it's in the cards, part 2 . . .

Saturday's goals:

Complete Sawyer and His Pal redwork block. Check.
Read newest issue of Tea Time. Check.
Read Invitation to Tea. Check (decidedly *not* my cup of tea).
Make homemade peach ice cream. ______

What? Where's the check there? That was the BIG definite!

Todd wasn't feeling well yesterday; he still isn't this morning. And since I'm struggling with this spider-bite spot, the ice cream just didn't happen. Perhaps today? Oh, and as for the book I tried online? I don't know if it was the plot, or the fact that it was not a book in my hands that made it not for me. I may have to see if I can find this one at the library and give it another shot.

Today I thought I'd finish up showing some of my favorites from the challenge show our guild had last week. I noticed that I didn't get photos of all the cards; guess when you're moving around a room with a hundred other women, and you're on one leg and a rolling walker, you take what you can get! Anyway, here is some more of our guild's awesome work . . .

I liked this one, of course I'm a sucker for
Christmas and Christmas trees:

But what I liked was that the quilter didn't copycat
the card; she made her quilt based on her interpretation of
the card, which was what the challenge was all about.

Besides, I thought this would be a darling table topper
in the holiday season!

I must have not been able to get in to get a good shot
of the card that inspired this quilt. It was
dimensional -- as is the quilt. I don't know if you
can tell that from the photo.

This one won first place in its class!

Again, my photo doesn't do justice to the colors
of this one. It rather reminded me of Camp MACOBA,
and so it was definitely a favorite!


Dragonflies . . . and pretty colors. I wish the dragonflies
had been better set out from the background.

This piece won third place in its class.

This was a cute one based on on a Mary Englebreit
card and the corresponding envelope
(I managed not to capture a photo of either) . . .

It was happy and made me smile ... perfect for a
wall in a sewing room!

Loved this quilt based on a Mother's Day card
the quilter had received from one of her daughters.

Look at all the hexie-flowers in that center!!

Another cute one . . .

Really, the colors were far more vivid. I think my flash
may have washed it out a little. The quilter noted
that she collects wine corks, and wanted to do a quilt
that incorporated them. The 'cork tassels' that embellish
her quilt are darling!

This one was based on a Christmas card. I love that
every SINGLE piece of fruit was appliqued on the quilt.
It was so very pretty!

And that wraps up the challenge! There were lots of entries, I just couldn't get pictures of them all. Now that the guild challenge is behind us, attentions of the guild will quickly turn to next year's quilt show. I have to decide if I'm going to enter a quilt or not. It's so much...pressure! LOL! But I really enjoyed it last year, so I imagine I'll go ahead and do it again.

Good gracious . . . I need to get busy!

:)

homemade ice cream . . .

Today. I will keep my leg elevated (both for the healing break *and* the spider bite). I will work on my next redwork block, Sawyer and His Pal, I will read from the latest issue of Tea Time, which came in yesterday's mail *yay!*, and I will start reading a book online, Invitation to Tea, which I found thanks to Angela McRae.

And maybe make some homemade peach ice cream. Well, probably.

More than likely.

Many years ago, probably close to seventeen, I bought a little 1-pint Donvier ice cream maker. It was fast (sometimes instant gratification is a good thing), incredibly easy, the kids could help, and it was just big enough for the three of us.

As the years passed and the kids grew older (and ate more ice cream in a serving), the Donvier got set aside and forgotten. Until recently. Since the kids are grown and gone and we're just the two of us now, we don't need a big ol' ice cream maker (and really, we don't need a whole lot of ice cream in the house to tempt us). And since space is at a premium in the RV (and the RV's freezer), it's easier to make the ice cream we occasionally want to eat.

It became apparent that it was time for the Donvier to re-appear.

I pulled it out this week to try and make a
sugar-free, low-fat vanilla ice cream.

I whipped up my five ingredients . . .

Poured the mix into the chillfast container . . .

Snapped the lid on and inserted the crank handle . . .

And I churned . . . and churned . . .

And churned a little more . . .

And in less than 20 minutes, I had a pint of ice cream!

Topped with cherry sauce and a little whipped cream . . .

Very tasty.

Okay, I will *definitely* be making some
homemade peach ice cream today!

Happy Saturday!

:)

weekend time!!

