This Was The Day....

 Today we went to the quarterly ALS clinic.  It was quite a day, from 8:30 to 3:30 with 10 professional  visits and a collection of patients in all stages of ALS.  The big Doctor did the ALS ice bucket challenge...so much fun!! 

 My man has declined in his disease breaking many hearts, especially mine.  Soon in our home will be a Hoyer lift for transferring, an external ventilator called a Trilogy breathing machine and a suction machine.  He has also made an appointment in October for a feeding tube.  I just hate it.

While we waited, this quilter finished 3 hexie flowers.  Quilting through the stressors. 

 My wonderful Wednesday group, all hand stitching the binding down on Jean's quilt.

 Here is Jean's version of our Block in the Box quilt.  All beautifully long arm quilted by our Terri Feehan.

 The backing and the label.  Enjoy the quilt Jean...and be brave and be well.  Hugs from the IQ's.

 Making oatmeal muffins with leftover cooked oatmeal.  Someone is learning healthy cooking in Auntie Em's Cafe...now open again!!!

Even More Good Stuff!!

Sewing!!!  A friendship block for Muggs and her new beach house!!
I am naming this one, the Good Ship Lollipop

 First things first!!  My girl teaching healthy eating with her green smoothies...I told you so...

 

 First day of Kindergarten with her seasoned brother!!!

A successful day:)

More Good Stuff

SHE is home!!!!  My girl came home yesterday from Europe and hit the ground running.  Now...I am crying from relief!!!  I am just sooo exhausted.

Here she is having our 4 year old do the dishes.  She has already done Trader Joe's for the spinach for the

green smoothies(: and tons of errands and child care and parent care.  Tomorrow she starts her job.

 

 A successful first day in a new school...Here is our 4th grader with his new red backpack meeting his friend at the bus stop.

 Since supervision is a must!!! We ALL came to send him off!!!...poor Evan.  Well his sister goes with him on Wednesday as kindergarten staggers...Soon I might even get to post quilting things:)

 Every day is an amazing day with the goodness of people.  They give hugs and help and food and love.

Look at the kids' karate teachers!!!  They make me smile. 

Our Karate's ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Good Stuff

In the depth of the night when sorrows appear....so comes the image of beautiful Kristen and her awesome organizational skills.  The grandkids are furious.  They thought that I paid Kristen to watch and play with them...They are jealous of FABRIC!!!!!!

 I think that Kristen has a job with me forever if she wants.

 All labeled in bags...2.5 inch strips, 3.5 inch strips, etc.....oh, my.

Kristen said that she loves to organize...sounds like my kind of girl. So I casually mentioned the pantry and 

upstairs closet.  When I got home from my Thursday night meeting, they were done!!  organized!!  beautiful!!

Finding the gratitude right here at home.

Saved by the day..eg not the night..eg..my sister..eg..my friends!!

Since my sister saved the day by taking the four year old to her house to spend the night.  I chopped on these scraps to make them a bit more in tune...hmmm  I might stop the chopping now, but really chopping is quite therapeutic!!

And, because Mr;O'Quilts is watching the movie, "The Secrets of the Kells" with the 9 and 5 year old...for the third scary time, I was able to finish this skirt for the dear GD.

 

I bought three pairs of plaid shorts for the boys for school for $3.00 each. I took the third pair and made it into a skirt for Ms. Kindergarten.  Now I am not really about dressing three children alike in general.  However, being 100 years old and blah blah blah...It is way easier to spot them on the playground when I only have to look for one colored outfit.   You can see that my girl and middle GD seems to agree!!
I had better stop posting now before the midnight hour while I can still feel the gratitude..xxoo

Totally lucky today.  Not only did my sister come and take Dylan, but she helped the Mr. with the shower, and did some of my laundry.  Then my friend Michael showed up and put some grating on the gutters and his wife did my dishes!!!  OMG...so lucky..

To "ES"...I am trying to email you to thank you for your encouraging comments on my blog...but I can find no email address or blog for you and you are a no-reply blogger...So. I will say thank you now...mucho.!!!

Crazy is more than a song...

This  post is all about crazy!
Crazy little leftovers here...quilting

And crazy little leftover energy here....Moi...

My dear man whispering...eating soup..no energy.wheelchair bound...but great attitude.

Me, getting school clothes, school shoes, appointments ready for three little darlings to go to school.

Meet the teacher, label the book bags, open house...

Supervising visitation with the kids mom..Dealing with the aftermath...

Missing my mom..

