A new project

It's been really hard to get my get up and go going. Weather is so cold all I want to do is sit with a good book, wrapped in lap quilt and read with the noisy TV rumbling along in the background. It's been chilly with temps dropping into the 20's lately, snow promised which didn't arrive and wind storms on this the left coast.

I haven't been working on my block a day project instead have started yet another project that will not turn into a UFO. Last July at the family picnic my 22 yr old grandson asked me "Gramma, will you make me a new quilt, mine is way to small". I thought back to when I had made this quilt and realized it was for his 8th grade graduation and a lot of time has passed since then as well as growth as he's reached well over 6'4". Thinking all 3 of my grandsons are towering up to 6'7" I decided my goal should be 3 new quilts long enough to cover these long legged boys. Having made the mistake of asking what colors they liked I had to figure out what on earth I could do using neon orange, yellow, red, black and blue. The best I could do was choose 3 colors plus a black and do a sorta rail fence. Each one has different favorite colors, eye bleeding bright and black.




I started the first one having found the perfect batik black background with a pattern to it. Added some neon orange and a green. I have a good start almost half the blocks done on this one. Strips are cut and as I changed my mind in mid stream am short just a yard of solid black which necessitates at trip to my LQS for more. I would like to finish them all for Xmas and being realistic what with postage cost will have them done so they can take them home next July when they come to visit

Tomorrow I'm going shopping with my sister for Thanksgiving dinner. I've checked the weather reports which promise rain. I'm hoping there's not a repeat of last year when I woke up finding way to much snow to drive off my mountain. In any advent should it snow and I can't drive my BIL or Nephew will come fetch me and return me to home. John's ship is out to sea doing a cable repair and while they are supposed to be back in Portland on the 23rd this weather has delayed the repair and will certainly not plan on his being here for dinner.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving spent with family and friends.

Another day spent waiting on repair and delivery people. My new washer is all installed and been working quit well. This new washer isn't as fancy as the old one and doesn't have some of the nicer settings that the old one did but will make do. With everything being sent out of the country and hardly anything manufactured here in the good ole' USA things just aren't as good as they once were. My old washer lasted just 7 years and the one before that a good 20 or more. What I wouldn't give for some good old USA made appliances.

The plumber showed up on the heals of the washer delivery and nice guy that he was pulled out that nasty carpet in the bathroom and some of the staples. Not his job description but he did it anyway. Quite a few dollars later I now have a working toilet with a wet floor I am slowly drying.

Next up when the floor is dry I will have the fella out that installed my new flooring. He's saved the left over linoleum from the laundry room and it will be just enough to do the itty bitty bathroom floor. I've had my three's so now hopefully nothing else will decide to give up the ghost.

While the plumber was here I laid out and taped down my backing for the RR to pin sandwich it ready for hand quilting. Bless the plumber he said it was beautiful. I've started the quilting process. This one I am going to enter in our local fair this year and see if I can add another ribbon to the box I already have. It's not a large quilt, barely queen size and hangs just a bare 6" over the top of the bed but I'm not into having them so over sized they might as well be called bedspreads.



Tomorrow I go back to the LQS to pick up the background fabric I forgot to get yesterday so I can get back to my Block a Day which I haven't been able to keep up with. I'm not pleased with the way my photo's are printing out on fabric sheets as they are not sharp and the color isn't good. I've wasted so much ink and fabric sheets that I'm going to give up trying to print any more. Plus, they never print out where I want them too. I'm totally not printer savvy or I have a poor printer. I'm trying to make a memory quilt for my Roscoe and it's not working at all.


I'll leave you with Lady.

Lady Loves a Fire

It's been really cold in mornings and because my Wood guy hasn't called to tell me when he can deliver a couple more cords of wood for the winter I have been rationing what little fires I've had. Today he called and has several more cords for my winter wood so I cranked up the stove and raised the temperature in the house from 57 to 75 degree's. While this is a bit warm for me I can open the door to the garage and let some of the heat out. Lady loves a fire and will lay in front of the stove for days on end if it's got a fire in it. VBG

My block a day challenge has taken a back seat until I can get out to the LQS tomorrow and hopefully find some more of the fabric I have been using for background in my stars. I want to keep it consistent for some reason and haven't a clue why.