Interesting (?!?) events always seem to find me. Sometime Wednesday, at work, I was bitten by some thing. My first thought was that it was a mosquito or flea (we keep a cat in the office). It itched a little, but it looked of little or no consequence. Yesterday morning, there was a dark, purplish line in the center (about the size of a lead tip for a mechanical pencil), surrounded by redness, but it didn't really bother me at all. It got a little bigger as the day wore on, but not alarmingly big. This morning there was definitely a blister-looking thing at the center, and it was raised and hot. The red area was about 3" in diameter. The doctor said it's probably a spider bite -- either a brown recluse of a hobo spider. Nice! Hardcore oral and topical antibiotics for 10 days, and I go back Monday for him to look at it again. I have to laugh and shake my head!

Yesterday was a productive, albeit quiet, day. I worked on redwork block number five . . .

This one is, "Sawyer's First Day of School"! Have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying the stitching aspect of redwork?!? :)

Then I found time to peruse through the current issue of Quilter's Home magazine. I don't typically buy magazines ('cept for my beloved Tea Time), because of the RV space, but this one had several articles that I felt were "must reads," so I wanted to pick it up.

First of all there was this article on Julie Herman of jaybird quilts. Julie writes one of my favorite blogs (not just of quilting blogs, but of *all* the blogs I read). When she posted on her blog that this article was out, I knew I'd want to read it. It was a good one!

Plus, Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs also was interviewed for an article in the magazine! I've enjoyed the Bunny Hill free block of the month patterns for the past two years. I knew I'd want to read this article, too!

And then I had a chance to flip through this book I finally picked up on crazy quilting . . .

Click on the photo for a direct link to this book on Amazon (where it was priced a LOT better than it was at Books A Million), and you can even thumb through the virtual pages!

In between all that, I also got my hair cut & styled yesterday. I haven't had anyone cut my hair since October, 2008. Not because it didn't need it, but because I hate having my hair styled. I've lived in Alabama for over 14 years and haven't yet found someone who can work magic with my hair! Anyway, yesterday I bit the bullet and went to the same stylist that my daughter used. My daughter was very pleased with how the stylist handled her hair, and since Joc has similar hair to me (lots of fine, board-straight hair that cannot hold a curl), I thought I'd be okay. She did a good job, but I'm not sure it's me. It looked pretty enough, but it sure took a lot of work! LOL! Perhaps when I wash, dry and style it on my own, I'll be okay. It does still go back in a clip and a ponytail, so for now I'm good.

This will be a quiet weekend while I keep my leg propped and antibiotics popped! And work on redwork!

TTFN!!

:)

dakota cabin quilts on 'the lost arts' . . .

Good things can definitely come from the FabShop Hops. For one, you might, JUST MAYBE, be selected as one of the MAJOR prize winners. I've never been, but people have, so shop-hopping paid off for them. It's paid off for me in several ways . . . twice I've won coupons to online stores (which I've promptly used) and I often stumble across quilt shops that I might not have otherwise found.

Such is the case with Dakota Cabin Quilts.

I came across this site looking for that elusive, fast hopping bunny, and found a quilting shop's site that I truly enjoy. It's well laid out and is neat and organized. I even signed up for the newsletter, which I love to read. In fact, by permission, I'd like to share some very poignant words from the July 18th newsletter:

Good morning.

I recently overheard a casual observer refer to quilt-making as a "lost art". The man and his wife were standing in front of a beautifully pieced quilt on display. They were talking about the quilts made by their mothers and grandmothers, then sadly lamented, "it's such a shame that quilting is becoming a lost art".

I couldn't help myself. I introduced myself, and politely explained, "Quilting is the number one indoor hobby for women in the USA, ahead of scrap booking. Fortunately, the art of quilt-making is alive and well."

"The total number of quilters in the USA now exceeds 21 million, and 14% of USA households are home to at least one active quilter," I said, quoting the most recent Quilting in America survey. As we visited a bit, I urged the couple to visit their local quilt shop, or attend a quilt show.

I know quilting isn't a lost art. Far from it. But why not? Why did quilt-making stand the test of time, when other textile arts such as tatting, spinning, weaving, smocking, and some types of needlework are not as commonly practiced as they once were?

I have my theories. I'd like to talk to an expert, and I really should go to Lincoln, Nebraska, to visit the International Quilt Study & Museum.

But, in my mind, a variety of factors contribute:

1.) Tools. I know, I know, I'm a "gadget girl". But, the invention of the rotary cutter, accurate acrylic rulers, and self-healing mats transformed quilt-making forever. That, along with wonderful sewing machines & long-arm quilting machines, made a world of difference.

