What goes around, comes around....

Happy Halloween!!

My sister called me today just as I was finishing my lunch hour and she was starting hers. She couldn't wait to call me...you see it is like this....Let's start at the beginning...

27 years ago we, my sister and I, were pregnant at the same time. Yes, our due dates were just days apart. I was having my first child, she was having her second. We loved being pregnant at the same time, but I think our parents enjoyed it more so. My (our) daddy was hilarious, his daughters giving him his 7th and 8th grandbabies at the same time. My (our) daddy loved each of his grandbabies, and later when they came along, he loved loved loved his GREATgrandbabies. He would hold them in his big strong arms and stroke their little faces with the index finger of his large hands. As our due dates drew closer my (our!!) Momma told us that Daddy had ordered a shopping spree....so my momma, grandma and sister drove to Eugene from Central Oregon and I drove to Eugene from the Southern Oregon Coast for a weekend of shopping. Oh how fun to go shopping for our babies and have daddy pick up the bill!! Back then you shopped for yellow and green things because you didn't know if it was a girl baby or a boy baby. It was in the "old days" when there was still a surprise at the end of the 9 months.

Of course my sister delivered first, Alan was born on October 13. My parents called me with the news...The green eyed monster had NOTHING on me...I was SO SO jealous that she delivered before me!!! Nancy & Mark already had a daughter, Mandy age 4, a baby boy would complete their family...but why did she get to have her baby first, how unfair is that (how is that for being a spoiled younger sister?!?!) Mandy was with my parents during Alan's birth and wanted to talk to me...crying, pouting this is what she asked me...."Auntie Pami, (sob, sob, sob) I got a baby brother...if you get a baby sister can we trade?" It was hilarious. She so badly wanted a baby sister and was willing to trade if, infact, our baby was a baby girl, a "sister baby". Two days later Roy was born...and nope...there was nothing "sister" about him. They kept their brother baby and learned to love him.

Fast forward to this morning. My niece, Mandy, is pregnant...20 wks along. We live in the day and age of ultrasound (neither my sister nor I had an ultrasound when pregnant with Alan and Roy). Today was their second ultrasound and the room was full of family. Mandy and her husband-Wayne, the big sister-MacKenzie and Nancy, aka Nana. My sister was in awe of seeing her newest grandchild still in the womb, who wouldn't be...it is an amazing thing! She was awed by the legs, watching the heart beat, seeing baby move around...all of it.

When the appointment was over she called to tell me all about it...within seconds I knew...I knew she is to be blessed with a grandson, the first thing out of her mouth was "I have a JJ!!, I have a JJ!!" Remember how in love she fell with my grandson...well, ever since then she has hoped that Mandy was carrying a boy. She laughed, she cried, she laughed some more...she stumbled over herself trying to tell me everything all at once. She is so excited and I am excited for her. I wish I had a recording of her telling me about it, this is a call I will not soon forget.

So...back to the actual ultrasound. MacKenzie (age 7) was sitting on Nancy's lap when the tech comfirmed that the baby is a boy....and yep...you guessed it...she was hoping for a sister! She is disappointed about this baby boy, this baby brother. Nana told her that little brothers are good to go 4 wheeling with. Didn't help much! There is another baby being born into the family (on my BIL's side) within a couple of weeks of this little baby brother, and I am sorry to say that MacKenzie will not have any luck trading it because it too is a baby brother.

What goes around, comes around....and I am sure MacKenzie will learn to love her baby brother, she really has no other choice!

Blessings in my life:

Phone calls to share life changing news

Care Bears, Ninja Turtles, Miniture Football players and Beauty Queens knocking on my door

Seeing my momma excited about her 12th GREAT grandchild

Polka-dotted socks

Free nationwide long distance on my cell phone helps keeping in touch with pals in other time zones

The Ahhh Factor

I'm getting ready for quilt camp, and as usual I have waited until the eleventh hour to start gathering and packing. Camp starts on Friday but the friend who invited me asked me if I wanted to go a day early just for some girlfriend time.

This friend lives in another little town, not far from me. Once a month we go "to the city" to have dinner together to offer support, be a sounding board and just get away from the daily routine. She still has children at home, all of my 5 grandkidlets are older than the youngest of her 3 children. Needless to say: our conversations cover a variety of topics and alot of ground!

Anyway, she and I are going to camp a day early ~ which means I need to be ready a day earlier, which means I am more than a day behind!!