So tomorrow after the washer repair person comes I will go to town and hit the November sale at my favorite LQS. If I take a canned good for their food drive I can have 30% off one cut of fabric which will be nice as I need to get a backing for the RR. Also need to pick up 6 different colors to make a quilt for one of my grandsons who wants a real bright competition orange in his quilt and black to tone it down some. Kinda psychedelic I think. Lots of other good % off at my LQS as well.

Also need to call in the plumber as my master bedroom potty has developed a leak and I can't use it till it's fixed. It's leaked into the carpet in there (who ever decided carpet in the bathroom should be shot) so have to replace that as well which is a good thing as I am not pleased with it anyway.

Round Robins are finished

Today we exchanged our RR's. When all is said and done we all loved our finished top.
The suspence was killing us as we decided to wait till we were having our cinnamon bun break as we had to work on our Nieces top which we wanted to finish today and did.

Mine
Marcie
Pattie
Barb

Roscoe Blocks

I was thinking about Roscoe as I sat down to stitch up my blocks today. The sun was shining in the window where he used to lay as I sat at the machine. I don't know if others miss their pets when they are no longer here but I sure do miss mine.

Block a Day

Today I finished up cutting and sorting the strips into groups for our 2012 Family Raffle Quilt. I decided to do a block to make sure the measurements were correct. They were and I had to trim as I stitched each strip together. We have some stitchers in our group who haven't a clue what a 1/4" seam is and have to compensate by cutting an extra 1/8" to everything. I sometimes think they don't really care but just get 'er done. This is one of 2 blocks for our Triple Irish Chain.

I have cut pieces and parts for my Block a Day Challenge and finished my block for today. It's also a challenge for me to dust some left overs from other projects. I'm doing star in a star blocks in rich fall colors with some brights thrown in. I want to have every star different in some way. Today I felt rather down. While it was a sunny fall day I felt gloomy as is my block. I missed having my partner there in the sewing room with me. It's still hard to go in there and be productive but each day does get better.








My sweet great granddaughters at a 4-H event.
Reese raises chickens and does very well having won many championship ribbons. Brooke will follow in her footsteps as she gets old enough to participate in 4-H... Their Mom also raised chickens as her 4-H project and did very well winning many ribbons. I wish they lived next door so I could spend time with them.

A Kindness for Roscoe

Yesterday I faced the very difficult decision of calling Roscoe's vet tomorrow and making an appointment to have him Euthenized.

I sat and thought about what an active, feisty furbaby he has been all his life. From chasing his mice around the floor to playing soccer with bits of litter compared to these past few weeks when he became sicker and sicker and had to be hospitalized. The yahoo support group I found encouraged me with medications and sub-q IV treatment that I could give him a few more months of quality life.

I asked myself as I sat with tears in my eyes what kind of quality of life was I giving him? I look at my wonderful kitty and can't help but cry when I see him hiding behind the bathroom door, not eating, struggling to his water dish and litter box. The hardest part which makes my tears flow is his not wanting to be held. The struggle giving him medications that I have to force on him and the IV's is not being kind but cruel to a dying kitty.

Yesterday my sister asked me if I was going to have him cremated and if not her friends husband makes small pet shrouds. She has picked out a burgundy one for him and will go with me to the vets. Her husband is going to make him a box and prepare his final resting place out under the trees and ferns.

This has been a very difficult decision to make. I knew when he was hospitalized and I signed a DNR form that I had started coming to terms with loosing him. I am ready to end his pain hard as it is for me to let go. I will miss our lap times as he dances around while I brush him. I will miss him on the bed at night I will miss my companion when John is gone.

Roscoe

My beautiful clown Roscoe has just been in the hospital for chronic renal disease. He's at stage IV which is not good. I came home with several pills to give him, IV solutions to hydrate him as he develops dehydration because his kidneys are failing and not doing their job. Another med to sprinkle on his food to bring down yet another blood value. I don't think its right to force pills down him when I have to fight to get it done. I don't think he needs to be stuck daily to give him fluids or to force feed him. I think this is a cruel thing to do.

