Gifting Saves the Day

We have new neighbors..from Guatemala..new friends.
She was telling me that she has been here for about 18 years leaving her family behind.
She misses them.
She has her own family now...four children and a husband.
This morning, I stayed in bed until 11...once up, never opened the blinds.
Did nothing.  Felt crazy.
 I came upon an old Guatemala tablecloth I had picked up on my travels years ago.
Pays to be a hoarder...you see!!!!
I cut up the good parts and made some potholder/trivets for them.
The runner features the national bird of Guatemala, the Quetzal.

Then I opened the blinds.
 I took the garbage out and a child's dirty sock off the table.

 

The purples now  have a single packed space of their own.
But, wouldn't you know, they miss the yellows and are complaining about the oranges.
Just cannot win sometimes.!!!

My sister and Dylan have a very special relationship.

They love each other totally.

Here is Dylan with Charmaine's dog, Reece.....In her new apartment

Comfy on the window seat with the Ipad and pillow and dog and quilt and love.

With all my hysterical worrying about my sister, the angels took care of it.
I could have minded my own business.
Maybe the angels will take care of my son too.
Maybe they will even take care of me.
Nothing in my long experienced life or my mental health work could possibly have prepared me for the loss of my husband...nothing...nothing...nothing.

Zoe and I are going to sit on the screened in porch now and talk it over.

The Crazy Hour

Late at night I get crazy...very...  I need a friend to come immediately to help me organize my purples. No one is answering my cry of distress.

 I might just get rid of more books in Mr. O'Quilts room to put them there...I am overwhelmed.

Ok, tomorrow may be a better time.

 I will not buy more fabric until I am organized.. Just look at tonight...no sewing at all because I can find nothing.

Well, I was at Hobby Lobby..before I decided not to shop there anymore...and found these lovely solids for $3.49 a yard.  They were the store brand just below ridiculously expensive Kona cotton.  These are really soft and lovely.

Today I was at Aldi getting ice cream for the Mr.'s smoothies...trying to get rid of that yucky taste of Ensure and Benecalorie...for him....no ice cream for me...of course.  Anyway, I bumped into my mother's friend, Thelma.  Thelma hires someone to take her grocery shopping.  Thelma is so lovely.  She gave me courage to carry on...She told me that she has survived a lot. When she was 35, she woke up to her husband dead in the bed beside her from a heart attack.  She had children,including a 2 year old.  She wanted to die right then, but she did not.  Instead she put one foot in front of the other and kept on going for her children.  Thelma is 92.  Last year her son died of tongue cancer.  She did not lie down and die then either.  There she was giving me strength in Aldi in the cracker aisle.  It was such a gift for me.  It was like talking to my own mother.

So anyway, back to the purples.  They are all spread out making more of a mess.  I guess at this hour I had better just read a magazine.  One more day of no sewing (:

Ok, ok...I will be kinder to self.  I am going to sit and look thru these new magazines I got today even if it is late at night.

It's all about Purple...almost

 It was in looking for the knitting needles..in a haystack....
rather in the rolling table from Harbor Freight..
That I found a bag I had made from Striped Sunflower seeds....

Lo and Behold...

What did I see, but a bag full of purples looking at me!! 

 I ask you, who would do such a crazy thing??????

FYI  purples found...amazing!

 On my recent sanity sewing retreat, I obsessively made 29 coin purses!!!   I have already given away 9:)  Eunice suggested that each purse given have a shinny penny inside for good luck.  Having a hard time here finding shinny pennies.

 The grandchildren had another monthly supervised visit with their mother today..and it was another success.  TBTG

Last, but not least E turned 9.  Such a day!

Living the Life

Purples from Wanda..loved and opened by L..  Thank you Wanda.  Thank you L.

Both brought great cheer today.

Still have not found my purple stash...I think I will hire my sister to find it!!!

 Turning 97...and the boss is still at quilting group!!!  You go Margaret!

 The fruits of their labor.  They planted the seeds.  They transferred the plants to the ground.  They watered the plants and they picked the beans.  Now they are loving them and eating them right from the garden...such wonderful pride...

 Mr. O'Quilts in his new wheelchair van, coming home from a swim.  Visiting brother from Dublin did the driving...yeah life!!

And so it goes..