There are stars hidden in that purple bin! My goal is to find them! I finished the rest of the 24 nine patches yesterday. I think the nine patch is one of my favorite blocks! Once they were done, I had to figure out what, exactly, I would work on next. Zach was on his way to finishing math. I noticed his ruler was marked up with little humps made from pencil lead. The stinker had figured out how to use his ruler as a number line!! He had never been shown a number line before.Smart kid. Anyway, I figured I better decide quick. Something old or something new??? I had enough of both, now to choose. I choose something old. Something very old. This is the quilt I was making for my oldest son's 16th birthday. The fabric was very expensive back then. He got a used beater car instead! That car only cost $8 more than the fabric for this quilt! So, now that he is a trucker professional driver and will need to keep warm at night in his sleeper compartment, this will be perfect! There are 40 blocks total...20 of each color combo. I already had 10 of one and 6 of the other made. 10 others were at this stage... The other 14 are in the purple container waiting to have the "Hidden Star" put together. The Hidden Star block for this quilt was found in the Marti Mitchell 4 inch template set. Yes...I cut all 1160 pieces by template! I will get this together quickly and hand quilt it. Most of it will be outline quilting and should quilt up pretty fast. A star motif will be in the center of each block. It will feel good to check this 10 year old UFO off the list. (UFO=UnFinished Objects...my aunt told me not everyone knows quilter's lingo)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
A Hidden Star
Pure Fruit
Have you ever bought a piece of fruit and it was the picture of purity? Beautifully ripe, not a flaw on it, and you just knew that piece of fruit was going to be a taste of heaven. You take a big bite and instantly you are repulsed by the flavor, texture and smell. The fruit had betrayed you and it was rotten. The outside of the fruit was perfect, but the inside of the fruit was bad. This was a discussion that took place in our home this morning. One of the most amazing things about our Heavenly Father is the grace and mercy He shows me everyday. In speaking words to my children I learned as much, if not more, than they did. I do, however, think it was a lesson well received by my children too. The bible says of people, "You shall know them by their fruits." Matt. 7:16-23 These are the verses we spoke of this morning. A person's fruit is what they do, the things their life bears. I found it a bit scary that these verses talk of people who truly thought they knew God, but God did not know them. (read all the verses) One of the issues a traumatized child has, is the ability to become what they think you want them to be. My daughter is the picture of good manners, sweetness, and would never raise her voice to me in rebellion. She is always compliant with what ever you ask her....as long as she is being watched. Take your eyes off of her and her behaviors become like the piece of fruit that looks perfect on the outside and is no good on the inside. PLEASE NOTE....I am not saying Charlotte is the fruit. I am saying her deeds are the fruit. This is a common thing with ALL children, but attachment disorder brings out the worst in it. It is daily and dangerous. Not just to her future, but to her spirit. We are responsible for what we know. My children have already been taught that their salvation is not based in works, but in God's grace. Now my children know that God looks not only at the heart of the person, but also the heart of the deed. I, along with my children, looked at my own life. What kind of fruit do I bear? Most of my fruit is "what you see is what you get"...good and bad... ...but if I look deeply, I would find areas where it appears one way, but is actually another. I think that would be true of all of us.
Pure fruit is a beauty to behold, not only to the eye, but to the palate. It reminds me of that verse "Taste and see that the Lord is good." What would He taste if He bit into your fruit? As for me, I am just grateful He is merciful and forgiving!
Monday, April 28, 2008
A Simple Woman Failure
Sue gave me the cherry fabric and I just LOVE it. Now I can enjoy it everyday! I was able to keep my sewing mess under control, so today I have a nice neat area to work in. It is a cloudy dreary day here...perfect for sewing and cleaning...who says you can't do both!!?? As Kyle left for work this morning, here is what was happening outside... Yes, that is snow! It didn't last long and melted right away. Tomorrow is looking better weather wise, but for today, let it do whatever it wants...I have plenty to keep me busy right here in my home. Well it is time to sew....er, I mean do math....you get the idea!! Praying your Monday is a blessed one!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Saturday Night
Friday, April 25, 2008
Galena: The Ryan Mansion
Here is one of the many parlors. The owner, Wendy, who gave us our tour, has done a beautiful job in decorating everything to its time. Note the marble fireplace (original to the home), there are 9 and they all look identical.
This wall unit is original to the home and was handcrafted to specifics of James Ryan. It covered the entire length of the wall.The unit to the side of the fireplace is also original to the home. There is another one, identical on the other side of the fireplace. The Ryan mansion has 2 dining rooms. They are side by side, separated by french doors and a change in the wood floor pattern. They would eat breakfast and noon meal in the first dining room, and dinner in the formal dining room. Here is a built in pantry (original to the home) with a butler's hole. The kitchen staff would pass serving dishes, etc. through this opening for the dining staff to take to the Ryan's. Notice Wendy's apron. All aprons were pinned with straight pins to the dresses. No ties or straps around the neck.Here is the formal dining room set for dinner. Look at that china Cheryl!!!
Here is the original flooring. Note the 3 different patterns in such a small area. The square in a square pattern was in the formal dining room, the 4 patch was the strip separating the 2 rooms, and the zig zag was in the informal dining area.Speaking of original flooring...the 2 tone wood was very grand. Here is the back hall way on the first floor. This hallway leads to the kitchen. It is beautiful and was one of my favorite parts of the house. The door at the end of the hall is a parlor. It looks much like the one I showed, and is now serving as storage. The mansion is still being remodeled.In this same hallway, just outside the kitchen are these bells. They also are original to the mansion. Each bell has it's own tone. Staff were required to learn these sounds and the designated number of rings. For instance 3 rings of a certain tone could mean Mrs. Ryan was calling for her tea.
Here is the kitchen, which also served as a laundry. The mansion is fully staffed with a cook/housekeeper, butler, gardener, and the owner. They had just finished a lunch of boiled ham and rutabagas. All meals served are those that would have been prepared in the 1870's and all staff (including the cook's 2 year old daughter) are wearing era clothing.Because the Ryan Mansion is also open for lodging, they have indoor plumbing, and full bathrooms. These are not shown on the tour, which I was glad for.