No Black Friday Here!

I do not shop the day after Thanksgiving. I also do not put up Christmas decorations on that day. (Although Sweetheart and Zach are putting lights up outside)

I spend the day after Thanksgiving the same way every year. Doing whatever I want!! This usually means sewing, or reading or watching movies...most of the time it is a combination of the three.
Our thanksgiving was wonderful as always. I did not get many pictures. I was too busy enjoying the day. I forgot to bring my camera out until the day was almost over.
Sorry for the blurry pics. I really need a new camera. My 8 year old niece, Casey, made turkey headbands for everyone. She had a STACK of them. Bud and Rachel look cute in theirs.
The little kids got Kyle to color with them for a while.Kyle is a great big brother, but an even better Uncle!!!Emerson adores him, as does TJ. Emerson loved her new dolly.

But she loved her Pumpkin Pie even more!!!!!! That's my girl!!!

Christmas Sewing and Thanksgiving Preparations

My Christmas sewing is moving right along. I finished hand quilting, and binding, this little number and made the bindings for 3 more, which are also to that stage.
I got 2 of them sewed on the front and they are ready to be hand stitched down in front of evening television.
I filled my candy dish with Bliss Meltaways....they truly are bliss...and stitched the next miniature on my list. These adorable American Jane fabrics are wonderful!
I need to mark and baste it and it will be ready for the hoop. I love this pattern by Thimbleberries and have made this block 2 other times. Once as a wallhanging and once as a block in my sister's quilt. Both times I screwed up the piecing of mirror imaged sections. This time I was very careful and had no mistakes!! I may use this pattern to make another one on my list!

I was blessed to see my grandkids over the weekend. They are getting so big!!!

I will have them for an entire weekend in mid December. I am looking forward to it! I bought Emerson a little dolly with a pacifier, bottle, and diapers for my house. She has been playing with dinosaurs and cars! All the baby toys are boy related as I did not have Charlotte until she was older. Emerson will be happy to have a new baby doll on Thanksgiving!
Speaking of Thanksgiving.......
I am working on getting ready for dinner for 30! I love hosting Thanksgiving, but I am afraid I am not at all organized this year. My mom and I did get all the shopping done yesterday. We got to the store and I asked her if she had the list. She looked at me and said, "I thought you had it"....we had to scramble right there in the aisle and make out our menu and shopping list. I hope we got it all!!!! Tomorrow is cleaning day and also making the dips, pies, fruit salad, and cakes, along with anything else that can be done ahead of time. Darn it! I just remembered we forgot the Jello!

I pray all of my American friends have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!

I am most thankful for my God, my family, and my friends!!!

Home School

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Uncle John

My Uncle John passed away this morning. He was 62 (I believe) and last week he suffered a torn aneurysm repair. He should have died right then, but his wife was there and got him immediate attention. A 4 hour surgery repaired the mesh that had torn away, and he was critical for the next couple of days. I prayed for him and was thrilled to hear he had made it and was on the upswing. Suddenly this morning he passed away. They are not sure why and will do an autopsy to find the cause. I have many regrets right now. I waited to go see him until he was out of CCU and into a room....that never happened. I was sure I had time. I had so much I wanted to say to him. I loved him dearly, and I did get to tell him that at my 30th Anniversary party. I hugged him tight, thinking he look sickly, pale and, all of a sudden, old. He is only 12 years older than I am. I had a bad feeling that day. If only I had gone to see him. Just a month ago I drove past his house. I did not stop in. Why not? I do not know. I haven't been able to cry yet. I am stuck in my regrets and actually quite angry with myself.