Me not sleeping, the kids fighting.  Tons of laundry, wet beds, toothpaste on the bathroom floor.

Mr. O' having to go for another sleep study Monday night.  This time, he has to go in his wheelchair to a facility..wheelchair van, friend to drive, hospital bed once he is there.

My arthritis, without time for water aerobics, using my cane, Did anyone feed the dog?  Did anyone make my man's Ensure smoothie?  Did I forget?
 Did I mention that I am 100 years old???

Me. once again, ordering more fabric that I do not need.  Euphoria for a minute or so.

It means getting something fun in the mail besides medical bills.

Mr. O using his last bit of energy to deal with my mother's estate, albeit tiny.

TBTG, one week till my girl comes...then we three go off to ALS clinic appointment.

Do not get me wrong...

We have love...tons of it.  We have great friends..We have beauty.
  And I have fabric!!! tons of it...lol

Love and Links

 Hey...Jean !!.Yeah, Jean!!
U r a total survivor!

All year we have been working on a "block in the box (bag) project" in our Wednesday night group.

  Big secret stuff!!!

We needed an extra, non-secret block...Voila, Jean!!

Tonight I made "Evening Star". I hope you like it.

Cough, cough..the size is a bit off...hmmm and the points are not perfect...

But...it is made with love!!!

 Thank you Joanie for the slide show of some of the cool quilts in the Charlotte AQS show last week..

Saturday update...10 friends came with their gloves and garden gear to weed and trim in our yard.  They moved furniture to make more room for Mr.O's wheelchair, mulched the garden, did the gutters, washed the sky lights on the porch, weeded tons, and more

...We are oh, so lucky to have such friends as these...so blessed are we.

Just back from the Caregivers ALS Support Group.

Pete Frates about ALS

How Does My Garden Grow.

The generations...sigh...It is so impossible to put a stubborn old head onto a stubborn young body.
My.Grandma was right...again!!!!

Yup...yup...yup...

Laminates and Snails

Just relaxing tonight on fabric.com when I noticed in the under 7$ a yard catagory....Kona Solids on sale for $4.66 a yard.  I think that I am the last one to know!!!!! IMHO it is a good deal. I just spent $5.99 a  yard at Mary Jo's today.. I looked through so many choices of Kona that my neck grew weary....cough...and I had to cut the cart back considerably.

I had already purchased these lovelies today...laminates at Sew Much Fun, in Gastonia..

 

Shopping more, you see...even.after a lovely day being taken out to Mary Jo's and Sew Much Fun and Olive Garden...I am trying to figure out small holiday presents now, in case my brain completely dries up later.

I do wonder how long I can blame my recent spending spree on my mother's love for me xxoo.

And poor dear Kristen, what ever will she think as things keep coming in???.

I am buying with abandon, fabric that is not on sale, just things that I want...like the "Cotton and Steel" group and the laminates today.

I am trying anything to keep my mind off of the awful.

Lynsey helps...while picking in her bean garden...she discovered with wonder... a baby snail.

Love....

 
My dear man pulled a muscle in his rib area today, trying to adjust himself in bed last night using the triangle..Jeeze Louize...too much.
Tomorrow, my IQ group is coming here to a house so disgustingly unfit...ugh..but they will come anyway and pretend that they do not care.  I just do not have it in me to clean.
We are looking forward to many visitors this fall...a wonderful thing for family to come.

One Fine Day...

Any day with a nap and some sewing, is one fine day...Look how this is coming along.  Here are the four blocks I have finished.

 Yesterday I went to the AQS show.  Thank you Kelleigh for the ticket.  I would not have gone without it.  I figured it was a sign that my pillow had become just too comfy and I needed to get out.  It was even pouring rain.  I went by myself because I was afraid to inconvenience someone if I pooped out.  

Look what I got.  I never even thought as to how I would carry it.  But, the lady asked me and when I told her that I would manage, she said that no that I would not..hmmm .  Then she carried it to the car for me.  Now, you have to realize that this show was in the convention center of a large city and parking was forever away.  It must have been a half a mile to my car.  With no huffing and puffing on her part, she brought it to my car.  Only then, did she tell me that she has MS.  OMG  People are so good.

 Tonight I made my first cut...calico cat..I got gingham dog too:)

 I could not resist this coaster:)  It is so me:)

 And for the p.s.  I watched my grandmother use this fork for all the years she lived with us growing up.  It has been in our family for at least 55 years.  The handle is smooth and soft.

 I think that Grandma would find me a bit foolish...but, I love it.

As I said, a very fine day.