Life Around Here

Isn't that sweet? I bet you are thinking Sweetheart gave it to me. Nah! It was a gift for Kyle!!! YIKES! He has a "friend". She actually seems very sweet and we had her over for pizza and a movie on Saturday afternoon. Her name is Niki. She seems just around Kyle's same level of function...around the pre-teen age, though she is 20. Oh my gosh, they are talking marriage! Now that will not happen, but they can dream, right? Kyle is very loyal. He had a girlfriend for 12 years. She went to school with him and then 8 years ago we moved away. He has not seen her since, but just "broke up" with her a few months ago when he decided he wanted to be single again. It was very cute. I loved when Krissanne was his girlfriend. I never had to worry cause she was just not around! Niki lives in a girl's group home less than 10 minutes from here! I make sure they are not alone and other than his arm around her in the picture there is not even hand holding. I know I have at least a dozen more grey hairs since Saturday!

Friday, I went to lunch with my mom and then we came back here and played a game of Phase 10. It looked like I would win, but she came from behind and whipped me good!! She began to sing "LaLaLaLaLa"......get it? She said "It's over. The fat lady sings!"Emerson and TJ came for a couple of hours while Mom and Dad ran errands. Emerson was not so sure about "Old Grandma".....That bottom lip came out and she cried when my mom looked at her. She did warm up very quickly and was soon giving Old Grandma lots of smiles. She is at that age where she knows people. She loves her feet.....
She is such a sweet baby!

Let's see....I am reading Debi Pearl's, "Created To Be His Help Meet" I have read many books on marriage and you would think after almost 30 years I would know what to do....well I do know, but need reminding every once in a while. Also, it is good to be fresh as you will run across young women who need help. I am truly enjoying this book. I had just finished the Love Dare book (from the movie Fire Proof) and wondered if I would be bored with more "marriage" reading, but I am thrilled with what I have read so far. In the beginning of the book she asks you to list 10 things you would like to see changed in your marriage. I honestly could not come up with more than 5, (and those were basic, unequally yoked things, like "pray together" and "family devotions") so I asked Sweetheart to tell me 1 thing he would change in our marriage. He had to think too and I was totally shocked at his answer..."I would want a happier wife." Wow. I had no idea I was not showing joy. Ok, so I had a small idea of it. Life has not been the bed of roses I had planned for my 40's and into my 50's. After he said that, I began to read and can you believe it???? This is what I read...

"Being pitiful, hurt, discouraged, and even sickly is one side of a "bad marriage" coin. Men, in general (your husband in particular), are repulsed by women who project this image. A man's spirit tells him his woman is rejecting him and manipulating him when she regularly manifests a broken spirit, and he will react with anger. The other side of that coin includes having a bitter, angry, and resentful spirit."

Wowzer! Theeeen, I read this....
"A wise woman sets a joyful mood in her home. Through laughter, music, and happy times, she creates a positive attitude in her children. She knows that a lighthearted home relieves her husband of stress."

Lots to chew on there. I found it ironic that the first 2 chapters (I haven't went any further yet) had to do with the 1 thing my Sweetheart would change in our marriage. I am excited to read more.

Sunday, we attended church and had a wonderful potluck lunch afterwards. It was such fun! Yahtzee, and Phase 10 were how we spent the rest of the day. I was able to spend some time quilting too.

On the quilting front, I have 4 1/2 rows out of 7 done on the Hidden Star. This pic shows 4 rows.

I am still hand quilting on my sister's quilt, and I got all the Peter Rabbit panels cut out. Zach tried to put them in story order for me. I totally forgot to record the story order. Oh, well. It will be fine.
I also ordered 600 1 inch hexagon papers so I can get my hexagon flowers cut and prepped. The fabrics are all ready to wash...aren't they gorgeous!?I will add to them, but these will give me a nice start. I think I will do the centers in the yellow, then a solid coordinating fabric, then the print for a 3 layer flower.

And last, but not least,
I want to wish Winona a very Happy Birthday!!!!Yes, that is a rat on her shoulder! It is such a lovely picture of her though. The rat is her grandson's pet. Make sure you stop by Winona's blog and wish her a happy birthday!!!!

SHE DID IT!!!!

Winona started a blog!!!! You can find her here. Go over and see the gorgeous quilt she finished for her granddaughter...not the one she is holding, but her other granddaughter...and tell her "Hey". I am so excited...I love talking to Winona and now you can all talk to her too!