Bring in the ahhhhh factor. I love my 30's repro's. I just get that warm fuzzy feeling when I look at them. They make me smile. When the newest Hancock catalog arrived I found a pattern in it and fell in love. I have just recently gotten my EQ and have had fun playing with the block drawing feature and of course I had to try to draw up the block from this quilt! It isn't the same as the pattern in the catalog...but it suits me just fine. So, I have 20 eight inch blocks printed (yes, I will be paper piecing these) and ready for camp. On Sunday I cut all the background and last night I got out my beloved 30's prints (that are kept in a large special basket all by themselves) and started cutting. Ahhhh, they just make me smile!! The story book prints: Little Bo Peep, Humpty Dumpty, Little Boy Blue ahhhh. The sailor prints: anchors, stars, ships ahhhhh. Scottie dogs, circus animals ahhhhh Polka dots, strips, plaids ahhhh The bubblegum pinks, the cheddar yellows, the baby blues ahhhh. Needless to say I had a great time of FF last night!

While cutting the pieces for my quilt I thought "good for you Pam, you are stashbusting" and then immediately went into a panic... "OH NO!!! I can't be stashbusting, I don't want to bust my 30's stash!!" What a goofball! They do print more of these and create new prints all the time!!!

Ahhhh, can't wait to get this top started. Warm Fuzzies!! Did I mention I am having fun with EQ?

What Is Your Heart Singing?

Just got off the phone from our weekly call to our oldest son and family who live a 12 hr drive from us...needless to say we don't see them often but we talk each week.

Beginning my converstation with Maddie as we also do with our "secret code" that we have shared since before she could talk we then moved onto how her day was "good". What her favorite part of her week was "playing with daddy". And what she has planned for the upcoming week, which includes a Harvest Festival with another family. She is 100% girl! Loves dress up, can't be dirty and isn't one to take chances on much of anything. Maddie informed her Grampa that her favorite thing to do at the park is play on the slide "but it is high to the sky and scary". We raised boys, our 2 granddaughters are more than precious to us. We did the blue jeans and dirt theme in our home, listening to Maddie's sweet little girl voice blesses my heart over and over again.

JJ and I have a "secret code" as well. Since before he was able to talk I would whisper into his ear that hearing him coo would make my heart sing. Naomi taught him to say "I love you" before he could say much of anything else. During our weekly telephone conversations he would say "I love you Gramma Pam" and I would tell him that hearing that was making my heart sing. On and on, week after week.

Anytime JJ tells me he loves me I tell him he has made my heart sing, he then puts his little head on my chest and listens, telling me what song my heart is singing...."Phantom of the Opera" was what it was singing during their August visit, don't ask me why but that was his response each time. According to JJ, while they were here a couple of weeks ago, my heart was then singing "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Tonight JJ said he doesn't know what my heart is singing because he can't hear it when "Yours heart is in Oregon and mine ears are in Sedro Woolley", he then proceeded to tell me (in his sweet little 3 yr old voice) that if he could hear it, it would be singing "Zippity Do-Da!"

On another note (musical or otherwise) my quilty accomplishment for the day was to deliver quilts to my machine quilter lady. Nothing more, nothing less.

My Corner of the World

Here it is, the place you can find me when you can't find me any place else. This is where I go to be alone, away from the TV (there is NO TV in our bedroom), away from the phone (OK, there is a phone in our bdrm, but if I am having alone time I don't answer it!), this is my space to read, pray, do a little handwork, give myself a pedicure during the cooler months (otherwise pedicures happen in the sun on the deck!!!)

Let's see, what is going on in my corner of the world (from here on out MCOTW)....

