Yikes ~ I'm Sick Again

Late in the summer I started volunteering at a local school two days a week; as a pre-kindergarten grandma one day and as the school cook another day. I've really enjoyed doing this but unfortunately it has taken it's toll on me. I have been sick a total of 6 weeks in the past 3 1/2 months, catching every cold virus that was passed around. As much as I've enjoyed it I feel it is best if I discontinue this work as it has adversely affected my health.

To Knit or Knot

I started knitting about 2002 or 2003. I bought a beautiful knitted scarf at a craft fair, spending far more than I would like to and as a result spent little other money that day. I was so taken with it's beauty, texture, color and style. I decided immediately afterward that I would enroll in a knitting class at a local yard parlor in town. My first class scarf was ripped out no less than 6 times before it was completed. I would start talking and visiting with the other people in the class (several women of varying ages, a young boy and an older man) and before I knew it I would be knitting in the wrong direction and the long rectangular scarf would take on more of the look of a sleeve for a sweater than a scarf! Yikes!

October ~ a month to forget

With the passing of my dear dog the end of September my heart was already heavy with grief when my mother, who was hospitalized for several weeks, passed away on October 21, 2010. I did all I could for her in her last year on earth; emotionally, spiritually and financially. I gave her my time, my love, my support and when she was in need of something to make her life a little easier I sent it to her. Her death pulled apart the already unraveled rope of what was left of my relationship with my older sisters, who would not let go of the grudges they held against her for what she did, or didn't do, over half a century ago.

Seeing mother dying in her hospital bed was a very sad sight I will never forget. It made it so easy for me to drop whatever remnants I had of my own past grievances with her. Her last words to me about my other sisters were, "where are they" and "are they coming?" It broke my heart to see the look on her face when I said they wouldn't be coming to see her. I think that is when she stopped trying to live. She had told me over a year ago that the one thing she constantly prayed for was that all four of her daughters would be talking to her, having a relationship with her. It was one wish, one desire of her heart, one prayer that never happened for her.

I am reminded of a quote that was written on a picture I had on my living room wall back around 1975. It read:

One ship sails east and another west with the self-same winds that blow,
'Tis the set of the sail and not the gale which determines the way they go.
The winds of the sea are the ways of fate as we voyage along through life,
'Tis the act of the soul that determines the goal, and not the calm or the strife.

-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Blog a Dog

Our dog died three weeks ago. Our hearts were tattered and torn by his death. Our other dog was so mournful and lonely that in spite of our feelings to not get another dog, that is just what we ended up doing. We bought a Border Collie Labrador mix from one of our local animal shelters. He is three and a half months old and we decided to name him Siegfried, Ziggy for short. The German name was my husband's idea and it certainly seems to fit him. He is a very active, loving and adorable little guy. We are hard at work to get him house broken so he can become an active member of our family indoors and outdoors as well as in his little crate, where he spends his night sleeping. We have to get up a couple times during the night to let him outdoors to relieve himself. Sometimes it is hard to get back to sleep so we will curl up on the couch with him on his little red blanket and fall asleep with him nuzzling on our laps or next to us.

Christmas Bazaar Projects

Pot Holders and Pot Pinchers ~ pictured on the right. Pot Pinchers are cute little pot holders that you slip your fingers into and hold onto the handles or lids of pots and pans. Small and convenient to use and very affordable to make as you can sew them from scraps or fat quarters.

The pot holder at the top left I have dubbed my "kitchen diva" pot holder. I gave it to my aunt for her birthday and she loves it.

Another New Skirt

The photo at the left is of a Lila Tueller skirt I made. I really admire the designs of both women, Lila Tueller and Kay Whitt. They have some very unique patterns and also some very creative ways of using coordinating fabrics. The first day I wore this one out to do some errands and shopping I got four compliments from other women, three of whom I didn't even know.

The Man Who Loves Me

...and I love him too. This is the one person who stuck by my side through the worst time of my life, never faltering, never changing his supportive attitude; he continued to uplift and love me, and stands with me now in the best time of my life; my life with him.