2.) Useful beauty. Set art quilts, wall quilts, and decorative quilts aside for a moment. Bed quilts are really useful. In fact, I don't know what our family would do without them. Car quilts, picnic blankets, sleeping/sun mats, or a warm wrap on a chilly day. Wedding, graduation, baby, or Christmas presents. Lap quilts, throws or bed quilts. Warm seasons, wet seasons, cold seasons... Quilts come in really handy. Dedicated quilters make a lot of quilts, and immerse themselves and those around them in their creations.

3.) The quilting community. From the leaders in our industry (pattern/fabric designers, educators, historians, award-winning artists, and more), to the quilt guilds, and the families and friends who stitch together, quilting is about the people. We're a pretty cohesive group. It's hard to sum up in a few words: creative, artistic, passionate, hard-working, dedicated, generous, and at times just a little crazy. Of course it never hurts to have a great sense of humor about life & it's challenges.

Case in point. A quote from an "Itty Bitty Witty Knitty" card: "A queen-sized quilt is 83” x 92”- 3,435 of these little jobbers… What do you suppose are the odds of finishing the top before Jesus comes back?"

We all know there's something a little bit strange about starting with a lovely stack of fat quarters, carefully cutting them up into little pieces, arranging and rearranging them, and stitching them back together again. And yet, we do it. For the simple pleasure of making something unique and beautiful with our own two hands.

Quilting is not a lost art.

The reason?

It's you.

Wasn't that wonderful? Dwell on that for a while -- we're forging a history for quilting that will be quite unlike any other of the textile arts she mentioned. How cool is it to be a part of that movement?

Very cool indeed!

:)

ps -- now go visit Laura at Dakota Cabin Quilts and sign up for her newsletter! :)

it's in the cards, part 1 . . .

I wanted to share, while they're still fresh in my
memory/thoughts, some of the challenge quilts
that were on display at our last guild meeting.
Our guild alternates a challenge show with
a quilt show; this year was the challenge.
I shared with you the quilt/card my darling friend,
Tina, entered on Friday. Here's a few more
of my favorites, along with the cards that inspired them.

This card is a picture of the quilter's home.
She'd commissioned an artist to draw her home for
note cards for her husband

Based on the card, she created this quilt . . .

It won best-of-show! Check out the clouds -- love it!

I adore fall, so it's no surprise this entry caught my eye . . .

In fact, I think this may have been my personal favorite.

I voted for this one as "best representation of challenge"
and that's indeed what it won!
(Along with a place in its category!)

I thought this one was a cute card . . .

My picture of the quilt hardly does it justice.
I loved her attention to details -- and that she
doubled the cupids and had them blowing kisses
to each other. So sweet!


This was a beautiful little quilt. The quilter told
me she'd found the vintage card at an antique shop!

She won first place with her entry!

Last -- for today -- is this darling little bluebird card and quilt . . .


Blue birds have always been a favorite of mine.
This quilter did a wonderful job replicating the card onto fabric!

Enough for today . . . I've got another handful to share later.
Again let me say, we have such incredibly talented and
creative quilters in our guild!
I'm hoping it will rub off on me . . . LOL!

Happy 'over the hump' day!

:)

fun stuff, redwork, and grandbaby . . .

I think I remember sharing that I had won one of the
raffle prizes at my guild meeting on Thursday night.
Here's what I won . . .

That cute little Mary Engelbreit box was filled
with a happy surprise . . .

Lots of prettily colored safety pins!
And I love safety pins, too! :)

And perfect timing for this bit;
don't you know that little redwork quilt pattern is crib-sized?

As was the *dreamy* batting I won!
Yay! It was meant to be! :)

Speaking of redwork,
here are the next three blocks that I finished . . .

Sawyer goes fishing with Grandpa.


Sawyer chats with a wren.


And, Sawyer flies a kite!


It really is a cute pattern. I've got six more to go.
They get a little harder (more intricate). And you'll
notice I started with some of the simplest ones!
I think I'm making good headway on one of my
Charming Girls Quilt Club July/August goals!

And here is my sleeping Sawyer.
He'd fallen asleep against me on Saturday,
and I was so content to just sit back and hold him. Yum!

Sweet, sweet, sweet.

And here's Sawyer with his Daddy! He so loves his Daddy!

He was saying, "Look at me, Grandma! Daddy's got me!"

*grandma sigh*

:)

just a quickie . . .

