Keeping Hope Alive

Hope is still alive....it should be for all of us, but here it also means that our visitor is still with us. She sleeps a lot, but don't all cats? She is actually sleeping curled up like the cat in the picture and not sleeping in a semi-sitting position like she is uncomfortable. She is eating small amounts and drinking the same. A wonderful woman from the local shelter came yesterday and brought her some antibiotics and assessed her wound. She will be seen on Wednesday, after the meds take hold, and have a leukemia test and also have that wound checked. She thinks maybe Hope was up in a car motor that got turned on. The wound is old and it is too late to stitch it up. If they have to do anything to it, she will need to be put to sleep and I (and the lady) doubt her weak state of being could take that. I am so afraid the vet will say she needs to be put down. I think I would decline that at this time. I have SO MUCH going wrong in my life right now (we all go through those periods in our lives where everything goes wrong at once) that taking care of this cat is giving me something positive to focus on. Something of value, ya know?

My sweet mom was interviewed on the local news. You can see her by clicking here. She is the second lady interviewed and her home was NOT broken into.

Off to get Kyle ready for work!!! Have a wonderful day!

I Almost Puked

A phone conversation with my mom.....

Mom: Did you do a new blog today?

Me: No. I probably won't do one until after Christmas.

Mom: Well could you at least do something for me?

Me: What?

Mom: Could you get that thing off of there????

Me: What thing?

Mom: That new ugly brown thing you have on there now. I almost puked looking at it.

Me: You mean the new background?

Mom: Yes. It is gross. You need to get rid of it.

Me: *laughing*

Mom: I tried to see if there was anyway I could change that on my computer so I wouldn't have to look at it.

Me: laughing even harder....Sure, Mom. I will work on that.

Mom: Good. Try and brighten that up. Jeez, that is ugly!

How's this one, Mom????? Better?

Happy Birthday Dad

Some things about my dad.....

He LOVES animals!!

He is an excellent golfer.

He does not have, nor does he want, a cell phone.

He is the oldest of 7 children.

He quit smoking a few years ago after 50 years!

He is a chess pro....I don't think anyone has beaten him.

After retiring from being a "factory toad" (his words), he works April-November at a golf course.

He plays cards every Friday night with his brothers.

He is very loved by his family!!!!

Happy 73rd Birthday Dad!

A Clean Slate

My mom appreciated all your wonderful birthday wishes for her and says "thank you". She had a great day! Breakfast with a friend, lunch with her sister, and then.....well, she came to my house to take me to the doctor. Yes, I will be 49 in a month or so and I needed my mommy! She opened her gifts from us while she was there. A large cut crystal with a rod iron stand (she loves all that shimmers and sparkles) and a sunflower candle holder for her kitchen. She loved it all, but said her blog post was the best gift ever! We had a bunco night last night too, so the lady partied from morning til bedtime!!!

I have not shared on my blog the health issues I have been experiencing, but now that I know the outcome, I will share that I will be facing a hysterectomy in the very near future. I am feeling it will be a great relief in my life and am trusting God in this situation.

I was able to get to the opening day of Acorn Quilts.The fabrics are incredible!!!! Look what I got. 1/2 yard cuts of these pretties for use in upcoming gifts.I was quite disappointed that there were no hand quilting supplies. We need very little, but what we need is very important. Little did I know, the owner was just waiting to speak to a hand quilter to find out what we would want her to carry!! WOO HOO!!! I gave her my list and she will be getting those things immediately! LOVE IT! I plan on taking my camera in and doing a post on Acorn Quilts....the owner was thrilled with that!

This morning was a "no school" time, so I decided to clean up the sty my sewing room/office had become. No before pics, but believe me, it was as bad as it had ever been. FILTHY and the dust was so thick you could write in it!....really. No floor space was empty, as my mess from sorting scraps was still everywhere. My cutting table, computer table, and ironing board were loaded with clutter. The closet....well that has been bad for quite a while. I started there....the closet. Now organized and neat!You can walk right into the room and not trip on anything!The cutting table is cleaned off, and Pine Ridge is split between the design wall and the paisley box under the left side of the desk, waiting til those Christmas projects are finished!Fabrics for those Christmas miniatures are set out and ready to be cut up!A clean slate. Ready to begin again!!!!!Thanks for stopping in!! Don't forget to give part of your day to Him.

Happy Birthday MOM

Here are some things about my mom.....

