BOO, and BOO some more....

Happy Halloween

Poor little Boo...all dressed like a pumpkin for Halloween.
Instead of the ghost he was born to be....

I want to be carefree like Boo!!

Daddy's visitation day..

 He carved the pumpkins with his children at the park.

 Dead?? Bride?? and her knight...

 All three wild ones....OMG 

 Hard to be serious and be dead???  Ha Lynsey..

 Oldies but goodies...the Halloween quilts:

  

And so it goes...one more Halloween...

Guess who is exhausted??

Grandma and Boo!

Hope you all had a nice celebration...

Life's Processes.....

Really, quilting is like life...you start with one thing and end up with something else.
This is still in process, but the side borders should be on by tomorrow.
And the top will be done.

 I started here, messing around with the layer cake and half square triangles.

The funeral this past week almost did me in.
How in the world can someone just fall and die?????
A thousand people at that funeral..same church of my husband's funeral.
I love that family..
After sleeping forever this weekend, today I sat outside with gratitude.
Staying in the present and realizing, once again, that I am not in charge in this world.
I saw the sun come through the new oak tree, now mostly yellow.

 And of course, getting used to each other...is our Boo and our Stitch.
They are in the basket right by my computer...bringing such joy..

Tomorrow is the big day....OMG  around our house, the children are thrilled.
Halloween.
 It used to be my favorite holiday.
Without my dear man, not so much.... anymore.
My niece is coming to hand out candy.
The children will go Trick or Treating with their mother and her boyfriend.
And I will sew.
Of course, I may have to test the candy that comes in....for safety reasons...lol...

That slender thread thing...

There is good news in life...and then.....there is not.

Yesterday, I voted with a 20 minute wait...so pleased.

 My girl on adventure in the Utah mountains.  I think that they have climbed or biked in all the national parks in Utah!!!

And, here they go.....making me homesick....for our Arizona.

The grief continues...especially with the good doctor's death yesterday.
In just 30 hours, one more widow was created...a wonderful friend of mine.
I hate that she is on this awful journey.
I am back to staying in bed all day and eating candy corn.
Life as we know it, changes in an instant..
What cheers  me????  My daughter of course.

Don't you love this:  From their tent in Utah...address...

Halloween gifts....She must have found a quilting store...my girl!!!
And honey straws for the children.
Evan will come with me to the funeral..He loved the good doc.
I am quite irritated at life now...Praying to get to the place where I can accept life as it is.
My funeral outfit is wearing thin..

Friday night at O'Quilts.....

I am sewing!!!  Just a simple wiggle stitch on a random child's quilt...

that does not bother my shoulder.

So good to be back in the saddle..Nothing like a crisis to get the adrenaline going..

From my dear blogging friend Margaret de Missouri...Look, just look at the fabric she found.

"Stitch"...My new dear kitten, Stitch  is thrilled that not only did Margaret think of him...but someone ..actually thought of making fabric with his name. 

 Speaking of the basket by my computer.

First it was for poor 16 year old Pumpkin so she could be close.

Within hours of Pumpkin's demise, Tigger was there..

Then Stitch came and took over.

Boo here...has no compunction at all...

Clearly a sense of cuteness entitlement!!!

Boo O'Quilts....says hello....all innocent and stuff..

I had a nice talk with my son tonight.  After no communication for a month..me calling hospitals and jails..etc, totally freaking out...grief on top of grief!

Neurotic mother....He said that he wants to be clean, but cannot do it.  He was upset that he saw on Facebook that his children  went out with their mother and her boyfriend.

I am upset for him, but have to detach.
Mom and boyfriend went through tremendous work to be clean.
 My son has not.
My daughter is ending her climbing through Utah.
They are headed to my state, Arizona tomorrow.
 I lived 9 growing up years in Phoenix including the 3 years at Arizona State.
Stay tuned!!

This week I have been advocating for the children in the schools.  I have been sleeping and wandering around in grief.  Today, the wave passed and I started sewing.

Tonight, I had a wonderful date at Cabo's Mexican food tonight:
We did crazy selfies!!!!!!  I love it...6 years old and old grandma having fun!!
The other two went to black belt training at Karate.
Dylan will not be a black belt until December.  We took advantage of our time alone.
A visit to the dollar store for a treat for him...and dinner out.

Sherry says that every 15 minutes, I need to take a break from quilting for my shoulder's sake.
I think she means drinking red wine and blogging..I mind Sherry. She is always right.!!
So now, with the darlings gone to cousins' ...I am going to sleep in my clothes and not brush my teeth.
At my age, I have certain rights!!
And so it goes in the O'Quilt's household.

The Daily Snippet..

Velcro!!! in patriotic colors...Love!!

A Joanne's fabric sale special..

Today I decided to wear my grandfather's bolo tie..

It is probably 70 to 80 years old

Since my daughter is headed to Arizona where I grew up.

I just wanted to be part of the action...from my recliner!!!

 Six year old Dylan brought this home from school.
It is on paper..but soon...I will have him make it on fabric...
I just love it.

Good things on this sad day of 18 months without my dear man.

A dark picture...but you get the message...

Today Boo was released from confinement...He is all better from his cold!!

Who is in charge?...Boo of course...the bully Stitch, now runs for cover...lol

Boo is dressed in white for the upcoming Halloween ghost!!  He is 4 months.