Beautiful Fabric Artwork

I don't know whose beautiful artwork this is but I found it on the internet while I was searching for something else. Once I find the creator of it, and I certainly hope I do, I will give full credit to the person responsible.

From the Mouths of Babes

God reveals Himself to us in many ways. One such way being through nature; all one has to do is to look around them and see the many manifestations of the Almighty.

In physics energy is never destroyed; it only changes form. In the spiritual realm the same is true of our lives. Our bodies may fade away and then die but our souls never do. God always was, is now and always will be. No one created God ` God created us and everything.

The chances of life being created from nothing, or evolving by itself from nothing, is like a dictionary being created as the result of an explosion in a printing shop!

Just as the muscles of our bodies stay fit through exercise and work so our spirits are strengthened through our trials. Our trials and tribulations are exercise for the soul.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Well here we are in another new month. The skies outside are cloudy and cool, a welcome change from last month's heat. Yesterday my husband and I spent the afternoon working in our back yard sectioning off an addition to our chicken's "run". This addition gives them more turf along the back fence and access to a nice corner space where they can kick up the dirt and look for more bugs. This is what chickens do, hunt, scratch, dig, and make messes! But they are also affectionate and will let you pick them up and stroke them. They are so soft and beautiful and the eggs they provide us with are of the highest quality because their diet is rich with kitchen scraps and a good quality hen feed!

My New Skirt

This skirt is made from a Sew Serendipity pattern by Kay Whitt. I made it during the month of August and in the photo I am shown wearing it at the outdoor wedding of our friends Randy and Betsy Wright.




The above photo was taken at the Historic William M. Bybee Inn located in rural Jacksonville, Oregon. The photo at the right shows a close-up of the detail of the trim and pocket of this six gored skirt.

Monday, August 30, 2010

This week the weather has given us such a contrast from the weather of last week. It has gone from blue skies and sunshine and temperatures over 95 to cloudy skies and temperatures of under 70 degrees!. This morning we even had a few showers. It didn't stop the local humming birds from coming out to dine from the flowers of our trumpet vine which is in profuse bloom right now. We enjoyed this beautiful vine so much last year we decided to plant two more this year! The younger vines are taking hold underground which is obvious due to the growth above ground. So far the new vines have not shown us any blossoms but they surely will next year. It is such a great perennial and a great climber and is a good "filler" for an expanse of fence.

My morning has been busy with the latest quilt I am making for one of my aunties. It is a crazy quilt pattern in shades of teal, green, red, gold, purple, brown and white. It is coming along nicely and as you can see by the two photos has an oriental panel in the center. When finished this lap quilt will measure about 5' wide by 6' in length.

Dog Days of Summer

I'm not sure what is mean by the saying, "the dog days of Summer" but looking across the room at my dog with his tongue hanging out in a heavy pant I would say that the dog days are here and now! Does anyone really read these blogs? Maybe someone out there can tell me.

It was 103 degrees inside my greenhouse and 97 degrees outside. Yikes! The nice thing about this kind of weather is that all the green tomatoes are turning from green to yellow and then to red. They are so vibrant and luscious the day I pick them off the vine!

You Might Say I was a Little Sew and Sew

My first recollection about sewing was at around the age of five. I was visiting my grandmother, Geneva Rivera, at her home in the country in Reedley, California. I recall taking down a pair of dark pink curtains from an upstairs bedroom and proceeded to cut them up to make a dress for my doll. Needless to say when I was found out I received a spanking for taking something without asking!

Another experience I recall was from about age eight when my grandmother came to visit. I was watching her sew in an upstairs bedroom when she suddenly needed to use the restroom. As she left the room she turned to me and said, "now don't touch anything while I am gone". Of course I nodded in agreement that I wouldn't. I then observed the extension cord she had unplugged to her machine and wondered if I could feel the electricity in it if I touched my thumb to the end of the cord's outlet. I had no sooner pressed my thumb to the end it when it "bit" me, a feeling I can remember to this day. When grandma returned to the room she saw the look of pain on my face and I had to tell her what I had done. There was no need to reprimand me as the punishment had already been dealt!