Church

It has been several days since my last post. I am still here and have been dealing with some life issues. While I share a little of my heart here, I thought I would also share these cool pictures. My mom sent me an e-mail that showed these awesome photos of a Church in England. It has been remodeled into a home. What would it be like to LIVE in a church? Not sure I could dig the cemetery in my front yard......but the inside is beautiful. Look at this entryway. When I moved back to my hometown, 9 years ago, I sought out a church immediately. I found a good one and stayed there for 3 years. While in this church we adopted Charlotte and Zachary. It was a place of friendships, worship, growth and love. Unknowingly, it was also a place of sin. It was a sad day when the Pastor announced he had been taking money and was losing his credentials for a time. The church dissolved and people scattered to other churches.
Isn't this living area incredible? I looked for another church too, but had some trouble finding just the right one. I ended up at a large 2000 membership church, where my son's future wife got saved....it was a great church and my son and his wife were married there. Too bad that the womb found out we attended there. We had to leave. I really dislike finding a church home. So much so, that I ended my search and just stayed home for a couple of years.
That wouldn't be a problem in this church home!! It was a problem here, however. I need a church. I can blame each member of my family for that, but I won't....I am not disciplined enough to church myself. Plus I need to be around other believers, and my children LOVE church!!
So I found Pine Grove. It has been a nice church. Wonderful people. A sweet spirit. The most giving group of believers you will ever find. Still, when it came to membership I found I could not join. There are scriptural standards that are important to me that were not there. I discussed them with the Pastor, and came to the conclusion that this lack of standards is not something I can live with. My daughter is seeing it and asking questions, and it will not be long before our own standards are lowered to a place of unholy lifestyle (Galatians 6:1). So, here I am again. Unchurched. Did I mention I really dislike looking for a home church? I feel like a church-hopper. Not something I believe in at all. It is a huge burden to find just the right church for your family. I know.....let the Lord lead you. I have no idea why He is not leading me to the right church. I plan to start looking right away. I do not want to fall into that hole of staying home again. It is so easy to do!

So, would you like to live in this church? I would!!

Off that subject, the kids are doing well. Home school has changed a bit. I have Anya full time and Alphia is being home schooled by her Mom. It is working well. Alphia still comes down for afternoon read aloud and on Fridays Cindy and I will co-teach the girls Bible study.

I am finished with the last little miniature I showed you. Even the binding is attached to the front! I plan to cut and piece another one today.

The kids have doctors appointments this afternoon for check ups. Other than that it is a cold dreary day. As I told a dear friend yesterday, our joy is not found in the sun, but in the SON, whose light shines upon us everyday!

Making Christmas Gifts

The gift making continues here in our home. Charlotte has created numerous dish cloths and has added dozens of rows to her Daddy's afghan.

I have been making more miniature wallhangings/table toppers. I just love little 9 patches made with 1" squares. They are so dang cute!!! Add some fence rails and 1/2 square triangles and you have the makings for a sweet little miniature. All I need to do is mark and baste it and it is ready for the hoop.I played around with a Christmas jelly roll.....Not at all thrilled with this little table topper. Zach had some fun with the strips....He wants me to stitch that creation up for him. LOL

My sweet friend Debi sent a package our way. She made Charlotte and Zach beautiful fall themed pillow cases. They are NICE!!! I want that pattern!She also enclosed a few things for me. A sweet pincushion, some notecards and a wallhanging kit. I am in love with the design and the fabrics are so me!!! Thank you so much Debi. You are such a blessing to me and my family...in more ways than one!!

Well I am smelling the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars I have in the oven. Better go check on them! Chicken Dressing Casserole for dinner tonight....one of our favorites around here. Click on the link to try the recipe! It takes a double batch for our family.

44 Day Crunch

Miniature number 3 is finished. Only 3-4 more to go....3 for certain and 4 if I have the time. The binding is still left to do, as with the other finished miniatures. I really like this one....the texture is wonderful and I love the colors.

So let's do an inventory....

the basket quilt is finished (sans label),

3 of 7 miniatures are done

and the fabric is set for the next 2

pillows and bags yet to make for Zach and TJ

a pillow needs to be made for Emerson

PLUS the fabric for Kyle's quilt and Charlotte's skirts are ready and waiting.

44 days til Christmas!!!