I'm falling in love with redwork. I'll post pictures tomorrow (it's the story of my life) . . . but for now let me just say that I've finished *four* of the ten blocks! In addition to "Sawyer sends Grandma a letter," I've also finished, "Sawyer goes fishing with Grandpa," "Sawyer talks to the wren," and "Sawyer flies a kite!"

I think, when I finish with these and put together the quilt top, I may have to pull out the "A Tisket, A Tasket" pattern that Bunny Hill Designs did as their free 2009 BOM. I was saving those for an applique project, but I'm thinking perhaps that I might just take needle and floss to those patterns!

Todd is meeting with directors from two other church camps this week; one is Camp Maranatha, which is a Presbyterian camp in Scottsboro. We stayed there two years running for our high school retreats, and always had a blast. (Well, except for when James had his basketball accident that took out his kneecap!) And the second camp is the Marshall Baptist Retreat Center. I didn't even know that one existed, and I'm wishing I could go visit, too! (Work calls.) We're trying to get some organized plans for updating Camp Macoba, and making it as user-friendly as possible.

Two weeks and two days until my next doctor's appointment. I'm starting to get very, very restless. I've been more inclined than ever to put this foot down and WALK! I'm not; I have just enough fear to not mess up the healing I've got going -- but it is TEMPTING!!

After church yesterday, Todd & I picked up some pizza and headed to Macoba and spent the afternoon at the RV. It was nice! We saw a couple of goldfinches hitting the feeders, and watched a raccoon walk up the road to somewhere! We also had a visiting squirrel and assorted bird friends. They're slow coming in, but the wildlife is coming. It took a while at the first site, too. Oh, and I almost forgot . . . right off the bat we saw a lone deer. We were coming up the hill and Todd spotted it on the edge of the woods/road. We stopped and it stopped and we just watched each other for a bit, before the deer decided to make tracks into the woods. So I've seen deer every time I've visited up there since the accident! :)

Okay. Enough for now. Guild challenge, raffle booty, and redwork pictures for tomorrow! (And maybe one or two of Sawyer?!? LOL!)

Enjoying Monday . . .

:)

among other things . . .

Today is happy ice cream day!! Whoohoo! Actually, in 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared July National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day! I knew there was a reason I liked that guy!

Baskin-Robbins, the original "31 Flavors", is celebrating the 'holiday' by retiring five of their less-favored flavors and replacing them with brand new flavors. The retiring flavors are Apple Pie a la Mode, Superfudge Truffle, Campfire S'mores, Caramel Praline Cheesecake, and French Vanilla. No word on the new flavors.

So, in honor of the occasion, sound off on ice cream! What's your favorite way to eat ice cream? In a bowl, in a sundae, on a cone, or out of the carton?!?! Do you buy it in the store, from a specialty shop, or make it homemade? What's you favorite flavor??

My current favorite flavor is Nutty Buddy. YUM!! I pick it up at my local Publix -- Purity brand -- and I eat it out of the bowl, generally speaking. Sometimes with a little whipped cream on top!

**

We do have a little hand crank, no salt needed, 4-serving ice cream maker. It's fun and I've got the tub in the freezer, cold and ready, so that perhaps I can make a little sumpin' as a nod to the day!

Celebrate -- have a scoop (or two or three)!! I scream, you scream, we *all* scream for ICE CREAM!!

:)

**photo courtesy of Purity Dairies

red, white, and sawyer . . .

Two things today . . .

First, I did manage to finish off my first "Overall Sawyer" (the pattern is really named Overall Sams Quilt) block of redwork yesterday evening. Yay! He's so cute! Not as cute as his namesake, of course!

This one is "Sawyer sends a letter to Grandma." The next one I'm working on (it's prepped and ready) is "Sawyer goes fishing with Grandpa."

My biggest challenge is that I do not have an iron or ironing board here, nor do I have any of my rulers beyond my 6.5" square, so I've had to be innovative (or rather, rudimentary) in preparing my blocks. I've not been able to heat transfer the patterns, so I've had to trace them. Which is fine, they're just backwards from how they're pictured on the finished quilt on the pattern!

The second is this . . . I've been tossing around ideas in my head for quilting for my grandchild and future grandchildren. I was thinking of perhaps doing time line quilts for each of them, as they come. I'd mentioned in an earlier post (I think--it may have been on facebook) that I'd like to stick to 'quilt as you go' projects, because of the space issues of the RV. Plus, a quilt as you go project would allow me to have 18 finished blocks ready to put together, bind and give without feeling pressured to finish a top, quilt it, and finish it.

