in my Goodwill haul not long ago. They are great prints, but they are just pieces and not enough to do much with unless you mix them. So...........here is what I have so far. The four sections in each square aren't sewn together, they are mixed with each other to make a scrappy block. I really need to do some other color combos to get a good mix but this is my start.




Here is what they will look like when I have enough to start mixing them up. The blue greens are really different, but look the same in the picture. I will have some pinks and reds and yellows combos to mix in with these.



Now is this what I should have done? Started something new when I have a quite a stack of UFO's waiting for my attention. No, but it was fun and at least I did SOMETHING after a long break in the quilting action around here.

I did this in the middle of a raging thunderstorm. The lights kept blinking and we lost the satellite TV reception for a while. See what happens when Nana gets her groove back? I was sure praying that I would not be sitting here by candle light wanting to sew and not able to.

Life Mysteries

While I have not done much quilting or stitching this summer, I don't want you to think I have been completely idle. I have, on occasion, put my book down or turned off the Scrabble game long enough to do some deep thinking. I even did some of that while waiting for the other person on Scrabble to figure out that there is NO two letter combination for the letter C.

Yesterday, I opened my cupboard and had plastic storage dishes and lids spill out. Enough was enough! I emptied it all out on the counter and decided two things. Number one, I had some really nasty looking plastic there that had been around way too long. Number two, there were a lot more lids than dishes. So, I began matching lids to dishes, putting aside the old stuff that I was throwing away. Hmmm, way more lids than dishes.

Then today I tackled the plastic thow-a-way dishes and lids in the upper cabinet. (you know, "Gladware".) Funny thing, there were dishes with no lids as well as extra lids.

Here is the pile of single dishes and lids who have no soul mate.



Which brings me to my question on the mysteries of life. How can this happen? I will say that no doubt, I saw a nasty dish and threw it away, and neglected to toss the lid too. Surely that didn't happen every time. If I gave away a left over, surely I put a lid on it and what went out the door was a complete set? If they returned the dish, (note the IF, these are my grown children I am talking about), I must have gotten a complete set back?

I guess I will add this to my other list of things that will be forever a mystery, like how can you put two socks in the washer and come out with one, or better yet, how the mate to the sock you threw away a year ago, suddenly appears. Then there is the lint in the belly button thing ....................

Needless to say, I need some plastic storage dishes that have lids. That is on the list for the next shopping trip, unless I decide that I like the neat and tidy cupboard better. The pile of wayward lids will go in my Goodwill donation. I bet there is someone out there with dishes and no lids.

Maybe I should stick to Scrabble?