This Life of Mine

Most days. this is the scene from my front yard.  A bit of country in the city.

My empty bedroom ready for the selling.

You're Going to Miss me When I am Gone

Only two years old...once!!

Ava and Lynsey enjoy each other at the beach.

The boys...now includes Tyler, age 13...

Five children, four cats, one dog, one ferret in a corn field...

These grands at the beach...a lovely two week vacation.

The hardest  part about being old is the feeling of abandonment as everyone goes on with their lives.

Even my special well loved quilting groups  have forgotten each other:  Covid changed the world as we knew it.  It adds to the isolation and sadness.

Girl Scout Song: Make New Friends, but Keep the Old 

House for sale...OMG..Home where I lived for 28 years, where I raised 2 families, where  my dear man died, where I got old and tired.

Because of the showings, I spent a day at my sister's house.

For the first time in over two years, I had help basting a quilt.  So comforting!!

My sister wins the award for the heroine this time!!!

She takes great care of her older sister.

Not only did we sew, but she made hot brownies with ice cream served on our mother's china.

My sister's stash!!

Boo and Leia at my sister's house.  Getting along just fine.  

In fact, Boo dissed me so that day.  Very unforgiving Boo Baby.

 Tonight's sewing while I Zoom for my mental health.

Men's shirts from Goodwill, cut up to make a laid back holiday quilt.

And so it goes.  Grands now, 17, 13, 12, and two.( added step ones...13 and 4) Love them all.

Me so old and weary...Please God, let me survive the selling of my dear old house.

This Old House

 

Crabby Grandma O'Quilts and Her Fun Day

Tonight, I am missing my mother and grandmother....
Here they are on the porch in Miami
They were probably 60 and 85 years old...back then..
My family tells it like it is!!!

Had a lovely lunch out.today..and a helpful physical therapy this morning.
I love my physical therapists sooo much.

Since the dollar tree was next door to the restaurant...

I found this treat for Lynsey's desk.  That girl is a leader!!

Potholders...Below is a small hand stitched Mola from Panama.

I bought it at the Panama City airport probably 40 years ago.

Because I have so much stuff...I have decided to make it into a mug-rug.

Our Kathylynn at Wednesday night quilting..

Her aprons for gifting..Her Show and Tell

Our Boo...ventures outside.  The minute I go inside,

Boo is at the door crying to come in..

He is so afraid of his shadow.  He was named Boo because he is a white ghost!!

And, we got him near Halloween, but really...BOO!!!  He is a scaredy-cat.

Our Stitch...the quilting cat..sitting beside me on watch.

He keeps the quilting room safe.

Stitch loves sewing machines too..

And my OCD son, on finding  8 different bags of sugar in the pantry!!

Oh, well...I told him that if I cannot find it, I have to buy another...

On the way to Ala-teen tonight, my son asked the children..how long

they thought it would take to get Grandma upset.

They all started to scream and bang in the car. 

I was furious, but I did not show it.

Once home, I asked for my space, did not talk,,,and sewed in my sewing room

with the company of Alexa and Johnny Mathis...

Everyone else went to bed, wondering why Grandma could not take a joke.

Really????

  It must be bed time for me.

Judyk2310  send me your email...I want to thank you for my comment!!

Coming Out of the Dark

Love says:....

Enjoy porch time with Boo and Stitch

 

 Flowers sent for Emily's birthday, from her husband.

 A darling gift for Lynsey, quilt and doll made by Mary Jerz

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

Hola friends....I decided to post because the above song was stealing my serenity.

At least now, I can type with both hands.

Either this shoulder replacement was dreadful....or..

I am impatient and over sensitive...or

St Paddy's Day and Easter  and Fintan's two year anniversary of his death are all about here,

or, it is because my girl is leaving tomorrow..

In the middle of nurture and indulgence, I am having break-thru pain in all areas.

My shoulder has a 10 inch cut with stitches and my arm is in a sling.

I cannot drive until the 22nd.

Today is day 11 post- surgery.  It feels like a million years!!

Life goes on around me...but I have not been able to see the light.
I cannot sew. That should say it all!!!

Love comes in the persona of my daughter

She has nurtured me, cared for me...organized me and spoiled me..

I could not have done it without her.

I am such a lucky lady.

She makes meals:

She does the doctoring and the PT and tucks me into bed at night.
She has organized some sewing things for me..
Early tomorrow morning, she leaves for her new chosen city, Portland, Oregon.

Friends sent presents and food.

I am better...ten more days until I am released from the sling and drive and live again.

This is the first day of typing so I am going to stop.

Thank you for all the emails and comments wishing me well.

I am praying that this operation was a success,

Out of the Dark

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...

The Slip-up..

I got home tonight to find that my beloved Stephanie had busied herself with....
 cleaning my sewing counter...
She is an OCD clean freak...Now what says Mrs. O'Quilts
Where is my stuff??????
Someone, below, does not care at all about scrappy mess.
His love is unconditional.


Had a fun time tonight at the Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild.
Fun to see what favorite quilting tools everyone has.

Tonight's confession:  I ate some of the children's Easter candy.
 I was depressed with my widow weight..and my painful knees that have not been replaced.
The sad state of Grandma's affairs tonight(:
I do love the Easter bunny and he skipped my house this time.
Certainly it was a wise choice!!!!

That was not enough, says weak kneed Grandma.
She said she would just check her favorite fabric site: Hancocks of Paducah's sale pages
Just checking, she said...OMG  I need an attitude adjustment for sure..
And, none of the above helped  my arthritis, let me tell you.

I have been raising my grandchildren for almost 2 and a half years.
Despite adversity, IMHO. I can see that I am doing a very good job.
The other day they wanted three helpings of hot oatmeal before school.
They got it..
Then, they ran happily onto the bus where friends waited for them.
Consistency...they got it.
They are safe and secure and loved..gratitude.

Disappointment came last night...
 My son is now out of jail and working.  He is a great worker.
Within an hour or two of his release, he had a job and was on the job!!
His cellmate had a brother, etc with a business..
Voila, my charming son was working.
Last night we had a park date with him to meet with his children.  They were so excited.
He called at the last minute and cancelled...still on the job, he said..and in South Carolina.
Maybe so, says his mother...but..................
So fine..we had movie night instead.......it is spring break after all.

 16 year old Pumpkin is proud of me for starting to quilt again..

Fine...Cats...just fight over it . It is not like there are no nice special beds for the two of you..

While googling Quilting for Solace..I found this cool article.

Oh, Lookie....Hoodie cats give it charm..