I sit here and wonder if he could speak to me what he would say. Would he tell me that he is at the end of his life and to let him go. Would he tell me that I am doing all these treatments to make me feel better because I'm just not ready to let him go. All these meds and treatments what do they accomplish but to stay off the end result of his deteriorating until there's nothing left of him.

I love my furbabie, he's been my friend for a lot of years. He's been my quilting partner who sits on my cutting table and watches to make sure I measure twice and cut once. He's been there when I needed special kisses, pets and purrs.

It hurts me to watch him try to go from one place to another when he needs to jump and he doesn't quite make it because he doesn't have to strength to do it and crashes down to the floor.

It hurts my heart to know that the only reason I keep on is because I don't want to let my beautiful, loving clown go away for good.

Living in the Garage

For the past week we've been living in the garage. The washer decided it should develop a leak and leak it did right into the living room under the pergo flooring, into the front closet and into the laundry room. Called the insurance company and before we could blink an eye we've had 5 industrial fans, 2 huge humidifiers in the house plus a fan under the house in the crawl space. Has sounded for almost like a week of having a 747 parked in here. Needless to say we have motivated out to the garage where we still are. Slowly the fans are leaving one by one. Today we have 3 fans and one humidifier with the promise of the floor being dried tomorrow and the fans etc. can be on their way to the next disaster. Tomorrow the flooring people are to come out and survey the damage and decide whether the whole floor needs to come up and be replaced.. My thoughts on this is if they can't match the flooring they can darn well replace all the flooring in the living/dining room and hallway. I will not have a shade difference. I pay every year to cover this kind of disaster they will take care of it properly.

It's been one long week with my cats living in the bedroom afraid of all the noise to come out until today when they have ventured out to the kitchen for treats. Poor little fur balls. they are so stressed out, haven't been eating properly and hiding under the bed.

Today I finally could stand the noise which has decreased with the fans leaving that I got in my sewing room and worked on the wedding quilt I am making for one of Johns friends. I didn't like what I was working with so off to the LQS and some Kansas Troubles fabric followed me home. I like this version of the Triple Irish Chain much better and can actually stand to work on it. I'm one of those who needs to like what they are doing and if it's not to my liking is really hard to keep focused. Other than this I haven't done a bit of sewing in ever so long.

Our raffle quilt received a red ribbon at our local fair this year. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of comments are on the judges tag. One of my sisters received a blue ribbon for her 12 Days of Xmas wall hanging all of us sisters did. I didn't bother to enter mine as I got too lazy to haul it up to the fairgrounds to enter it. I can still enter it next year if I choose to as we have a 2 year window to do so.

Must get going .....am off to watch one of my TV programs.

Design Wall Monday

I'm not sure I will like this when it's finished. I do like variety of color but the white alternate blocks just shout wrong out to me. I think I am going to swap out the white for cream.

Book Review

RESTLESS IN CAROLINA by Tamera Leigh

Bridget Pickwick is a 33 year old widow who is unable to come to terms with the death of her husband Easton. It's been 4 years and she still wears her hair in dreadlocks and her wedding ring. Even her niece and nephew think its time she sheds her widow weeds. Her family home the Pickwick estate is up for sale to meet family obligations. Bridget is set on finding an Eco-friendly buyer, one who won't turn it into a Industrial Park or housing development.

Enter J C Dirk whose family was cheated out of their land by one of the Pickwick's in a poker game. When it comes up for sale he is determined to reclaim his family's land by buying up the estate and turning it into a Eco-friendly golf course. Eventually he realizes he has to let the past go and withdraws his offer to purchase the Estate.

As Bridget works though her grief at the loss of Easton she gets rid of the dread locks, quits wearing her wedding ring and returns to God. As she falls in love with J C Dirk she finds out he is the son of Calhouns who were cheated out of his land. Their relationship falls apart until a solution is found to return the land to the Calhoun’s. Bridget finds there is a "happy ever after".