Kyle's quilt will be a simple checkerboard that I will tie. A matching pillow and curtain and he will be thrilled.The next miniature will be made with these two fabrics I picked up at Acorn Quilts yesterday.
The background (which does not show up at all in the pic) is gorgeous with a light background swirled in a creamy tan. The focus fabric is black with red berries and brown stems. Very shaker style. I plan to do a smaller version of a quilt I saw hanging on Libby's wall. I just loved it. You can see it here. It is the first picture in the post.

After that, I will do miniature number 5 using these fabrics.Not sure what pattern yet. I can only work on Kyle's quilt while he is at work, so I am limited with that one. Luckily, the miniatures will keep me busy.

I also picked up some fabrics for my Pine Ridge Quilt. I plan to get right back to that when I am finished with all the Christmas gifts. I picked up another yard and a half of background fabric (I just love Fusions by Robert Kauffmann) and 3 more greens for trees.The red 1/4 yard cut is for the binding of the last miniature. I sure enjoyed my fabric shopping yesterday!

As I am pounding away at the quilts, Sweetheart is keeping busy also. Today he and Zachary pulled the frig out and did the bi-annual cleaning.Lost toys were found and dust bunnies were killed! Charlotte did all her laundry today. After searching high and low for all the bath towels that were missing, I found 11 of them in Charlotte's closet. Yes, she did that load too! I wondered where they were all hiding!

Now, I am going to store all that fabric I pre washed and get my rotary cutter out to start making blocks for the next little quilt.

Have a blessed and productive week.

"And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing."

1 Thess. 4:11-12

My Birthday Weekend

It is extra special when your birthday falls on a Sunday, because then you get a birthday weekend!!!! It all started yesterday. My mom and I made plans to spend the day together, just like we did 49 years ago. She asked where I wanted to go and there was only ONE place!!!McHenry! My town. Sweetheart and I raised our boys here and I have such fond memories. My dearest friend lives there still....we have been close friends for 27 years, never losing touch and I don't think we have had one real quarrel. So that is where we went. We picked up my friend Sue , and went to Applebee's for lunch. It was wonderful. After that, we all drove by the old house. This is where we lived through most of our boys childhood.I was more than taken aback at the state of the yard and house. Though the house looks the same, it is not like Sweetheart kept it. I have such comforting memories of my time there. We went back to Sue's house and had such fun visiting and remembering our time spent together. We lived about 4 miles from each other and spent a lot of time together. Our children grew up playing with each other and we spent HOURS sewing together. Oh, the quilts we each made from start to finish, sharing the details every step of the way. Here are a couple of Sue's quilts. You can see her many quilts by visiting her blog. She hand quilts, hand appliques and hand/machine pieces. My mother is in awe of her!! (so am I) You will also get to "meet" her wonderful children (she has 6) and her youngest, Ruthie, is a dolly. Ruthie would not let me take her picture, but she was at the door, all smiles to greet us, and to wave goodbye!

My family gave me cold hard cash for my birthday and I went to Joann's for some purchases. I got 3 different corduroy's...2 for Charlotte and one for me...all for new skirts.And 3 yards of orange (Bear's orange to be exact) and a batting for an upcoming quilting project.
Yes, I used some of my birthday money to buy fabrics for other people....it was what I wanted! I still have money left over and plan to visit 2 quilt shops tomorrow. I came home around dinner time and found a box had arrived with my name on it. Inside was an abundance of wonderful smells and colors!!!Joann, my blogging friend, had sent me my favorite Bath and Body Works scented lotions and shower gel, a journal, an Elizabeth George book, a scented candle, Christmas dish towels, silk flowers, and 4 Let It Snow place mats. I felt very spoiled! Thank you, Joann!

Today is very laid back and low keyed. I baked pumpkins pies, drank coffee, and have a roast and potatoes in the crock pot for dinner.My son, daughter in law, and grandbabies are all coming for dinner very soon! Other than that, I was able to finish my second miniature and start quilting the third.....Seeing all of Sue's (4) large Christmas quilts done and bound made me want to get on the ball to finish my little ones!!! She has that effect on me!

Until tomorrow, when I will be visiting here.... I am praising God for His lovingkindness!