A Very Glorious Day

From under a mess, I heard the cry...the cry of an un-bordered quilt
All due to the shoulder operation...Two months she had been left alone not finished.

 But, tonight...she, too is done...my cute little divided nine-patch
lap quilt top..finished and  happy.  I cannot quilt yet, nor can I tie my apron,
but I can sew....Hurrah!!

Sitting in the yard, reading...looking at the sky and trees..
I realized how rich I really am...couldn't see it before...
It relaxed me so, that the book rose upon my tummy as I drifted off
with the breeze, napping like an old granny does

O'Quilt news:
Lynsey...her nightly ritual of reading Junie B Jones books to Stitch, the cat.
She insists that Junie B is his very favorite kind of book..
They sit, night after night, at bedtime reading.
Stitch never complains....see, he knows that Lynsey so wants to be a teacher.

Lynsey is crazy about dolls...They also are her students!!

Daddy visitation today...wonderful shape..

.Lynsey  is exhausted from playing in the creek

with Daddy and riding her bike.

  Dylan never gets exhausted...He is truly his father's son.

I can barely believe that just a few days ago, I was whining 

about my shoulder.  Today it is still even better than yesterday.

A miracle.

I am rich with miracles.

Sheryl Sandburg....grief and resiliency On Being

I listened to this podcast...just wanted to share.
Ideas I got......

What Fintan wanted for me was for me to be happy....Do not take that away from him in death.

Taking back the things you did not do anymore..because of his death.
For example, I no  longer make Irish Soda Bread...maybe I should..

Resiliency..... How to build that now..
I do feel stronger.  But I think I survived because of his strength, not mine.
Now, I built my own strength. I can see I have landed on my own two feet.
xo

Katie Jump Rope Saves the Evening

Katie Jump Rope...Thank you

Extended release super duper Tylenol...Thank you

A new and sharp rotary cutter....Thank you

I so LOVE a finish....

  

 While I was working hard....

This is my chair...

 And, this is a Fabric basket!!!

xxoo

Auditioning Choices

Such a great way to decide

Looking at value

Looking at color

Discarding the wrong ones...eg bottom right is wrong hue.

Maybe blue is the best choice.

That takes off the red choices

Process of elimination

What brings out the flash in the quilt?

Will the border overpower the vintage-ness of the top?

Guess the blue flowers will not overpower as I had thought.

A three inch border...hmmm

Of course this means rotary cutting.

I had better be safe and put the top away with the chosen fabric for later.

Already I have had to up my Tylenol....due to my excitement last night

When I was all bragging about how high I could reach when I had been told not to.

Jeeze Louize..

Cannot keep this grandma down where she belongs...always pushing the limits.

I wanted to finish this....Here we go again...no patience..

Medications helped me with huge morning nap.

Now out to the sun with a book.

A vacation day....all alone.

What is the name of the pattern?

The Forgotten Celebration......Life

Look at this!!!!
  In just in a few days, I am able to put this top on the design wall at least 6 inches higher.
..with NO pain.
Of course, I am not suppose to do this...Only passively should I lift this arm..but..
How excited am I!!!  Five days until my ortho appt.
I am hoping to go back to the pool.

This top is a rescue ....hand pieced blocks from an estate sale.
I think I might not rescue anymore  ...I have so many of my own things to sew.
Today, I was able to physically to sew them together..
And, to think I spent time today whining about my painful hip.
Forgetting the positive...
Will I ever learn???
You see, today my widow's group met at Charlotte's Whitewater Center
for  lunch.
Friends went kayaking and walking

Although we all had a great time, I got jealous.
I do not know what got into me....But the pain in my hip would not let me walk or...blah blah.
I lost track of my gratitude.
I am ashamed of myself as all my friends  helped me and drove and were awesome.
I got all self-absorbed...ugh

I have been thinking about my dear man and his 22 month struggle with ALS.
It killed him and it almost  killed  me.
I survived losing him because of his strength, not mine.

He told me never to put my head where I had no control.
He told me to always keep my head in today.