• Love my glider rocker. How did I manage without one while rocking and nursing my babies I will never know! I think they should be a requirement for every house and certainly for every new momma.
• The pink ducky raggy quilt on the back of the rocker is one I made when I first became a gma. I really wanted to give it to Maddie when she was born but just couldn't part with it so it became a "leave at gma's house" baby quilt. DH was NOT thrilled with vaccuming up after it was used each time. Fear not, Maddie did get her fair share of baby quilts to have at her own home.
• The other quilt on the rocker is my wonky 30's swap block quilt that I completed in February. It is getting a bit chilly here in Oregon so this is what I drap over my legs while in MCOTW
• The pillow reads "Love Makes the World Go Round" it was on my parents bed for years and some how I ended up with this one and my sister has the one that goes with it that has a saying about Grandkids...can't remember what it says.
• The little antique next to the rocker is a Humidor, found at an estate sale for $5. It is worth over $75. They obviously did not know what they had!!! Anyway, I love it! When you open the door you can smell tobacco. My daddy smoked a pipe for years, when I open the door to the humidor I can be transformed to a place where Apple Pie Pipe tobacco is in the air. Currently the only things in there are candles and matches.
• On front is a magazine rack, with no magazines in it. Each side has 2 shelfs for knickknacks...aka, dust collectors. The knickknacks have all been moved to who knows where...Maddie and JJ were here, things have been rearranged!
• On the top is a tart burner that Ed made for me to match our new bdrm, didn't he do a great job?! We love to go to the pottery barn and paint ceramics. I love burning candles, and do so in everyroom of our home. The tart burner is sitting on one of my Grandma Mattie's hankies. There is a Paper Crafts magazine and my Bible ready for devotions.
• On the other side of the rocker is a floor lamp...which has a long story but I will not go into that...I love that lamp, another antique that found its way to our home. The light part swivels so I can turn it just right to give me the most light when I need it and move it out of the way when I don't have the light on.
• Hanging on the lamp is: My new-new, just right for me purse...isn't it cute! The chicken head is attached to a sock...it is where I empty my "chicken feed" (aka change) each night so my purse doesn't get too heavy...it is an easy way for me to save $$ and the grandkidlets love emptying it and rolling the coins for me when it gets half full. I had given this to my momma years ago when she complained to me about all the change that had been laying around in their 5th wheel.
• Above the floor lamp is an antique urinal. Yes, a urinal! Isn't it wonderful? My FIL was a funny man and we loved to laugh about all kinds of silly things. Until I came into this mans life he did not have a young woman to joke with, shower with gifts and spend time with. He did have 2 daughters but relationships with them ceased when they graduated from HS and moved away, sad...but true... Anyway...my FIL and I would find the strangest things to laugh about and the funniest things to give each other as gifts. We almost made a career out of trying to one up each other. This urinal was a gift from him to me. He thought I would either 1) take it to a thrift shop and dispose of it ASAP or 2) use it as a planter on the OUTside of our house. I did neither!! I called his bluff and hung it in our livingroom for all to see!!! Added a spider plant (in a container) and it was the topic of many conversations over the years. Currently it is in MCOTW with a wonderful display of colorful dried flowers.
• If you look really close you can see my bedspring candle holders (that I posted about months ago) hanging infront of the window. There are 5 of them, the picture shows 4 of them. They were fun to make and are a nice soft bit of light in the room at night. I found some battery operated "candles" that I put in them (remember, my nephew the fireman!!!) and we can fall asleep with the "candles" "burning". I love how my candle holders turned out.
• When the curtains are open, Spring through Fall you will see a window box full of color...the hummingbirds feast there, butterflies stop by, bees and dragonflies abound...from now until Spring returns you will see the shed, the hedge and our neighbors house.

So, there you have it a tour of MCOTW. Just writting about it makes me realize how blessed I am.

• Color...there is color all around me
• History...Antiques
• Memories...Apple Pie Tobacco and a rolypoly FIL
• Love...my tart burner, quilts
• Laughter...new-new purse
• Creativity & Re-using...bedspring candle holders
• Peace...quiet places to hide during busy, hectic living

OK, now...just to offer you a chuckle...during our regularly scheduled Saturday chat this morning my sister asked me if I rolled my eyes when someone asked if "your sister is a quilter"....LOL oh my goodness...No...she doesn't quilt...but she does pack a mean seamripper!!!

SHE KNOWS I AM GOING TO WRITE THIS, DON'T THINK POORLY OF ME!!!!

I AM NOT SLAMMING HER, WE LAUGHED ABOUT THIS TOGETHER, SHE IS HILARIOUS, AND NO NO NO, NONE OF YOU CAN CLAIM HER AS YOUR SISTER...SHE IS MY SISTER

Nancy isn't a quilter...but she does know how to frog stitch!

She is able to quilt, but doesn't. Currently she and her daughter, Mandy, are sewing things for a nursery (Mandy is expecting her second baby in March). This is not something these two would normally attempt, but I give them kudos for what they have accomplished thus far. When Mandy's first child was born (8 years ago) my mother, Nancy and I drove to Colorado for a long wknd to sew everything to create a nursery...curtains, quilts, bumperpads, cribskirt, diaperstacker....oh gosh I can't remember what all we sewed, but we sewed from the moment we walked into the house until we packed up to head home to Oregon a few days later. Mandy knew her mom and her gma (my mother) were coming to create a nursery but had no idea I was going to be with them. Mandy called me for days before hand "Please come, they can't do this without you." It was hilarious because I had planned to go all along, she just didn't know it. It was fun! We sewed from sun up to sun down. Momma cut, I sewed. Then we would switch and I would cut and momma would sew...that is when Nancy came into the act,...she would rip...then I would re-sew. No, I would not say I was a better sewer than momma, she just always...always...had trouble with the directions with everything she sewed...she could get it in a second if she were shown how to do something but to read the directions, well, she just didn't get it. She ended up being the cutter, I the sewer and Nancy the comforter of one very very pregnant young woman.

A few years before that it was the same story...only we were making Mandy's wedding gown. I had taken a wk off from work to get this dress done. I was to make the dress, Nancy was to make the veil...we couldn't buy enough seamrippers!!! I am so glad she has an awesome sense of humor.