I think it would be fun to make a block each year that somehow chronicled that year with my grandchild. Favorite colors, theme of fabric, embroidered dates or places, appliqued hand prints or whatever . . . a time line of grandma/grandchild memories. It would be sort of like the Grand Hands quilt I did for my mom (method), only over 18 years. Anyway, I think it's a sweet idea . . . anyone have any thoughts? Pros, cons, or advice?

Saturday! I get to spend time with Sawyer again today!

Ciao!

:)

charmed, i'm sure . . . !

I don't usually blog twice in one day, but today I'll make an exception for several reasons.

The first is because I can't do what I *was* doing any longer, which was redwork! Yes, I've almost finished my first little redwork Sawyer, and I'll share a picture of him tomorrow. That is, *if* the power comes back on any time soon and I can see what I'm doing!

Backstitching by candlelight is not my thing . . .

The second reason is because I came across a novel idea in several of the blogs to which I subscribe. It's called the Charming Girls' Quilt Club, and it's hosted by Kelly, at Cotton Charm Quilts. You'll actually find it on her blog, Charming Chatter.

She sets up bi-monthly themes, and members post their goals toward this mark, share them on her blog, and encourage each other through the months! It's really a splendid idea, and I feel fortunate to have been included [whispering: because I was a tad late]!

So. The theme for July/August is:

This is a little ironic to me, because I've been receiving a lot of attention over the past two months, due to an accident which left me (temporarily) unable to walk or drive or do a lot of things that I took for granted prior to this! And it's been hard to be "taken care of" so much; I feel a little guilty and frustrated.

Well, now, if that's not fodder for Goal 1, I don't know what is!

#1: To accept that things are the way they are, and to graciously accept the help of others.

#2: To ensure that birthday and anniversary cards are sent out in a timely manner, as well as thank you notes!

#3: To continue to withstand the call of the vending machine at work. It's been three months since I last fed that stinker any money, and I'd like to keep it that way! (There's absolutely nothing healthy in it!)

#4: To put the final touches on Sawyer's quilt and get it to him and his mommy!

#5: To finish the redwork squares (there are 10) that I started today. I think this is within the range of possibility. I like having handwork to do in the evenings!

#6: To work on the degree of motion in my foot. It's currently at about 20 degrees; I'd like to get it up to 50-60 degrees before I start physical therapy next month!

#7: To organize (or at least develop a plan by which to organize) my quilting area in the RV to make it more user-friendly. Clutter is very discouraging to me!

There. A lucky seven. I don't want to over do it my first go 'round! Most of my goals are 'self-care' oriented, but some of them are quilt-project oriented, which is okay. One of them is both!

Deep breath. These are healthy, positive goals, and this is do-able!

:)

what a night!

So. Last night I did make it to my quilt guild's meeting. I had been looking forward to this one for quite some time; not just because I'd not been able to make the last two (so I hadn't been since April) and missed it, but because last night was our challenge display, "It's In the Cards!" We have a very large guild (300+ members), so we've typically got pretty good turn out for things of this nature.

I was NOT disappointed!

I took *loads* of pictures of all the beautiful challenge quilts, but I'll share those at a later date -- like when I can upload them from an Internet connection that doesn't charge by the megabyte! But I had such a marvelous evening that I did want to share some of the highlights here, today!

First, I'm so grateful to Beverly, one of our members, who e-mailed me that our meeting place did have handicap access, and she gave me her cell number so she could meet me and get me easily inside. How long I've taken for granted just being able to go wherever and not worry about steps and steep climbs and whatnot.

Once inside, I saw my friend Cindy, from Hooked On Quilting! And she had a PRESENT for me!! She'd seen on my blog that I was needing some hand work and she brought me this . . .

Everything I needed to do a little red work! I've never done any red work, but I've looked at others' projects longingly for a while now. Isn't this incredibly thoughtful? The little boy in the designs is a Sawyer, through and through . . . LOL! :)

I'm so excited. I've pulled it out and read the instructions and done a little online research. I'm ready to play now -- this will occupy my afternoon!! Thank you, Cindy!! :)

Next, me and my camera "rolled" around the displays! Oh my. Again I have to tell you how impressed and awed I am by the talent of our guild members. It's incredible!! The challenge was to create a small quilt (no larger than 36" X 36") based on a greeting card. Each quilt was displayed with the greeting card inspiration. There were five categories: holiday, celebration, vintage, pop-up/3-D, and other. Members walked around the room, took it all in, and voted for their favorite in each category, as well as a "Best Representation of Challenge" and "Best of Show" quilt. It was really hard to mark just one favorite on my ballot! I'll get those photos edited and share them next week, but I had to share this one today . . .