We all know this...but coming from a strong man now wasted in the bed with ALS.
It takes on an amazing vibe
.  I thought that I would never forget his strength...and yet for a bit today I did.
I am trying to get stronger. Pain gets in my way.
He helped me.  These two blogs are helping me too.
Maybe some day I will be strong enough to advocate for ALS
Beth Hebron
Speed 4 Sarah

The European Family Quilting Connection

Cousin Ann came and Cousin Ann went.
She brought a piece of my man with her...and then she took him back.
We had a great time at Mary Jo's and at Sew Much Fun.
Laughs at Olive Garden...and just a wonderful time.
Off she has gone now to California to run 21 miles in a marathon???
I was hoping it was to different quilting stores...but my guess it is thru the streets of Monterrey.
Cousin Ann is our Muldoon quilting connection in London!

Then there is our Aunt Geraldine...our Muldoon quilting connection in the French Alps.
Here we have her bed quilt all hand done with tiny buttons to secure the lot.
Lovely Geraldine.

With asthmatic bronchitis upon my plate...I am struggling, once again, to see the light.
OF COURSE that would be translated into new fabric.
On our Tuesday travels, I just had to have a piece or two of Tula Pink's
new kitty cat line:

In deference to my slowly healing shoulder and the patience not to use the rotary cutter,
I splurged on a few of the lovely precut charm packs.

 Impulse shopping clears the mind...as well...always...

As we all know, fabric shopping is exhausting...
so, I treated myself and my bronchitis and joints to a nice
sleep- in after the buses , a lunch out, a nap..
Then came the work of back and forth emails with 3 different teachers for the 6th grader's classes...Out of the blue he is failing 2 classes.
Old Grandma is on it.!!
The children here are in top notch schools with top notch teachers to help out.
I am taking him in at 7 am for tutoring...then 7:15 bus for the other two.
Then ...guess what???
A NAP for Grandma...shoulder has me back sleeping in the recliner..
It is all OK!
No one, just no one could believe how happy new fabric can make a person.

The O'Quilts clan carries on

Shoulder surgery....4 weeks to cure...NO
7 weeks to cure...NO
Every online link says 6 MONTHS to cure.
Where have I been????
Under a rock, I guess.
This comes as a shock to the impatient one.

 Today's progress... vintage blocks., rows sewn.
First time to sew this size blocks since surgery.
My left arm could not put them on the design wall...so here they stay.
Half way up!!  It is better than not sewing at all.!!
I found that these hand pieced blocks are the dickens to put together.
It will be hard to quilt with one arm....Maybe I will have to cough up the $$
for the very fine Mary Jerz at Seamless Expressions for long arm help.
I do not know...I have so many quilt tops to quilt ...so little time...so little energy ..so little money
...and with one arm.

 A big thanks to Mary Jerz for the quilting...for Mary Coop and Kay Herald for the binding.
My now X DIL's wedding quilt done...but the label...so grateful.

I just have to share...
My mess....now in room number two. Two rooms of mess.
Way to go Mrs. O'Quilts.
At least I can piece now, if not to quilt.

My daughter has just left the French Alps.(without the parrot)
Evidently the Muldoon Alps connection is very fond of red wine as well...
Em has gone to Belgium and Dublin and now is walking the fields in County Cork.
Amazing life she has.

Tomorrow starts a new quilting group...the SSSSSS group.
It is an extension of our Wed nte group..but at Sherry's house.
LOL...last Monday morning of the month for 3 hours and out to lunch.
So excited..Then....
A wonderful few days set  up now for cousin Ann.
Looking forward to another lovely sleep tonight with windows open
listening to the rain...sigh.
Life is good.

The April World of O'Quilts...

The unbelievable two....Black Belt Graduation of the first degree..
They even have their name on their belts now...

Soooo proud.

Boo and Stitch....loving that I made my bed!!

One am..and the way Dylan sleeps...soundly, I'd say...

Today was the day that my DIL of 13 years married a different man.
A good man....
I passed the baton to the new MIL...
Now my sweet grands have a very nice step-father.
They love him already

Cousins in the wedding.

Dylan...handsome and charming like his daddy...

 That is why he is named.....Dylan Eamon....

In the extended family...at the beach is our Mamacita..
Looking for new adventures, she is now the bird woman....
Two months short of 100 years old...it is a push to find something new.
Love you Mamacita.

