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The sixth grader..slouches, earplugs in...all absorbed in winding bobbins!!

We now celebrate our dear Evan

Teachers report that today he has re-taken his exams and done very well.

We all freaked when our A student failed two finals...

He just did not know how to study.

Now I am getting emails on how smart, such a good worker...etc..

Bursting with pride.

Tonight, he fretted that he...does not like the "no weekday " electronic rule!

All the children take advantage of Grandma's rules when Mommy visits....

including Mommy.

I gave Evan a consequence of going to bed 30 min early tonight,

or missing the electronics on Friday night.

He chose the former...smart boy.

He was at odds.with "nothing to do".

Alas..after much moping...he decided to fill bobbins for me and use the radio to help him.

He took the radio from up stairs, plugged it into his I-pad, attached his earplugs to the I-pad, 

The radio was plugged in to the wall.

The I-pad was plugged into the radio.

The earplugs were plugged into the I-pad

The earplugs were plugged into the boy....for music....and..
Evan was plugged into his.sewing machine.

Quite a sight...

My Grandboy WOUND 31 bobbins for me on his own sewing machine as I sat at the computer.
He chose what  colors a quilter should need.

So proud..so happy...so helpful.

OOPs...time gone by so fast missing bedtime
Old grandma was totally happy with her blind eye.

Time well spent.

Big problem..
Evan said that he could not sew because I dumped all my stuff on his sewing table!!
Really, who would do that.????
Now...his table is all clean, bobbins all wound and neat.
and MY table,, MY sewing room MY fabric...is big awful mess..
Grandma promised not to mess HIS table again....
I so wish I had  bought more chocolate ice cream.
I just might have promised the impossible.

Another block made for a friend...It is called 30's Pinwheel in a square!
Fun and easy...

, I am auditioning more choices for my Civil War sampler.
I hate what I had planned before..
 I see this strip is too dark.
Sometime it takes putting it out there to see the mistake,
And to share the process with all the world.. to see.

When my Dear Man died, I took his "hospital" room for my second quilting room
I thought, for sure that I would have so much space..
I would  be tidy forever.
NOT!!!
God help me, I need organizational help.(among other things)

The spring in Charlotte...the summer for Lynsey
The fall for my love....no one knowing the winter was soon.
It is Time to Say Goodbye

 My love I miss  you so...

 My favorite photo.

Mother, with your quick wit and your beloved words, your big heart of love.
I never knew that you were old.
This picture was you!!  Yes, you....coming home from lunch bunch in February.
You fell from your wheelchair in May, the day before your birthday.
Maybe 93 was old for some, but not for my mother.

Life as I knew it, was shattered in an instant.
The Prayer

Then...The Rose
The pain of loss and the comfort of grace..

Always with me every second of every day.

Dear Mrs. O'Quilts...

Dear Mrs. O'Quilts...please read this and do it!!!
Do you hear me???
Grief during the holidays
But, it is sooo hard.

Finally, tonight...after a holiday emotional day..I was able to select fabrics for a present.
Do not know if I will finish it...but at least this is a start.

 Yesterday I managed scrap potholders...
Random this and random that...made peace within me.
If it takes a potholder to do this, well, then it takes a potholder!!

Evidently it takes being completely alone to cry and grieve my losses...
Who wants to do that??
Himself would not want our son's drug situation to do me in..

Aunt Brandy coming through with help during the holidays.
Aunt Emily coming through with coming home on the 16th.
Auntie Charmaine coming through with tons of respite and help.
Ms. BW coming through with respite...
Ms Katie coming through with tons of tutoring and texts..
Ms. Stephanie coming through...my pillar of strength.
Ms. Muggs coming through with daily affirmations..

My awesome grands are tons of work, but I would not survive without them.
They are my reason for being.
I love them so.

Just found a calendar that Emily had made me one year.
Such lovely memories.
Bet she did not know at the time that I would love these pix years later!!

Playing the piano.

My mother...

Me and the first one:)  He still takes my heart.

Below is shameless family advocacy.

My sister needs work to keep her apartment..She is getting a divorce.

She now has an etsy shop for potholders and small quilts, etc.  She just started.

I told her that her only sister would help her fight the fight by posting on my blog;
Voila...Good luck Charmaine!!

QCQuilters

Reading Between the Lines

From Lori's cool tute comes this top I just finished:

I started using her pattern because I could not think to create myself.  However, in short order I became me again and did a bit of ad lib....

I love how it turned out.  I do not know why I have gone nuts about buying new fabric, when my favorites are the scrap ones.

Today was all about doom and gloom until:

 from gratefulness.org came this message to me.

WORD FOR THE DAY
Monday, Sep. 1

It is a huge danger to pretend that awful things do not happen. But you need enough hope to keep going. I am trying to make hope. Flowers grow out of darkness.

Corita Kent

1.  At the ALS clinic on Friday, the good doctor told Mr. O'Quilts that he has now lost 50% of his swallowing ability.  Everything is pureed now.
2.  The Mr and I went to Hong Kong on our honeymoon 34 years ago.
3.  My dear man and I used to work at the Miccosukee Indian reservation.  We would drive for an hour through the Everglades in Florida to the reservation.  Himself was the tribe counselor and I was the school counselor.  I had to work through an interpreter, avoiding eye contact with the elders as was their custom.  Alligators galore.

3.   I went on a 5 week language study program to what was then the Soviet Union when I was 21 years old.  That year all the women wore red and purple rain boots.  Evidently that was all that was available.  I fell in love with Georgian bread and the subway.
Just FYI...lol  ps..if this is a repeat...pls forgive...
xxoo my friends!

ps if when you make a comment I do not answer, it is because I am overwhelmed...It does not mean I do not cherish your comments...cuz I so do!

Love Lifting us up

 Friends visiting, love all around.

 My man playing Irish music to cheer us up.  Grandma's lights on the piano to help us remember the many good times.