Excitement

Well things certainly livened up around here! The mailman came and brought some excitement! Winona (no blog, yet) sent me this gorgeous purse and accessories! It is just beautiful. Look at the wonderful crosshatching on the bag....Included were matching wallet...the slots are incredible (I forgot to take a pic of the inside), a coin purse (with a penny for luck), a kleenex holder, and a glasses case!!I just love it all!!! Thank you SOOOO much Winona!!!! I have everything all organized in there. It was not difficult as the inside of the purse is full of wonderful pockets!!!I know...5 tubes of lipstick, but a girl has to be prepared!

Winona also included little packages for Charlotte and Zach. She made them crayon holders. Charlotte has hers loaded with crayons now. Zach, also, and he used his this morning during math. The kids say "Thank You WINONA!!!!!Winona and I chit chat on the phone once in a while....along with quilting, diet, husbands and grandkids, we love to talk Biggest Loser!! Last night we were both thrilled to see our favorite win!!! Our least favorite almost slipped and fell. I had a bad thought, but soon contained myself! She really was mean!!!!

I, too, have been busy sewing and am almost finished with my last project. I can't tell you what it is, but I love, love, love this fabric. It is Moda, 3 Sisters, Vienna Nights Collection. It is part of my Galena fabric, and is almost gone now.

Along with the excitement of Mail, Biggest Loser's finale, and sewing, My little Emerson came for a visit. TJ came too, but avoided the camera like the plague. I am glad Emerson can't run!!! I just have to share some of my newest photos of her. These were taken just after I fed her cereal and a bottle. The girl likes her food!!!!We shared stories back and forth....she listened intently until she had something to say.She ooooooed and aaaaaaaaahed and used her hands to animate her story the entire time.Then she would notice those animated hands and stop to look at them for a moment.Then she would talk some more.Oh, she also found her tongue.....see.....After a while, she was ready for her nap. She always likes something over her face when she sleeps. She will turn her face into a blanket if you don't give her something to half cover her whole head!"Enough with that camera, Grandma. Let a girl get her beauty sleep!!!"She slept most of her nap with her little hand up in the air..... I think that is enough excitement for one day, don't you???

Hope your day is blessed!!!!!

Winona's Quilts

Progress is being made on Emerson's Sunbonnet Sue Quilt. Those girls "pop" when you quilt around them. It is a wonderful effect. With 8 blocks and all the sashing strips finished, I settled in to finish that last block....My quilting thread was just about gone!!! I thought I had another spool. If not it would be a disaster. I would need to go to the other side of town to get some...that is not as easy as it sounds with our schedule. After all kinds of hunting I found a brand new spool in my "take-along" bag.I finished that block and have moved on to the borders. Many of you may "know" Winona from your comments box. We have become great e-mail friends and I just love her! She is close to my age, has grown children, which she homeschooled, and grandchildren who are as adorable as my own! We have alot in common, but a major common thread (pardon the pun) is that we both love to hand quilt! I have bugged Winona to death about starting her own blog, as her e-mails are wonderful to read. She is thinking about it and will hopefully start a blog after Christmas. In the meantime, I have permission to share some of her wonderful quilts with you......

This pink baby quilt is Winona's latest finish. It is gorgeous. It is very close to the size of Emerson's quilt. I am certain she started quilting this well after I began Emerson's quilt. Did I mention, she hand quilts?? Yes...she is like Sue, in that she gets much done with her time. Not a "time waster!" (hanging my head)This is one of my favorites. I can tell it is Thimbleberries...another thing Winona and I have in common....we both LOVE Thimbleberries. Isn't this wonderful!!?? Her cutie is posing at the bottom of the pictureMany of you quilter's were doing the "Orange Crush" mystery with Bonnie. Winona did it too, but you never got to see it...until now....Gorgeous!!!!!

This next quilt is one that Winona is still quilting on. There are 39 pieces in each block!!! It is her granddaughter's quilt and is called "Ava's Hearts". It is stunning!

Winona's birdhouse quilt....hand appliqued circles...She is just as infatuated by the backs of her quilts as I am!!! Look at this hand quilting on the back of the birdhouse quilt. Incredible!Here is Winona's Checkerboard Cherries. She hand quilted cherries in the borders...Wonderful!!!
Since it is fall, I thought I would show a couple of Winona's fall quilts. She has made several...it was very difficult to "pick" which quilts to show you. Here are my 2 favorite fall quilts.
I LOVE IT!!! Look at that quilting!!!!

Winona is also a bag lady....she makes wonderful bags! Here is a diaper bag she made for her daughter. Notice the quilted hearts on the top panel....So what do you think??? Tell her ladies!! I thought so!!!! See Winona, they all want you to start your own blog!!!!!!