She grew up in an unstable home and had to grow up very fast. She married at 17 and had 2 girls. She is a devoted mom.....words can not express the devotion she has to her children. She will be married 50 years in February, so I would say she is also a devoted wife!When her sister was 11 years old, she took guardianship and raised her with the same love she gave her daughters. Ooops....I will explain later.....here....this is better.She was a wonderful daughter and daughter in law.She has 6 grandchildren, and she has a special relationship with each one of them.She has 4 great-grandchildren and was present at the birth of 3 of them!She is a great friend and has maintained close friendships for decades!She treats her animals better than most people treat their kids!!!!!Now, let's get personal......(insert evil laugh)
It takes several attempts to get a decent picture of her, because she will not stop talking!!!!....or she closes her eyes!!!!
My dad eventually gives up trying to "pose". Finally you get a decent pic of her, but you lost him!!!You DO NOT want to make her mad!!! She gets over it very quickly, but her wrath is not fun!She has a BIG potty mouth and is not afraid to use it!!!
Despite her sailor talk, her favorite word is "neat" and she uses it every opportunity.Her nails and toes are always done in hot pink!!She carries a Tide Pen in her purse. She should by all rights be required to wear a bib, but she opts for the Tide Pen. This day (my 30th anniversary celebration) it did no good....note the large soda stain on her belly.She loves the boats. Casino boats, that is. Give her a row of penny slots and she is content for an entire day!She never fails to amuse her girls. We have a story for every single trip we have ever taken with our mother (and they are many). Most of them have to do with bodily functions things that can not be mentioned here, but when we all get together, there is unmatched laughter at our poor mother's expense!
My mom is all of those wonderful and quirky things. She is a foundation in my life that I do not take for granted. Her very presence brings peace and safety and her heart can be felt by anyone who is near her.

Happy Birthday Mom....I love you!!!

Over the Hump Day

Yesterday was a full day. Sweetheart painted my parents bathroom so I got to spend the day with my mom. First we ran my basket quilt out to my friend Coleen's house. Coleen has the coolest sewing room. Since she hardly ever blogs....though she DID just update her blog the other day...I will show you around. Here is Coleen at one end of her large L shaped studio which is in her basement. Her husband built her walls and even put a door on.Coleen has a fabric stash that would put many quilt shops to shame and a book collection unmatched. She has a collection sewing machines and this mid arm quilting machine. This is where she will baste my basket quilt. I could not watch. Again...she gets me and is fine with my prejudice toward hand quilting. We have been friends since I met her in my old guild over 16 years ago. Coleen also has a massive design wall. Here she is doing a couple of monthly classes. Did I mention she is addicted to quilting classes?? (((hugs))) I love all these blocks. We like the same colors...you will find few pastels in her collection, though she did buy some recently, and donated some to the Basket Case.This is one of my favorites...it is called "Wine and Cheese" and the picture does not do it justice. I was with her when she bought the kit. The fabric is gorgeous!These are blocks from a 1930's swap she was in.
And this is her masterpiece. All hand appliqued. Gorgeous! That is a hummingbird in the center. Coleen LOVES hummingbirds.Her new obsession is wool applique and you can see her project on her blog.

After we left Coleen's, I took my mom to run errands. We ate lunch at the mall and went to Bath and Body Works. I love that store. I got some body cream in my new favorite scent, Coconut Lime Verbena, another foaming soap in that scent and another in Spice. Also they have this hand lotion called Cashmere Shea that is awesome. A teeny tiny tube is $14.50, but they were on sale for $6. All a gift from my mom.

Back to my parents where Sweetheart was finishing up the painting. Mom made us Pizza Pie for dinner. It was so good.She smiled after I took the picture! She was not thrilled with my shoving the camera in her face. LOL

I had to pull out a bunch of those pastels when I got home. I know...I feel like I have eaten too much cotton candy!! I needed to get going on a baby quilt. We are having a shower for a new baby girl in the church at the end of the month. I am putting it together and Coleen is going to quilt it on her mid arm....yes, she is. Coleen goes to my church too and will be giving the quilt along with me as a gift of love. I am hoping to have the top together today so she can take it with her when she drops off the Basket Case. It will be 7 rows of 7 blocks, all 6 inches, measuring out at 42" square. Not too difficult.I can't wait to get my hands on that basket quilt! I have several other tops I want to get going. A couple are already started. Winona listed her August goals yesterday, and though my own are no where near what she has planned, I would like to make a dent in a couple of projects. Once home school starts, my time at the machine will be very limited.

Also, I wanted to tell you of a brand new blogger. Go over to Pins and Needles and meet Chris. She is a quilter who loves hand applique, hand piecing and hand quilting. She also has a garden and grandkids, so she will be a fun new blog to read!

I better get back at it. Sweetheart is working at his mom's today so the day is mine!! Remember to give God some of your time today!!!