It was perfectly normal behavior....

....but my family thought we had lost our last marbles.

While at the cabin a couple of wknds ago, my sister Nancy came for clamchowder and to love on our 2 youngest grandkidlets that she has not seen much of since they live so far away. My boys love my sister so much, and whats not to love???!!! When you speak to her she listens...I mean really listens, as in looks you in the eye and focuses on what you are saying. She always asks the right questions and is truly interested in your life. When you have been around her you can't help but to feel good about yourself, about your life, about the world around you. So...when the boys found out that Aunt Nancy would be around Saturday evening they both waited like little kids (they are 27 and 25 yrs old) until she arrived.

Roy, JJ, Aunt Nancy, Ryan

What we watched was Aunt Nancy falling totally heads over heals in love with our little JJ, and no kidding~~~JJ fell in love with Aunt Nancy. He followed her around, he took her hand in his little hand and off they went (Maddie included), up to the sleeping loft to play a game of "tea party" or something while Roy and Ryan were left behind to wait until it was their turn to spend time with Aunt Nancy!
As this picture proves, Aunt Nancy can get away with anything! JJ is all boy, ALL boy!!! He doesn't like pink, he doesn't touch dolls, he has the deepest little voice (like his daddy did at that age) ~~ he is nothing but BOY BOY BOY. When JJ admired Aunt Nancy's earrings, she promptly took one off and hooked it on the inside of his ear. You could almost hear a pin drop between the fact that he LET her do that and the fact that Roy & Naomi were shocked that anyone would DARE attempt to do that. And then all of the sudden...his face lit up and he was grinning from ear to ear, he giggled and giggled and the more he giggled the more the earrings swung from his ears. It was hilarious and I wished that someone would have had a camera rolling to catch it as it happened. On Sunday morning, when JJ woke up, he slid down the steps on his bottom, came over to me, curled up on my lap, looked in my eyes and said "Gramma, when is MY Aunt Nancy coming to see me at the beach cabin?" No "good morning Gramma" No "I love you Gramma" not even a "I'm hungry Gramma" The first thought he had upon waking was of HIS Aunt Nancy.

Anyway..back to what I was going to write about, before I was side tracked....as my sister was walking out the door Saturday night, she made a comment about her "dang new purse" being too small and about the same time that I stated I had just gotten a new purse and it was just too large.

We made eye contact
I grabbed my purse
We both walked to the diningroom table
Both emptied out our new, but "not-right-for-me" purses
Switched purses
Reloaded our NEW NEW and JUST RIGHT purses
Hugged
I stated that I got the better deal
She stated that she got the better deal
Thanked each other
End of story

The other 4 adults in the room just sat there looking at us like we had both just lost the last of the few marbles we had to begin with. Hey, it was a perfectly normal thing for us! When Roy finally could say something he just shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and said..."those sisters!"

Which brings me to another story...Aunt Nancy trying to get JJ to understand that his gramma is her sister. Another story for another time.

Tops Done

This wknd I spent time locked in MCM, giving myself time alone to think my own thoughts and dream my own dreams...lots of things on my mind and the best way for me to sort things out is to hole up in MCM and do what I love doing..create!

I managed to finish the borders on Midnight Hunter, a set of blocks my momma had started. She is in need of a larger lapquilt, on that will cover her shoulders as well as feet this winter and this one measures 64 square....although it isn't square it is an octagone, so I guess I should say that it measures 64 octagone!! I will wait to post a pic until it is back from the quilter and has a label and binding.

While at JoAnn's yesterday for batting and backing, I found a complete set of BOM's including the sashing and setting kit. I love it when I can find a whole set of BOM's in the clearance section. A whole quilt (minus the backing) for dirt cheap!

Last night at 8 o'clock sharp (just in time to watch Amazing Race) I finished the last border in what I am currently calling SSS. Will reveal the quilt after I hand it over. This is my first EQ design, I posted it about earlier. I changed up the border fabrics (trying to use up as much fabric as I can!) and it has ended up being much brighter and happier than my original design. I really like how this turned out. This one is also headed to my favorite (and only) machine quilter.

I have 2 tops ready to take to my quilter (plan to get the backs pieced tonight) and 2 more almost ready. I have pretty much put my WTIL quilting on hold until I get some of my mother's projects finished or passed on. My pal, Barbara, has booked us a January 20-21 quilt day at a shop in a town about an hour from us. The owner of the shop lets you use her quilting machine FREE if you are quilting for charity. As mentioned before, I will be taking tops that have been donated, currently I have 9 WTIL tops ready for quilting, at some point I am going to have to set aside time to get the backings ready. January seems like ages away but if I don't deal with it now I will be caught off guard and then will be doing the flight of the bumble bee, which I hate.

