Thursday, December 30, 2021

Bye, Bye Baby, Good Bye

A bit fuzzy, but still love...Off tonight to Portland...xoxo 

For a man who is not crazy about cats, my SIL is a good sport and holds Stitch for the family picture!!

Evidently Aoife could not fit into a suitcase (too many quilts), so here she is on her  own.
I got a newish camera...maybe I am not doing the photos right.  This one is fuzzy too
Bed time, she finds her quilt herself.
What's not to love??
So thrilled that my girl loves quilts.  She picked out a few to take home with her.
Stitch is sad as he says goodbye!
Stitch insists that he has feelings too.
Goodnight!  I am peaceful and joyful tonight


















Wednesday, December 29, 2021

All About Aoife

Aoife is admiring her own picture on the ornament.
Starting chores early, at Grandma's house.
Matching wrapping  paper with prints of Aoife...A grandmother's dream!!
Pushing the carriage left in my garage by her cousin Ava
Aoife says:  Baa Baa, as she loves her quilt!! (pattern by Irene Berry)
Aoife enjoying Christmas dinner.

And, giving in to a bit of jealousy:
Our Stitch in a Christmas box..

Aoife goes home on Wednesday, tomorrow at 5ish...I am thrilled with our visit.
Does not mean that I will not cry, as I will for sure..
Grandma has 4 lovely grandchildren xo
A grateful grandma.



 

Saturday, December 25, 2021

What a Wonderful World


Merry Christmas Aoife, from Grandma and friends, 2021.
Big Big Thanks to Kathy Petrie and Linda Dassenko for their loving help.  And to Mary Jerz for her wonderful quilting.  I am indeed blessed as is our Aoife!!

Below, flannel sheep backing to keep our Aoife warm. Batted with wool, of course.

An "Irish quilt"

"The Meaning of Christmas, is Simple, you See" was a Christmas song my daughter sang solo at  age 6 at the church pageant.  I cannot find a video of that song anywhere!!

Aoife Rose, 17 months.





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Thursday, December 23, 2021

To All a Good Night

My favorite handcrafted Christmas greetings!!

My red Christmas tree on the back porch, spreading joy!

Better pictures of my bags made by  Linda for my birthday .Below..the bottoms.!!

Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville.
Dylan and his newest friend!!
Aoife likes them all!!
Lynsey awaiting her kiss!!

A lovely family outing for all of them.
And, a lovely peaceful break of nap and puttering for  me.

We are planning an early Christmas Eve feast at my house, then the children are going to their mother's house for the Santa thing.
Christmas day brunch and chill here, with my sister and niece.

My sister's birthday celebration on the 28th.
My girl and her family leave on the 29th,

It has been a different but wonderful visit.
Grateful Grandma.!  xoxoxo





Wednesday, December 22, 2021

The Winter Solstice

Bags made by Linda in my favorite African fabrics, delivered today for my birthday.
My cup runneth over.  They are so beautiful.  I love them so. Will try for a better picture in the daylight.
My 2021 tree ornament. 
 Clever parents.  It was decoupaged on a slice of stump from last year's Christmas tree.
Very creative to my point of view.  Aoife 16 months.
Aoife's daddy's idea of a Christmas photo in front of the tree.
I gasp and  Aoife loves it!!!

Grandma and Aoife.  She sat with me only because of "Wheels on the Bus" and "Old MacDonald",
but, I will take anything.  Aoife is a doll.

My daughter and SIL  have done everything they can to ease my stress.  The garage, the heaps of laundry of clothes too small for the children.....loads to Goodwill, the neighbor next door for their church, several trips to the shredder and cooking...always wonderful cooking.
I am relieved.  I am grateful. I feel supported and loved.

  There is nothing to be done about my grief with my son's choices, but my daughter's visit has given me a lifeline of survival and support.
Joy...the wonderful feeling of joy!!










 

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Aoife Brings Love

Aoife and her grandmother are getting to know each other.
Our second full day!
Aoife playing in the Carolina leaves.
Aoife who??? Says the grand master of the home!!!!
The beautiful girls.
Aoife's daddy teaching the leaf raking skill.