I was disappointed when I began reading this book and thought I would never get through it to the end. Much to my surprise, the book was very good and I read it cover to cover in one sitting. While there is a religious background I didn't feel as if I were being preached to. It is well written and once you get through the first few pages it holds your interest in that you wonder what will happen next. The story line flows from one page to the next with ease.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of their “Blogging for Books” program

Busy Week

It's been busy around here now that I'm finally finished with quilting the raffle quilt. It's done and in the hands of another sister for the binding and label to be added. It's a beautiful quilt, the colors are rich and the pattern different than we've ever done before. We try to keep the fabrics something that will go with anything and more country than anything else. This year I decided to do Baptist Fans and what a mistake I made with them.. Instead of starting from the top or bottom I started in the middle which left me with fans off their mark and little areas that needed a bit of extra fill. Am happy to know that next year my youngest sister is going to be quilting the raffle quilt and I have passed the this off to her.

I've been cleaning house. 4 months of constant quilting leaves little time for anything other than the bare necessities getting done. The bed got changed, the dishes got into the dishwasher, the laundry was kept up, the bathrooms cleaned and the floors swept. Dusting, window washing, floor mopping and all the other chores of keeping a tidy house got neglected. The past couple days I've been moving furniture, vacuming up mounds of kitty fur from under everything, washing windows and scrubbing floors. Spring cleaning in July.

The 4th party was wonderful. An adult party with very few little kids and we celebrated with gusto. Lots of good food and company. Some came early and stayed late, others came late and left early. Fireworks went on for several hours and still some flashes at 2 am the next morning. A big bonfire to keep warm by and smoores for those chocolate lovers. I stayed over as the party was at my sisters and jumped out of bed at 5 am to rush home and take care of my fur balls who both are diabetic. A good time had by all.

Today I sat down and sewed for the first time in months. One of my internet friend's daughter is having a baby and I finally got my block done and ready to mail in the morning. Next on my list is a wedding quilt for friends of John. I'm doing a Triple Irish Chain with hand dyed fabrics I had left over from another project and had no idea what to do with the left overs. It will be bright and colorful. I'm happy to be back sewing after such a long dry spell.

Roscoe

Today I took my fur baby into the vet once again. He's been having problems off and on for over a year for the same symptoms. Lately he's had blood in his urine and after a trip 12 days ago, a shot of a super antibiotic he still has blood in his urine. How does one tell that? I've a smart kitty, he came into the bathroom as I was using it, stepped into his litter, hung his behind over the edge and urinated on the floor.

I did my homework and went with a list of questions and symptoms. Between the Vet and I we decided he should have some IV fluid as he is very dehydrated, blood work, a urinalysis and ultrasound to determine whether he had bladder or kidney stones.

Dr. Sullivan just called me to report on the ultrasound. No bladder or kidney stones however, it showed a tumor or cyst in his abdomen which he aspirated and is sending to the lab. This could very well be the cause of all his problems.

Right now he is doing better with the IV fluids he is getting and he will be able to come home late tonight then go back for another IV in the morning.

Book Review

"Too Rich For A Bride by Mona Hodgson"

Ida Sinclair, having attended business school back East joins her two married sisters in Cripple Creek Colorado where she finds employment with Molly O'Bryan. She rejects the warnings of her sisters about the questionable business practices of Molly as she gains her ambitious move into a man's world. Not wanting suitors she finds herself falling in love with one of them. Ambition, greed, priorities, love, right and wrong all come into play as Ida makes her way into the business world.

I really enjoyed this book. It weaves historical along with fiction. Well written and a fast read.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of their “Blogging for Books” program.

It's been a year of really bad weather with tornadoes skimming across the country and landing in California. Who ever heard of such a thing, nut trees uprooted and rice sucked up to hither and yon. Way too much rain here in our green green pacific northwest, snow in Reno the end of May. Who ever heard of such a thing. I haven't been able to get out to do much in the way of yard work. I hire my nephew to mow my lawn and cut down the tall grasses that refuse to be nice out in my lot. The grass with all this rain grows faster than a person can keep it mowed down.

On the nice side we have had some nice sunny days with warm temps. Just a little temptation to get outside and dig in the gardens and hopefully plant some seeds that won't rot in the ground for all the rain and cold temps we've had here.