I was going to leave you with a pic of Maddie and JJ, but Blogger has once again decided for me that this is all you're going to get....

Friends Around the World

Back when we first "went online" in our home (1996?) I scoped out a few internet quilt groups to see what was out there. MAN!!! You could find groups for just about anything and everything imaginable, very much like now. I joined a couple but soon found out that they weren't for me for various reasons. I did participate in a couple that were fun but like most things in life: time changes things and people. I joined a few swaps, both fabric and blocks. I did 3 sets...YES, THREE sets of Y2K swaps (WHAT WAS I THINKING???).

This quilt is from a set of Friendship Stars that I swapped with ladies all over the world. Vienna, Austria, Sweden...most from the USA but there are a few others in there as well. It was fun! Cher(R4B2), Linda(R3B4) and Veronica(R5B4) all have stars on my quilt as we were all members of the same group at the same time. I put the top together shortly after getting the stars but did not add borders until a few months ago. After I had the blocks sashed together another block arrived in the mail, that one will be used as a label on the back (which is why there is one corner of binding not yet finished.

I see that Cynthia has posted pictures of various swap blocks she found stashed neatly away. I know I have several more sets of swap blocks that have been sitting around as well as pieces to a rowrobin that I did 5 years ago. I am in a "forget the original plan, just get it done" mode so there maybe some quick finishes for me coming just after the new year.

OK, was suppose to be headed to a corn maze and pumpkin picking but I copped out and decided to stay home to finish a couple of tops, with the hope of getting them to my machine quilter by the end of the month. I better get to it or I will start wishing I was lost in a maze listening to the laughter and giggling and hooting and hollering of the kids...wishing I was stumbling around looking for the perfect pumpking....wishing I was digging into the picnic basket getting out the cups for hot chocolate...drats!!!! I should be at the pumpkin farm!!! Too late, the kids have already left! Drats and double drats!!!!

Fishin' & Campin' We Will Go!!!

Another UFO crossed off my list. I started these for my sister several years ago, she and my BIL had just gotten a 5th wheel and she was so excited! This new-to-them 5th wheel was a fun step-up from the truck and camper they had. Anyway...I started these shortly after they got the 5th wheel - - and guess what??? now they have my parents 5th wheel. None of that has anything to do with anything but just wanted to state that these have been in a UFO state for ages. Two placemats, a hotpad and a mini wallhanging (which needs a stick as the hanger). Her husband, son and SIL are currently fishing and camping so I told her NOT to leave these surprises in the 5th wheel until she went camping...you know how guys camp!!!
Here is a picture of the "I love you ~~~ so ~~~ please get a mamogram" goodie bags I made for some special women in my life. I found the pink ribbon fabric for the bags at Wally World and filled them with: Pink M&M's, pink breast cancer awareness socks, and a pink ribbon lapel pin. I really wanted to get some pink Hershey's Kisses but we live in the sticks and there was no place to get them here. I have been wearing a pink ribbon all this month in memory of a dear friend who died 3 years ago on October 13, she did not have breast cancer but a rare form of lung cancer. Walking through Marcia's cancer with her was one of the defining times of my life. I miss her terribly, I know her family misses her more. Ladies, if you have not had a mamogram...please do so.

I am currently about half done with the first EQ quilt I designed a couple of wks a go-just a day or two after getting my EQ software! I can't show you until it is finished and given. I can tell you that this is BRIGHT and happy and of course has a story behind it. I am so liking how it is turning out that I would love to show it to someone but can't DRATS!!!!

Cher had mentioned that so many get EQ but only design with it, seldom actually making a REAL quilt from their designs. That is one of reasons I hesitated getting EQ, I was a bit afraid that I would fall into that syndrome~I know myself too well!!! I do have and use Sew Precise ALOT. I love all 4 of the sets and when I am in a foundation piecing mood I can print patterns and sew for days and weeks at a time. I wasn't sure exactly how much I would use EQ but having one quilt designed and almost completed has given me the drive to design again. I know Linda will hold my feet to the fire and help me when I need it, she is a wealth of information and a great encourager.

I was going to add a few more pics of our trip to the cabin but Blogger has decided FOR ME that two pictures for this post is all it needs. Gee, thanks Blogger.

Soccer tomorrow morning, then a trip to a corn maze and pumpkin patch. It is about an hours drive away. I am anticipating a beautiful drive along the river.

Roy, Naomi, Maddie (4½), Ryan, Gma, JJ (3½), Gpa

October 2006 ~ Bandon, Oregon

Spiders and Rain and Sunshine

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Still Alive

I'm still around, just nothing much quilty to post about since it is so close to Christmas.

