Sewing on a Wing and a Prayer

Just winging it...the ruler is quite over-rated.

The medallion for my purple challenge quilt.

Only the medallion is sewn so far.

It needs now...to stew...and settle..

The coral is perfect.

The rest of the purples soon to be on the chopping block.

Tomorrow I will meet my good blogging friend.

Kara...from Kara Quilts.

I think we have been online chatting for about 4 years.

Soooo  excited.

My girl bought my ticket to Portland for June.

My girl and her man are so freakin' normal..my heart a-flutter.

My son came today to see his children.

He was in great form.

My grass was cut, my garden weeded and he took the

children to play in the creek behind our house.

Life is such a roller coaster.
Thank goodness for the good times.

A Purple Process Post

Life as we know it....

Baby Ava Renee

My grandchildren's new sister arrived today.
Great excitement all around.

Evan sick as a dog with a terrible type of strep
Hopefully the others are not right behind him.
No excitement there.

Tonight...such great fun at my favorite event:
Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild

We have a challenge re:
Sherry Lynn Wood
Whose story, by the way is just too awesome.
We took a piece of clothing from the donation table.
Mine was the rayon palm trees on orange shirt...challenge is to make a
36 x36 inch square using only old fabrics..not from our stash.
I found this circle print from an old dress at the Goodwill.
I love a challenge like this!!!

Here are the blocks from our purple group challenge.
A challenge it is....Oh, my..
Not my idea of beautiful...
Embellishment? What can I cut them up to be...or fabric to add..etc.
I just love the creativity ahead..

Was someone speaking of Easter???

I saw this Facebook clip...putting chocolate chips in a Pyrex bowl,
covering them with Peeps...melting them in the stove or microwave..
I forgot which...and once melted, scooping them like a dip with
Graham crackers....
Good Lord, I will never lose weight.!!

The Month of March

"March on.  Do not tarry.
To go forward is to move toward perfection."
         --Kahlil Gibran


A friend of mine gave me two quilting pins from her mother's estate.
In memory, I added them to my name tag..xo

The weekend that my grandgirl and I spent together alone was way too awesome.
She LOVES to play alone
In fact she is bothered that the  house beside us is for sale.
"What if kids move in and they knock on our door and bother us
when we want to play alone"  says my introvert...Oh, my
For hours and hours, she played with her dolls.

 Her dolls went on Disney cruises, in airplanes...they fought with each other, they played with their pets..they had lunch...I read and she played...I love her so.

It looks like I will be spending Easter alone.
It is especially stressful as this is the 3rd anniversary time..of the death of dear Mr. O'Quilts.
I must find a different way this time to celebrate.
What is Mrs. O'Quilts to do???  Hmmmm

The purple celebration on Wednesday night.

We randomly drew from each others bags...
We have a bag for Cousin Ann, for Jean and for Carol.
Purple blocks and purple outfits.
All fun with no purple politics...love

I finished the above gifting baby quilt...all washed and labeled
Flannel and quilting cotton...perfect.
Below...fabric that somehow came in the mail.
I really love my mailperson.
The foxes are flannel...sigh.

 Valentines and turtles...

You HAVE to watch this one..
100 ways to hide your stash

Ann Garner.....Thank you for your encouragement...Please give me your email so I can thank you properly!

St Paddy's Day was so important in my family that we kept the children home from school.

Now, Mr. O'Quilts is gone

For me...also is dulled is the thrill of the day.

Everyone celebrates with their family.

I had my beer alone.

I was surprised at the grief trigger.

Lynsey had the best time walking in the parade/

Dylan loved watching it too.

I was glad when the children came home so we could play  Old Maid and Canasta.

Today...the rainy day brought a funeral.
The three children and I went to a memorial service for the dad of one of their friends...a neighbor who died from pneumonia after the flu.
Just terrible.
It was so packed, standing room only.

They misbehaved..probably due to the fear and sadness.and the crowds and the fact that their own father had just visited.
He had been quite sick, in withdrawal.  He scared us all.
Uncle Steve kindly picked them up at the funeral for a visit with the cousins.

And I came home to find my adorable  SIL pressure washing my house.
He had been sent here for work from Portland.
He removed the mildew, took me to lunch and then took his plane back to Portland.
Baby me cried when he left.

Going out to a meeting tonight and to MP's party, I found that my car would not start.
It had to be towed.
Enough already!!

Planning now to laugh with Frankie and Grace with a lovely vino tinto.
Life is good after all.

The Very Good and Happy Day

HAPPY--clap along with Pharrell Williams
My girl and her chicken love...Portland style
Birthday presents for the married couple
with birthdays 7 days apart.
Made with love from Mommy..
Panels from Equilter

Not to leave out the squirrels living in their attic..lol

The other night I labeled, snipped and washed this stack of quilts.

This interesting tomato pincushion history.

The Tomato Pincushion

And so I sent it to my girl as her new house warming present.
It is on her mantle.

My yesterday potholder...

My Christmas Easter cacti

The great  news....I am doing so much better.
I think sometimes a person has to just cry and not to overthink it.
There is no answer to death and grief.