I've started to collect next winters wood. I like to get it early so it can "season"over the summer. I have a super sweet wood guy that brings me the cleanest, pretties wood one could want. Who you say wants pretty wood. Well, I do. I don't want old wood that's been sitting down for a long time and is dirty half rotted. I stacked a cord yesterday and I'm beginning to think I'm really getting past the age of stacking wood. I felt like a hundred year old when I rolled out of bed this morning, everything and I mean everything screamed to high heavens. Like what did you do to me. LOL

I'm still plugging along on our family raffle quilt. This year is going to be a nip and tuck to get it done on time. I over estimated the time I would have to hand quilt this monster and I've been spending a good 8 hours a day with it. My house has gone to h............. in a hand basket and I've got kitty hair enough to build three or four more. It's all I can do to keep the kitchen sink cleaned, the laundry done and forget anything called dusting. My fingers are so sore from pin pricks and letting me know "we aren't doing this next year, we are on strike".


I had some new visiters to my yard the other day. I guess this couple must have a nest down by the creek behind me. I got a glimpse of them, grabbed a couple pieces of bread and ran outside to feed the new visitors. They slowly came up in the yard, gobbled up the bread and proceeded to make their way back down to the creek. My sister out at the beach has a rooster pheasant with a harem, I have one little old Mallard Duck with a girlie.

Sewing with Sisters

We had another sewing day on Thursday to exchange our RR's and baste the raffle quilt for next year. Can't say as we did much sewing as compared to sitting around the kitchen table with our morning cupps's or at least 2 of us did and cinnamon rolls made up front and delicious. As would have it when it came time to hit the road for home I completely forgot the raffle quilt which I am hand quilting sitting in my sisters living room and now have to go meet her at her office to collect it and get busy on the quilting end of it.

I received my row robin back from my internet exchange. Lovely musical blocks in all bright colors that I am anxious to lay out and stitch together. It won't be a very large quilt but will make a nice throw on the bed topper to keep the big quilts from gathering so much Kat fuzz and fur. I hope to lay it out tmr after my dental appt. John is off to Seattle to the Coast Guard office so should have time to play with the blocks before he gets home.

Weather has been really windy but warm here lately. Went out to haul in wood this afternoon and found my tarp had blown off my woodpile leaving it exposed to the rain we have been having. Grabbed my wood for the day and replaced the tarp, staking it down so the next wind wouldn't make a sail of it for me to go chase down the road.
My kat has the biggest feet. All thums and looks like he has catchers mits where paws ought to be. lol

I haven't much to write on my blog. There's not much going on while John is home for his 2 months off other than the normal trips to the grocery store, the weather and our trips here and there to take care of his requirements for his job.

I did spend a good hour today cleaning and straightening out my sewing room, I do need a bigger room. It's so crowded with the LA in there that I hardly have room to turn around in. My siblings and I own a piece of property left to us by our Mom that we are putting up for sale this spring. I'm hoping it sells so I can build John a garage and convert the present garage into a sewing studio/game room. I can see it in my dreams.

Sadness

Today I learned that my former friends father passed away the latter part of September. It saddened me for he was a very special person who took me under his wing and called me his adopted daughter.

I spent many hours and holidays with his family and treasured every moment I spent in his company. He was like having my own father back for a short time. A lovely gentleman, caring and giving. He will truly be missed by all who knew and loved him.

I wish I could have went to his memorial service. I wish I could call and offer my sympathy to his wife, daughter, grandson and his wife and ask what I could do to help, but I can't.

It's been a few years since his daughter and I parted a friendship of many years. I don't know why to this day how this happened or why and have regretted more than once the loss of this friendship. I wish I could step across the street and let her know how very much I know what she is going through. It's a terrible thing for a daughter to loose her father, her confident, her friend.

It's a very sad day when someone you care about passes on and you can't even let the family know how much you cared about that person. He will always be remembered for the wonderful person he was.

Gratitude

For having shared a small part of this wonderful mans life who gave from his heart and expected nothing in return. For being a father figure when mine had been gone for a very long time.