I am currently working on 4 different projects, the only one I can post about is a Hunters Star that my mother started but did not finish, yes...she left many many UFO's undone. She and I would usually talk about our projects, sharing who we were sewing for and for what reason, BUT ~I have no idea who she was making this for!!!~ this Hunters Star was bundled in yardage that I can only assume would have been more blocks, borders and maybe the backing and binding. Well, I am giving myself permission to not make more blocks and have added borders only, trying to get it to the lapquilt size. One more border should do it. She will laugh when she sees it because it started out to be a 2 print (both pink) quilt and I have added BLUE as a border....LOL....As soon as the top is done I will try to get one more lapquilt size top done and then get both of them to my machine quilter pal. Both of these should be done and ready to give her for Christmas. Picture when the top is done..."one more border...one more border...ONLY one more border." That is what I keep telling myself!!! This really has become a UFO-UFO, once for momma and once for me!

Last night I cut out the blocks for a new quilt, which I am hoping to get done before Christmas as well. Can't post a pic but I can tell you this is one where I am really having to keep the grid next to me at all times...the blocks are really mixed up and is causing my brain to concentrate which isn't all that easy at the end of the night. I can say this is going to be fun!!! I know the receiver will be surprised. We will both get a good laugh out of it. This is the first quilt I designed with EQ. First quilt designed and I am actually making it!!!

Tonight is our last "home alone, in our quiet little home" night for a few days. Our youngest son, Ryan, is flying home tomorrow afternoon from San Diego. We will pick him up at the little commuter airport in the town near us. Our oldest son, Roy, and his family will arriving tomorrow evening - after driving from a few miles from the Washington/Canada border! How is that for living on opposite ends of the world with mom and dad in the middle!!!

An aside: Ryan is feeling much better!!!

It's birthday time for boy our boys, Roy will be 27 on the 15th and Ryan will be 25 on the 16th. We will celebrate Roy & Naomi's 6th anniversary (October 7), both boys' birthdays and Christmas in just a few short days. It will be non-stop pandemonium until Monday afternoon when Roy and family will need to make that long drive home again. Ryan's plane leaves Tuesday afternoon. By Tuesday night our heads will still be spinning and we will already be missing the kids.

Saturday night will be our celebration night with Clamchowder in breadbowls (tradition!!). There will be between 14-18 people for chowder...I still have not gotten the sourdough breadbowls....ugh!!! I better get them tomorrow for sure!

Warning! Warning!! Warning!!! This blog will be chalkful of pictures of our long wknd...you've been warned.

I had really hoped to have a few things ready for binding while at the cabin but I only managed to get one more table topper done to the binding stage. Drats!! Oh well, who was I kidding??? I will not have time to do handwork. I have only one side of a swap block quilt to finish the handwork on and then will be able to post that. Maybe I can finish that tonight! If so, I will post the pic tomorrow morning before going into the office.

So, there you have it from me! Never a dull moment.

Lost Pics...read previous post.

Table topper for my pal

The next two pics should read, Grandma is Wonky!!! Not sure why these two pics flipped on their sides...but they did!!! Both wallhangings are square...it just don't look like it. JJ's room has a construction zone theme...Maddie is princess pink! I should have pressed Maddie's before taking a pic but didn't...oh well...the scallops did press out

JJ's Wonky

Maddie's Wonky

I like Saturdays

Update on Ryan: No news is good news, I guess....he is tired and sore and bored. Went into the office on Friday to get some work done ~ no, he doesn't know how to slow down! Spent Friday evening home alone reading a book about water filtration for hikers. What a goofball. If he gets to feeling not-so-hot again he will go back to the ER, in the mean time we are anxiously awaiting his coming home this coming wk. We will pick him up at the airport on Thursday and he will need to return to San Diego the following Tuesday. While he is home I will spend alot of time staring at him....scoping him out and enjoying having him nearby so I can get a better handle on how things are. Thank you all for your concern and care.


A Big Thank YOU!!: to Jeanne who sent a wonderful box of backing fabs to be used for WTIL quilts. If you are ever in need of packing just call 1-800-JEANNE. This gal really gets the most bang for her buck with priority shipping. All of this wonderful fabric was in this one tiny little box!! Thank you Jeanne, many young children will soon be wraped in love with some of this fabric!

I totally believe that it takes each of us working together to make something happen, and no matter how much or how little money we might have, no matter how much or how little spare time we might, no matter how much or how little talent we might have.....if we each one do our part we can help someone who has less than we do...and we all know we are blessed and recieve more blessings as we help others. Nancy donated some wonderful tops, Jeanne donated the backing fabs, I have the batting and will do some quilting and in the end some beautiful children like these will join Nancy, Jeanne and I in being blessed. Simple recipe! and it works! So, once again thank you ladies...you are awesome.