And so it goes...but sew it not goes ....so not.
Tonight is the night I will sew.
Whew....this life of ours....
Stephanie came with me to the wedding.
I  still am on the cane and in pain, but...
my brain is clear and my heart is happy.
What else can I ask for..??

OH!!!  Yes...Cousin Ann...coming Tuesday.
My cup runneth over.

Friendship and quilts

Our retreat....friendship and quilts

Cheraw, South Carolina.

Cabins in the state park there.

Evidently Sherman found this town so charming, that he decided not to burn it.

We agreed

The River's Edge Restaurant....Mennonites, quilts for sale and awesome desserts.

I bought a quilt, looks like it is from 1900 to 1920..stellar condition..
. I could not leave it behind.
What is the pattern?

My friends got quilt fever, as well....lol

 Look...a quilty visitor. to our cabins on Saturday.
.Joye with an "e"..is a local. She came to visit, bringing

show and tell...including the cool scissor holder around her neck and

the cool hexie notebook cover

Presents, Joye brought me a much needed adorable pin cushion.

Thank you for all...Joye..I am thrilled to meet  you.

The most important part of the trip was healing.
We are all part of a widow's group here, in Charlotte.  We have known each other for a year.
It was a death anniversary this Easter weekend for some of us.
I lost my love two years ago..
We wanted to celebrate our lives together with the happy,
not the sorrow.

Cabins rented for the weekend, Wonderful times had by all..
(Of course, someone we know...cut her finger with a knife and spent 4  hours at the ER)
Cough...wonder who that was???
Still had a great time..
The next day, a picnic by the Pee Dee river and homemade ice cream.

Outside in the beautiful, soft starry night,
We lit candles.
With hands held, we celebrated the joy and gratitude in life.

The O'Quilts' Household....an Update

First up...the naughty behavior of Stitch O'Quilts!!!!

New Parsley plant is not to eat!! Neither is the Basil!!

 Pretending it was not you????

 Who went into the laundry room, up onto a shelf and took the duster.

Who then, brought it thru the cat door into the living room to mess??

Just when I am trying to present a somewhat normal home for tomorrow's quilters.

Then....there was Lynsey..who called her grandma a very naughty word when she was mad.

Soooo naughty...

.Off she went into the laundry room for time out where she continued to rant.

Finally, a humble 8 year old emerged with an apology.

Payback time...I told the boys that Lynsey would now do all their morning chores...

Here she is getting the towels out of the dryer, folding them and putting them away.

The good stuff..

Marie's birthday party.

 Marie is from London...I made her a plastic bag holder from UK fabric.

 The best is for last...Drenna and Sherry fix my ice maker and shelving.

Can you believe it???

I ordered the part..Sherry brought her tools and she and Drenna took off the 

door of the freezer, took out the food...and fixed it...OMG

Amn't I lucky to have such awesome friends!!!!!

Gotta prepare for a Queen Bee sit and sew tomorrow am.

A one arm cleaning job...Oh, well...better than nothing.

I hope no one will mind the clutter.

So Excited

I can make potholders!!!

I can sleep in my own bed and not the recliner!!

I am  doing well in my shoulder recovery!!

When one has not been able to sew for FIVE weeks,

Sewing is unbelievably awesome.

 I am sewing random scraps together to make coasters.

 My siblings and I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona.

My sister just gave me this fabric...

Today we had a great visitation with my son in the park!!

Sooooo Grateful!!

He spends every second he is with his children playing with them.

He plays, "Big Bad Wolf" like his daddy used to play with him.

They played a water squirt game.

They ran and climbed the mountain..

He is still working, He bought them all pizza.

I am able now to prepare patchwork for my Easter retreat with friends.

We are going to Cheraw State Park in South Carolina.

A cabin on the lake with our sewing machines in tow.

Heaven.

Now, about my girl..

Just so you know....I did the best in raising her....Hello!!!

She told me that she has signed up to do yoga with goats in a barn.

She said that she has signed up for a wine tasting in a barn with goats.

Really, I did the best I could...OMG

And so today is the day for very good news....

on...a stunning day with Carolina blue skies.