Here's the card -- a handmade, vintage (1945) Christmas card:

And here's the beautiful quilt my darling friend Tina, of Tina Wright Photography, made based on it:

Only my photo does not do it justice! The appliqued center opened up and she'd duplicated the sentiment hand-written inside the card. Precious!! The backing of the quilt was a Santa apron that had been worn by Tina's grandmother. It was just a treasure! She won 2nd place in the Vintage Cards category!! Yay, Tina!! Click on the picture of the quilt to get the whole story, which is dear, and lots more photos of this darling piece of work!

Okay, so every meeting we can purchase raffle tickets, and they do a drawings for assorted fun things that the local shops (and sometimes members) donate for such purposes. I know I've mentioned this in posts past, because I tend to have a strangely lucky streak when it comes to these drawings! Last night was no different! I won a nifty little prize-pack from Patches & Stitches! I'll share details/pictures of that later, too!

We also have a "Show & Tell" segment in every meeting. We had better than ten ladies stand up and show more than a dozen quilts last night. Beautiful, beautiful work! But this one had me drooling . . .

Again, my photo does not do this pretty, pretty quilt justice. She'd hand embroidered all these beautiful tea cups and the tea service center! I asked her after the meeting if I could see it up close and take this picture of it. Oh. My. Incredible! I really think I could have sat there for an hour or three, and just marveled over this exquisite quilt.

As folks were leaving last night, a guild member came up to me, introduced herself, and told me she reads my blog -- I just thought that was the coolest! Hey, Louise! I was so tickled to meet you last night!! :) It perfectly capped off my wonderful evening!

Tonight I have the pleasure of keeping company with Sawyer, while his mommy attends a wedding rehearsal and the subsequent rehearsal dinner. He's growing and growing -- I can't believe he's already four months old! His mommy is chronicling his months on her blog, here. He's pretty exquisite, too!

TGIF!

:)

a double-happy find . . .

So yesterday Todd and I headed down to the Madison Baptist Association. We thought we were receiving training/certification, but actually we were being interviewed to see if we were serving in a capacity that made us eligible for training/certification. It was an interesting experience and we both were pleased with the process.

As we were coming out, my eye was caught by this cute little building sitting right next door . . .

It's Snickerpoodles -- a consignment shop!! I'm not able to manage steps in my roller, so I didn't head over there to investigate, but it looked like they had some really *cute* baby things out! And looking to the store on the other side, guess what it is . . .

I have a feeling I'll be back to that particular area when I'm walking under my own power again!

Happy Thursday!

:)

my joy . . .

Sawyer came to stay with us for a couple of hours on June 21st, while his mommy & daddy were watching fireworks at the Freedom Celebration. He and I had such a nice visit! I've videoed him every time I've watched him (and believe me, I watch those videos over and over and over -- just ask my husband!), but this one was particularly sweet and I want to share it . . . well, some of it anyway. I did edit more than five minutes out of it it before I loaded it! :)

Isn't he just the most darling? I laugh every time I hear myself tell him that I'll be watching him over and over, because I have! (My husband inserts a comment every time he hears it, too - LOL!) Sawyer was working *so* hard to roll over, but he could never quite make it. I think if he'd been on a hard, flat surface, instead of on the rounded, soft surface of my couch, he might have been able to. But the next day he did have his first rolling over success. Now he's a roly-poly boy!!

And he is definitely counted as one of my joys!

:)

degrees of separation . . .

I thought about this a lot during the night. In fact, I wrote this in my head, over and over, in between snatches of sleep. The degrees of separation between me (any of us) and the things that happen all over this world. Most specifically, in this case, the terrorist bombings that happened in Uganda on Sunday.

Since we've been staying at Hunter Road, we really haven't watched television, mainly because we don't have a working antenna television (we do have a tv and dvd player that work) and we don't have cable or a satellite dish, and there really wasn't any need for just the 12 weeks we'd be here. And besides, mainly what our television gets turned on for is news. Todd gets tv at the fire station, and that's been enough for him.

I preface with that to say that I'm a little out of the loop. I'm not seeing daily world news like I used to, and though I do check out my local WHNT station online, it tends to list mostly local news, which is typically fine with me. But I didn't hear about the terrorist bombings in Uganda on Sunday. Not until later, when my sister sent me a text about it.