On Thursday I spent alot of time sewing, it is my form of therapy! I managed to get a few things completed and will add them to my Done, A Very Good Word list. Our two youngest grandkidlets are now in their own rooms so a wonky door hanging for each of them, along with a table topper for my bestest of all bestest pals who lives in San Diego who just did her own kitchen remodel. (OK, so now BLOGGER IS NOT PLAYING NICE AGAIN and will not let me upload my pics!!!)

Remember back in March when the kitchen remodel hit a snag...and I decided that rather than let it get to me I was going to do a "when the going gets rough the tough go shopping"? Remember the wonderful "Apple of God's Eye" fabric that I was going to decorate my new kitchen with? Well, it has been sitting in a sack since March and my kitchen decorating idea switched gears when there was a change in countertop color. Oh, my wonderful bag of fabric therapy would have work in the kitchen...but I am so so loving my bright ME kitchen with all the black and white checkerboard prints. So....I used some of my therapy purchase to make a table topper, and once it was done-done I liked it so well that I decided to cut a couple more out and will make those up as well, one for me and one for a certain someone (she reads my blog so no names).

Dang that BLOGGER!! I really wanted to add pics to this post...oh well, I have other things to deal with than to expend my energy on blogger frustrations.

Do you EQ? I DO!!!! I am now the tired owner of EQ5. Tired? YES!! I have been staying up late playing with it!! I designed my first quilt and am totally loving using EQ! (can't post the new design...but LJ says I did OK) I have been sent a few files from others and have enjoyed tweaking them with various layouts and fabrics. HOW FUN IT IS! I have been looking forward to getting EQ for many months and am so thrilled with it! Thank you LindaJ for helping me along, for guiding me and holding my hand and giving me all the pointers and using up your last ounce of patience on me. You're the greatest!

Today we went to our granddaughter's soccer game. She is the cutest little goalie, even if she would rather be a forward so she could run and run and run. She is the coaches favorite for a goalie so that is the position she plays and does it with just a "little" bit of grumbling. Now we are waiting for a turkey to come out of the oven ~~ yes, a 21+# turkey! Then I will head up to the kids' house to help cut spacers for the new addition. (again, blogger photo posting is on strike!) I really wanted to sew, but they need to get this addition done before the rains set in, at least get it all enclosed. I took a hard fall on Thursday (I am sure we would have won AFV's 1 million prize if someone had been taping it) and banged myself up pretty bad...mostly my pride. So, due to the fall sitting at the machine is limited.

And lastly it is a bit of a sad day for me, today is National Card Making Day. My favorite card making buddy has been in a funk for a year or so and has shut out pretty much everyone in her life. It is hard to accept because it seems to be an on again-off again situation with her. She tends to like the "newer" and "better" not realizing that living by the rule of "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold" is an OK way to live-that there is no need to choose one over the other. This time I have just been hands off and will let her come around in her own time, it is just too bad that the wedge between us continues to be driven deeper. Oh well, the ball is in her court. Just another thing I will not expend energy on when there are so many wonderful things happening in my life. God is good and I am blessed.

Blessings in my life:

Hearing Ryan's voice and knowing I will be hugging him soon

My sister, she makes me laugh and loves me inspite of my warts

Listening to hubby hoot and holler during the baseball playoffs

Email and cyber friends

Walking into the house and smelling turkey in the oven

"He told me to tell you: "Everything is OK" "

In mom talk that usually means:

I don't believe you, so how about you giving me the whole story

so I can decide if everything is OK.

For us there is nothing worse than to get a call from someone telling us our youngest son is "OK" ~ the red flags pop up and wave with gale force winds...just give me the details as thoroughly and quickly as you can.

We know each day is a gift when we think about this young man who has overcome various health issues in his young life from day one to today~ten days before his 25th birthday. He didn't come home from the hospital when I did following following his birth, as a toddler and preschool child his playmates were his Nurses, Doctors and other hospital staff. He slept more nights in a hospital bed than his own during his first 3 years. During our boys' school years we planned our vacations around surgeries and/or hospitalizations. He is no stranger to a Dr's office or emergency room.

Last night we got one of those "Everything is OK" phone calls. Ryan was born with Marfans, has a heart condition, pectus excavatum and his body looks like a tic-tac-toe board from his many and various surgeries. He is very good about taking care of himself, taking his meds, getting his check ups and etc. He knows when the slightest changes take place and which changes warrant a trip to the Dr, urgent care, or ER. Yesterday it was a trip to the ER.

He is fortunate to have a cardiologist who is well versed in Marfans treatment. Dr ran all the tests - didn't like the way some of them turned out and decided to keep Ryan overnight for observation and run more tests this morning. He was admitted to the cardiology unit and was hooked up to monitors and etc.