We are all benefiting from my new found energy.
End result...I am only doing what I want to do.
Besides the necessary things...
I am an old lady wearing purple..or...such

I am accepting self as I am, and my age.too.... (kind of)
Not so lost any more.
Now, move over life...here I am.

The children and I are close.
We are having fun together.
This weekend is so awesome.

Evan has a sleepover birthday party
Lynsey is having a sleepover and is walking in the St.Paddy's Day parade tomorrow.
Dylan is spending the night with his Aunt Charmaine and going with his cousin to watch the parade,
Grandma here is soooo happy for them being free to be themselves.

I have to hand it to their mother putting her children first, rather than her own agenda..
Speaking of their mother...baby due momentarily..we are so excited.
And, I am happily sewing.
Life is good.

And...The Winner is.....

ME!!!!

 This morning I rose to find my lovely Lynsey watching "Bake it" on her I-Pad.

Zoe content to sleep at the foot of her bed...probably dreaming of cakes.

Also dolly in her baby carrier on the American girl car.

Everyone enjoying their private day.

Having a child who can entertain herself is such a gift.

That trait will do her well in life.

Yesterday wiped me out.

I had four great days...and now exhausted???

Me thinks I had better see this as progress rather than disappointment.

The winner is:  Lynsey and Grandma.

We won the best door prize at the quilt show.

Debbie delivered it tonight.

This awesome handmade tissue box.

I love it so...It already has tissues in it.

 This hand appliqued reproduction quilt block...wonderful!!

 an interesting rotary cutter.

Hand died fabric to use with my repros...

Evan is home  He had a wonderful weekend with his mother..not too sick, I notice,

but he loved being the only one there.

And Dylan was the only one at his cousins' house.

Winners all...

Can you believe I won a door prize????

Thanks to Drenna who bought me the ticket..

And Debbie who delivered it.

Wish us all good luck getting up in the morning with daylight savings.

xoxo

The Girl and her Grandma

For the first time in my entire life, I have the weekend alone with  my grandgirl.

It is the fault of life, that it has not happened sooner..

There seems like another crisis all the time.

But, now, my cup runneth over.!!

Self-care for Lynsey and self-care for Grandma.

The Charlotte Quilt show was today.

With friends, we went...

We all loved it...

I was so happy to see so many of my friends.

There was a collection of vintage and antique quilts which were stunning.

Here is Lynsey in front of a favorite...They say it is 1930.

I gave her five dollars to spend on fabric...

She really loved the fidget quilts and was thrilled she could touch them without gloves..

Making dinner...frittata....an egg pizza with spinach, onion, mushroom, red pepper and parmesan cheese.  Don't kids always love best what they help cook ourselves.!!

Both last night and tonight...we played Old Maid
And, we laughed and laughed and laughed.

Hot chocolate for her..with marshmallows
A great girls weekend.
Tomorrow...the plans..a morning breakfast movie.
More Old Maid.
We are having the best time ever.
She played for quite awhile in her room with her dolls.
This girl loves to play alone.
She is the  best girl ever...so smart and kind and good.

OMG  Ms Stephanie has created a cleaning monster.
9 year old Lynsey insisted that we get a new broom and that she gets to pick it out.
Once home, she was upset that the floor has been swept already..
I told her that I did not know how to sweep.
It was hilarious watching her try to teach me...where to place my hands, etc.

I love these bowl covers...always in my fridge with leftovers..mine are lined with rip-stop




A friend of mine was diagnosed with ALS this summer.  She kept it a secret until now.
I feel weak and nauseous, I feel exhausted and depleted and helpless.
It brings back visions of the Hoyer lift and the feeding tubes and the suction machine, and the Trilogy breathing machine...and Hospice and death.

I am so glad Lynsey is with me to laugh over Old Maid.
I am grateful.

Hope in the pocket

Thank you Eithne...for this darling  burp cloth for the children's new sister.

 Thank you Mick...for making a holder for all of us...even me..for our needle thread.holders..
xoxo

Then, come the March birthday aprons...

How dear can a friend be??
Muggs made these aprons for my girl and her man
Thank  you Muggs.
Great aprons, for great cooks..

 
Below...I just found these in my potholder drawer.
One inch squares
It took two years before I could see my dear man out of the Hoyer lift..
The dying  images kinda PTSD you know.
Now I can see him in this plaid shirt..his very favorite.

The I love you Fintan has faded...on the potholder that is
Not ever in the heart!!

Self care...all for me..I will not go down!!
Went to my doc today...she validated my angst...whew...
Going to my grief therapist ...he validates my angst.
TBTG  I have friends who have really stuck by me...
My quilting friends..and blogging friends..
They may not understand....they are.non-judgmental..
They spell love...T..I..M..E..xo
They are here...so lucky me.

More joy..a great talk with my lovely daughter on the phone.
She does not really need a dog...she has a squirrel in her attic!!

And, my son came to visit...and was in great shape..
He is such a great dad...for 3 hours...
Playing hide and seek, giving hugs and kisses..
Putting the children to bed with prayers and stories.
We all love him so.
What more can a mommy ask for??

I love these links.
All about purple quilts...just sayin'

Make Do Challenge

Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild

I am a phoenix...just like my mother!
Coming Out of the Dark

It is good grief counseling that is saving me too.
Gotta give credit where credit is due.