So you're thinking okay, you missed news about a pair of bombings. Why is this a big deal? I mean, other than the fact that it's a terrible injustice and a tragedy to those innocents on whom it was inflicted -- why is this bombing different?

Degrees of separation.

I have a niece -- a darling young lady, who just graduated from high school in Maryland -- who has a younger classmate named Emily Kerstetter, who went with her grandmother's Pennsylvania church on a mission trip to Uganda. They stayed an extra week, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer:

. . . to finish a wall protecting their sister congregation's church and school in Kampala - in particular, one missionary said, to shield children from a scourge that haunts Uganda: ritual child sacrifice.

And Emily, along with the others on her team, were sitting in the same restaurant that terrorists chose to plant and detonate a bomb under a random table. And Emily was seriously injured in that bombing, as were others of her group.

Two degrees separated me and the Uganda bombings. That's all, two. My niece and Emily. And it occurred to me last night as I prayed for Emily and her family and the rest of the mission team, that this really is a small world. That in essence, that bombing didn't happen over there, but it happened to people with whom I have a connection.

Five minutes before that bomb blast, Emily is reported to have said that she was going to cry so hard because she didn't want to leave [Kampala]. She wanted to stay the rest of the summer there.

Along with prayers for healing and comfort, the Lord prompted me to pray for Emily's tender spirit. To pray that when the question, "Why God?" comes (and most likely, it will come), that the enemy wouldn't find a foothold in that question and use it to push her away from God. But instead, that she would draw strength and comfort from the Lord, and would seek to be ever closer to Him. That this trauma would strengthen her resolve to be about the Lord's work, and that through this, she would come to have absolute faith that He truly does cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

In Jesus' name.

:)

monday, monday . . .

Big week! I'm working odd hours this week -- on today, off tomorrow, partial on Wednesday, on Thursday, and off Friday (and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday)! :)

It's raining quite steadily this morning. We need it, so I'm glad we're getting it. The corn crops in particular had gotten off to such a beautiful start -- they really needed some gentle rain to keep looking good, so this system is just in time! On the down side, this morning was the first time I'd navigated the ramp from the house when it was wet. Oh my. My good foot hit that wet wood, and before I knew what was happening, I was down on my backside, both feet having slid straight under the walker. I wasn't hurt (except for my pride), but now I am a little sore! Good gravy. I'm so glad Todd was there to help me up!

Tomorrow my boss and his wife leave for Nicaragua. They're leading a mission team from their church into a village there to build two houses. Work will be interesting for the next two weeks, with them both gone!

Wednesday, Todd and I are taking a class so we will be certified as Mission Service Corps Volunteers with North American Mission Board. After that, we'll officially be sanctioned Volunteer Camp Hosts for Camp MACOBA! I'm really excited about it!

Thursday is my guild's monthly meeting night. Todd has agreed to take me; it'll be the first one I've been to since April, so I'm really looking forward to it! Not only that, but they'll be displaying the challenge quilts from our 2010 challenge, "It's In the Cards"! The challenge was to make a small quilt (no larger than 36" square) based on a greeting card. The card must be turned in with the quilt. This should be so much fun to see -- we have *such* creative women in our guild -- I can't wait to go!

Then Friday begins my four day weekend. I'm hoping to have some hand work to play with! I don't know what are plans are for Saturday, but on Sunday after church, we're meeting a newly-engaged couple up at Camp MACOBA -- they're considering using it for their October wedding ceremony! I can promise that colors are spectacular in the fall!

I did some crazy quilt research this weekend, got some input from other quilters, and found some great websites and blogs with tutorials. I'll share some of what I found later this week.

For now, I'm gonna get to it . . . albeit a little slowly!

:)

happy friday and crazy quilt questions!

My darling husband made and packed a BLT sandwich for my lunch today. He's so thoughtful! A friend of mine had brought over some beautiful tomatoes from the garden on Wednesday, and I'd commented last night that a BLT would be so good. This morning, he just took care of it for me. I'm so glad -- I'd forgotten all about it! He's been so incredibly sweet and patient. I can't wait until I'm healthy and whole again and can get back to taking care of him!!

I've been seeing a lot of blog posts about crazy quilts lately. It's another one of those quilting projects that I've been fascinated by and wanted to try my hands at, almost since I first started quilting. Anyone have any tips, comments, insight on how to start? Perhaps I need to start with what exactly constitutes a crazy quilt. LOL! I've seen lots of pictures . . . I guess a little research is in my weekend's future!