We got online and checked airfare and flight times last night. We knew we would go if needed and he knew we would be there if he asked us to be there. Ed wasn't sure he could make the trip due to his recent surgery so we thought about flying our oldest son, Roy, from Seattle to San Diego. My sister decided Ryan could not have surgery without her there (there is a story behind this!!! and someday you might hear it) I cancelled my business trip and we spent the night and this morning sitting by the phone waiting to hear something, caught between don't wait - just go and wait - we need more information.

More tests today, and all of them "inconclusive". Ryan was released from the hospital late this afternoon and hopefully he is at home sleeping. He left his phone at the office yesterday but he said he would borrow a phone and call us tonight.

Today Ed and I held each other, prayed, drew strength from my sister, Nancy (thanks for being there for us!) and our oldest son, Roy. Ed paced while I put my anxious energy to work by cleaning, doing laundry and sewing and sewing and sewing.

Sherrie, thank you so much! You are a great second mom for Ryan, and we know that boy-o needs more than one!!! That Ryan, he will give you gray hair, this I know, this I have proof of!

Nancy, thank you for always being there when I call and cry, and then laugh, and then cry some more....Thank you for laughing and crying with me....I love you. Today you can be both the SO and the PO, because you are!

BLOGGER IS NOT PLAYING NICELY

Here are the pictures to go with my previous post, Blogger wasn't playing nice and wouldn't let me add them to my post...so, here they are. Christmas placemats
Pepper Jelly

Merry Christmas!! and other ramblings

This set of 4 placemats has been in my UFO pile for years, literally! So long in fact, I can't even remember when I started them. I know they have been at least 8 years in the making. So, what did I need to do to finish these? The binding....isn't that awful, all I had to do was stitch the binding down! How sad! And these were not the only placemats in my UFO pile that only needed the binding hand stitched down,yes....you are reading this correctly...the binding was machine stitched, I only needed to do the handwork. Sad, just sad. I did finish up another set but can't post the other set yet because they are a gift.

I love 30's prints and when I saw these prints I had to have them! I am so excited to have them finished to use in our new kitchen this year, and look at all that red!!!

Yesterday we canned this batch of pepper jelly, aren't the jars cute? One more batch of pepper jelly and we can cross it off our canning list. These will be gifts, when we can for ourselves seldom do we use the cute jars and lids. Next up in the canning dept is turkey soup stock but that will be later in the month after the kids come and go since we will be cooking a 24 lb turkey while they are home.

Today is the first day of October, how did that happen? Where did September go? October already? Well, OK, if we must ~ but that doesn't mean we can't protest just a little!!

October is busy for us every year, but this year it seems to be more so. To start with I have a business trip that I will be out of town for a couple of days this week. I am so so so looking forward to time away and alone.

Our boys (including DIL and 2 youngest grandkidlets) will be home the following week, everyone will arrive on Thursday. The house will go from 2 people to 7. On Friday we will all head to the cabin and spend the wknd enjoying sunsets, rockclimbing, skimboarding, laughing, games of Skipbo, clam chowder in breadbowls and we will celebrate both of our sons bdays. Roy turns 27 on the 15th and Ryan will be 25 on the 16th. I am getting old!

Each Saturday morning in October two grandkidlets have soccer games so we travel to various little towns in our area to watch games. Tuesday's our oldest grandkidlet has football games which start right after I get done at the office.

Hubby is considering attending a men's retreat the 20-21st, kinda waiting to decide to see if he will be sleeping better by then.

Of course we still have to keep up with our regular routine, trips into town to see momma several times a wk, Dr appts (hubby MIGHT be driving by the end of October!!) etc etc. With the days getting shorter and shorter I am wondering if October will fly by as quickly as September and I will be ponder the same thing about December when I flip the calendar to the eleventh month of the year...the ELEVENTH MONTH...HOW DID THAT HAPPEN???

Quilt Retreat. Ed has encouraged me to attend so I sent in my ck and have made the commitment to go. So, now I need to prepare for it. I have narrowed down which project(s) to take, need to start gathering stash and etc. Will also need to go through my traveling sewing tote and give my FW and once over. I have not been to any quilt camp for a couple of years (and never been with this particular group) so will need to make sure I have a well stocked sewing tote and everything I need since the nearest store is a 45 mile drive (one way) from the camp. Yes, it is literally a camp...quilt camp is held at a church camp up in the woods near Diamond Lake. It is beautiful up there, I am hoping to go on a photo shoot walk to stretch my legs from time to time.

I had planned to take half a day off from work in order to get to the camp (2½ hr drive from my home) before dark but my boss gave me the day off WITH PAY!!! How cool is that??? I have the best boss around! I will leave on Friday morning (Nov. 3rd) and return Sunday early afternoon.