Aoife in the tree lot.  No trees found for us.
All good trees gone...sad...but, I am not in charge...Wahoo.
My girl and her man will take the kids and try again tomorrow.
Guess this one was not good enough.
I have half a mind to cut the volunteer tree from the front  yard.
It is 4 feet tall and could be a big money saver with character. 
It could be a lesson in living frugally.

Me thinks this grand idea of mine is being vetoed!!
Brian is teaching the children how to make dessert crepes.

Dylan meets Aoife
OH, NO...My precious thread....That girl has expensive tastes.  She so prefers Aurifil!!
She will not come to her grandmother...hiding here behind Mommy.
16 months.  Even so, she is a  love.

Sad part of this season is the Covid thing and 16 year old Evan's refusal to get his shots.
It breaks my heart.  There are so many people at risk at my house.  Guess we will have to wave at him from a a distance.  We love our Evan!!

This is truly the joy of the season...family.  I am so grateful.
















 

Friday, December 10, 2021

The Night Before Aoife

My latest holiday extravaganza improv Christmas quilt.  Made it a few  years ago, who knows where it has been until now!!!!
This is a tough year for us all.  The kids are so upset at their daddy's choices and miss him so..for the holidays.  Me too!!  We are all trying to accept life on life's terms and create new traditions.
This is new:
The children told me that their daddy taught them how to put up the outdoor lights.
They say that a new tradition is that they do it themselves.  And in a blink of an eye, way before I get outside to supervise and shout to them not to fall, they had the lights up. 
 Amazing kids and so proud of themselves.

Uncle Brendan sent us a lovely box of fruit.  What I did not know is that the kids had never eaten grapefruit before!!  Amazing to me since I grew up in Phoenix with grapefruit trees in my backyard and lived 20 years in Miami.
I have now ordered a few grapefruit spoons and taught them how my grandma taught me...the honey on top!!  They ate all the grapefruit in one day.  Next day, Lynsey took out the juicer and juiced fresh oranges for the family...Wonderful!!  We have only had this fruit box 24 hours and it is already empty...Yummy!!!
Somehow all the dinnerplates have been broken these past 2 years....our wedding china in daily use for 40 years.  There are two plates left.  Online I found these pasta bowls...Kids are thrilled with the colors and shape.  Here is a snack adorned with one of my grandmother's Bakelite knives.

The children's middle school has been so supportive of our family.
I told the children that  when we can sew, there is no reason to spend money on gifts.
Today, they gave out 15 homemade teachers' gifts.  I forgot to take a picture of Dylan's jar opener and Lynsey's potholder...Next week I am sending in a basket of tissue holders for the office staff...Teaching the kids that we give back.
Other news:  Lynsey auditioned for a part in the school play...and was accepted.  She is soooo thrilled.
She was also asked to speak at a convention on Zoom...Way to go girl.
I had a wonderful video of our Aoife but cannot seem to upload it!!  grrrrr,

I had a lovely present to give to our Orkin guy...He said that he really loves the one I gave him last year....the same thing...OMG I am so losing it!!  I am a Christmas present failure.  TBTG I  have a cupboard of things I have made through the  years. I gave him a basket instead. 

 Then, Lynsey found a zippy bag I had made and filled it with bandaids for her PE teacher.

A lovely cleaning lady came today.  She made my bed with fresh sheets....so wonderful...Until, I saw
that the arrogant Stitch claimed the only cat Christmas pillowcase for himself... Really Stitch???
He shows no remorse!!

The Irish Chain I made and by now is soft and comfy.
The "T" quilt is the first antique quilt we bought for our collection. It is a 100 year old political quilt."T"  is for Temperance.

And so we wait for Aoife. God willing, in 12 hours she should arrive in Charlotte.
It is a dream come true.















 

Sunday, December 5, 2021

They Call for Self-Care....Here it is...:

 
Patting and loving my Marcia Derse fabric!!



First step:  finding my Marcia Derse fabric!!
Second, third and fourth steps: patting and loving the fabric.