What got my interest going was an entry on Betsy's blog, Quilting Fiesta. She's got a group doing crazy quilt blocks on Friday. Then I saw something else on another blog, and then another, and so on. I'm intrigued and ready!

I've got a longtime friend coming into town this weekend for a wedding, and I'm so excited we get to spend some time together this evening! Yay!

Happy weekend . . . happy quilting!

:)

this boot wasn't made for walking . . .

I make me laugh! :)

So, I went back to the doctor's office today. They cut off the cast (which is quite an ordeal, and I have to admit that the feel of the saw was a little disconcerting to me), and sent me back for x-rays. The wound is healing up nicely, except for one little area which had been rubbed raw by the cast. I think that may have been what's been giving me a little pain (just a wee little, seriously) over the past four weeks.

I took my own pictures, but they looked a little gruesome to me, so I won't post them. I still wanted to be able to chronicle this journey from beginning to end.

Anyway, the doc said the x-rays look good and the one spot on the wound is nothing to be concerned about. She said the bones are setting together nicely, but I need four more weeks of no weight bearing. She put me back into the boot (from my first visit) and told me I could take it off to flex my foot when I'm stationary (on the couch), but if I get up, it goes on first, and I must wear it to bed. That's okay with me. I'm a little anxious about taking it off while I'm on the couch! No physical therapy yet, because an outside force could jar those bones out of place easily. For now, I'll have to settle for the flex/point deal.

I *do* get to have it off while I'm (sitting) in the shower -- YAY!!! My first chore will be to hack through the black forest! Haha!

I go back in four weeks and she said if all looks good, she'll start letting me WALK!!! YES!

Happy, happy, joy, joy . . . God is good!

:)

stuff and junk and things . . .

I've fallen so behind in my blogging over the last several months. Though goodness knows I've certainly had the time to blog!

Today I'm battling the urge to have a little pity party. LOL! I'm really ready to be done with this ankle/foot/heel injury and be on with life! But, even though it's been six LONG weeks since the accident, I've got six LONGER weeks ahead of me before I can even begin to put weight on that leg and begin physical therapy. *sigh* I want to drive, and I want to walk around holding my grandbaby, and I want to be able to take a shower without all the fuss, and I want to live in my home again. I want to be able to come and go as I please, and I want to be able to walk through the woods, and I want to be able to stand on my own TWO feet!

There. That being said, I'm incredibly grateful for my husband who's been so very good and thoughtful and sweet during all of this, even though it's made much more work for him, and to my family and friends who've cheered me and brought meals, and just loved on us. I just needed to get a little 'self' out of my system. Thank you for indulging me that paragraph! :)

Saturday we did make it out to the RV, finally, where we spent the day. It was so wonderful to be back home; I've missed it so! Todd did such a great job putting things back together after taking everything off the walls and off shelves to move the RV from one site to the new one ... and our new view out of the picture window is beautiful! We are literally parked on top a rocky hillside. Just beautiful! I believe we've named it Rock Ridge. Or perhaps Rock Biter Ridge. Anyone get the reference???

He put the bird feeders out a week or so ago, but it's slow luring them in to new sites. It took almost a month of having feeders up at the old place before the birds finally came in! We did see a pair of cardinals flitting about . . . they never made it to the feeders, but they were close and it's now just a matter of time!

Yesterday, Todd was on shift, so Jocelyn came and picked me up around one o'clock, and took me to see Eclipse! It was a fun afternoon; I enjoyed getting out and seeing a movie!

Ah, and I wanted to mention that a friend of mine has started a new blog in connection with her quilt shop (which is one of my favorites) . . . her shop is "Hooked on Quilting; and Sew Much More" and you can catch her blog, Hooked on Quilting, right here!

Todd and I started re-watching the three movies in the Lord of the Rings series last week. We've watched the first one and finished the first disk of the second one. I decided it had been way too long since I'd read the books, so I pulled out my copies and started with The Hobbit. It's been better than twenty years since I read it. I'm enjoying it very much; I just finished the chapter where Bilbo meets Gollum and acquires the ring -- I'd forgotten the details of that acquisition and it was fun to read about it.

I did get the stencil so I can finish quilting my Russian block and get that pillow done! But I won't use my sewing machine -- definitely not cast oriented, and I tried and failed with the left foot! Ah well, all the more reason to get some hand work started and finished!

Time goes marching on . . . looking forward to being able to march with it!

Hut - two - three - four . . . !

:)