Stitch is 6 months...
Kittens....It was a great decision..they are a joy.!!!

Then, my girl..and her man...

 A tiny cabin...better than a tent??, in Escalante, Utah...

On adventure.... Utah still.....

My friends to the rescue, on this anniversary day.....lunch out!

Yesterday, quilters to Cabos

Today, widows to Pio Pio...
Now, that I am off steroids and better from asthmatic bronchitis..
Maybe this upcoming week will be more uplifting.
My love would not want me in such despair...
He would be grateful for all the support I get from all of you..
xxoo

October 14....Buckle up Buttercup!

Sherry and I had an outing:

The bargain haul:

Thanksgiving:

 Halloween:

 Soft and cozy flannel for winter snuggles.

I am starting to crack.

It is the hour.

Tomorrow is 18 months a widow.

It hurts just way too much.

Righteous Brothers

The Sparkly Day.

 OMG...I lost my post...

Where did it go??  I just finished it...Into the cloud?

Help me find it?

OK...again...I have always had a jealous part of me for folks who can knit.

I want hand knitted things for my Lynsey.

 Money cannot buy love...Then, here comes our Eithne with a lovely

hat and jacket...all knitted by hand for our Lynsey.

Our cup runneth over.  Thank you Eithne!!

Today was a lovely day...I hosted the Queen Bee for the first time in 3 or 4 years
I am grateful that I am finally emotionally well enough for this.
It was splendid...we  laughed, we sewed, we ate...!!
With my Little Blue, I was able to sew the border on this child's top:

Made a few potholder tops...always fun...

Ellen gave me lovely vintage napkins..so perfect and soft.

Look!!  At least the chickens are getting along..

Evan, I am so glad that  you watched some of the debate last night.
At eleven years old, it was time for you to hear about some of the unacceptable things that some men say to women, about our political process and about men and women.  I cannot believe that we needed an informational talk before an American political event watched by the entire world.

The children are doing wonderfully in my home.  It is almost three years that I have been raising them.
They do well in school, have friends, do well in Karate, they are safe and happy.  They have regular contact with their parents and cousins.
They are learning conflict resolution skills, how to say I am sorry for my part, how to let go and forgive.
And...that being kind is being more important than being right.
I am learning right along with them.  This week I have had to apologize all over the place because of my steroid situation...Ugh...Grandma O'Quilts a big, snapping, crabby bear!!
Tomorrow is the last day...I am getting better and Boo is getting better!!

Why does it take a lifetime to learn to practice the Serenity Prayer????
(God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
to change the things I can...(which is only me!!!)
and the wisdom to know the difference.
xxoo
(and I had to write it twice...just sayin')

Everything is just a Process....after all...

HST Layer cake medallion..
Took so long cuz..the lattice pieces were 2 inches too short%^$  Really???

To my wonderful daughter...I think I see you on that mountain. Let me adjust my bifocals. 

You have not been eaten by a bear, bitten by a rattlesnake nor fallen off a cliff.

Not yet...

In fact, I think you told me, that you got up early today, went to the camp ground to claim the best spot. Then....you  pitched your tent....all by yourself. 

Your man, bringing in the bacon, by working, remotely on his laptop..
......on a park bench by the B&B
You have been gone for 5 weeks.

If I could choose safe..you might live in Charlotte and make babies and sew.

But, I did not do that myself, when I was young...as you tell me often.

When I graduated from college and left Arizona to be a flight attendant with Pan Am,

My mother and grandmother stood waving goodbye.

They were wishing I would live in Phoenix,

make babies and sew.

When my grandmother left Sweden for America at age 15...I bet it was the same thing..

Adventure is just part of our family 

I just want to put it out there how proud I am of you.

Safe is not living.  Stuff happens anyway.

Your daddy would be so over the moon to see you now.

Tonight I am without the children.
I did not waste my time.
I did not cry.
I am pensive and mostly happy.
xxoo

HST Layer Cake Thing...#2 Always Changing...Like Life...

So here we are: more changes around the Layer Cake corner... 

 Way too much fun!

Here goes my girl again...biking with her man in the desert and mountains of Utah.

Checking out Emu eggs on a Wwoof in Utah..

 Playing her tin whistle in an Irish music session in Durango, Colorado

Eating my way through my stress with coffee ice cream...

Tomorrow I will just have to throw it away!!!! 

Did you hear me, Mrs. O'Quilts???

Spent the morning back at the county animal shelter with our Boo

We have only had him one week and he is so sick.

I took off his collar in anticipation of having to surrender him.

But...no...it is upper respiratory infection..drippy eyes, coughing..etc.

Evidently common in shelter cats .  It is stimulated by neutering..

They gave me a $200 voucher for a vet..

They made the appointment and put the directions in my phone.

10 days of antibiotics and eye cream and our Boo should be ready to play.
I have him tucked in my bathroom away from the other cats.

TBTG

I am still going nuts with my asthmatic bronchitis.

The other night Lynsey crawled in bed with me in the middle of the night.

I was coughing.

Grandma!!!  You are having an asthma attack!

Did you do your breathing treatment??

No Lynsey, I forgot....

No, Grandma, you did not forget...You just hate the treatments.

You know Grandma...sometimes we just have to do things we do not like to do.

Said the seven year old to the 68 year old.

Someone has to keep Grandma O'Quilts straight!!