The only thing sad today is that I cannot find the children's Halloween Candy!!!

Here we go...Ms Lynsey practicing and singing for her part in the school Veteran's Day show.
She came home a success.
She saw a veteran there who looked so much like Granddaddy that she almost cried...sigh!!

 Top finished, auditioning borders..if any..
Quilt pattern from the wonderful, Sujata Shah at the Root Connection

 
My father died 19 years ago. My sister and I waited the week in the hospital with our mother.
The life support had been disconnected.  The wait was awful.
Our mother gave us each $200 to go to fabric stores.  She said that we needed a break.
At that time there were a lot of fabric stores in Phoenix...now, not so many.
We would be in the hospital, go to fabric store, come back...etc..
I will never forget that time, nor the fabric I bought back then.
This piece was one of them.  I am going to use it to back this quilt.
The fabric has been saved and loved for 19 years in memory.

Addiction:

In the past few years science has found that indeed addiction is a disease.
..a chronic relapse brain disease.
Many people still shame addicts as folks with a weakness and moral problems.
Shaming someone with a disease is unkind.
My son is so sick. He forgot to set up visitation last week.  I called him yesterday to say I loved him and he was too high to talk.  He never called back.  I try never to lecture or shame him...just I love him and hope he chooses recovery.  His birth parents were addicts.
No one knew back then that it was an inherited relapse disease...A knife in my heart.
The surgeon general made this public today.
 Hopefully education will change perception.
Money for treatment can then be freed up...Praying...
Addiction as a Disease

A few days ago, I went to my doctor.  I went on and on telling him my story and how it was affecting me now...at 19 months.  After listening patiently and with great kindness, he told me that ....
My antidepressant was no longer working.  HA!!!!
Two pills later and I am already feeling much much better.
We now have a great big family bottle of Cymbalta...Just joking...
Stasi...Stephanie and now....me.
The last few years have taken quite a toll on all of us.

Things to look forward to:
Thanksgiving with my girl and her man.
My brother and his wife.
Evan perfecting his canasta game.
The grands doing so wonderfully.
They are happy, safe, well loved and well cared for.
TBTG
Sooo Grateful!!

Hello Silence, my old friend..

I had my group over as usual on Wednesday night.  I so needed help with this top.  There was one block that was driving me nuts..I felt that I had to take it apart and switch it around due to value.

Ten women looked to find the mistake.  Ten women chose 10 different blocks that they thought were causing the problem...Lordy!!!

The photo showed no problem at all...so I am leaving it.

I need two more rows for this quilt top..Putting it away for a rainy day!

Great Aunt Carl in Greenville, Alabama gave me a cutting of her Gardenia bush many moons ago.

She died last year on my mother's birthday.

She would be thrilled to see how that one rooting has make a huge tree all in bloom here.

A little family fun...little kids in their pool. 

 Three kids????

Thank you soo soo much Aunt Brandy for taking the three children today for the weekend.

My three and your three make six..You are a saint.

The sound of silence roars its relaxation!!!

Keeping on keeping on...etc

I have a decision to make.  Should I make this zigzag quilt modern or mix it with these trees...Help is needed because I cannot see it today...Maybe I should just put it all away until next year.?

 Then I am making some log cabin blocks...Why??  Who knows?  But, it is fun and relaxing...Fun wins out every time.

 Before my girl went home, we went in to JoAnn's big sale of all sales.  I saw this doggie flannel and knew right away who would love it.

 This pillowcase was delivered to the friend and her hotdog last night:)  Yup, it was a success, she loved it.

Mr. O'Quilts is sick.  He told me last night that he is too weak to put up the Christmas tree this year.  He cannot put up the big 7 foot fresh tree that we always have had for 33 years...He cannot put on the lights and he cannot put on the decorations.  The end of tradition. 

 I cried. 

 And, then...I moved on. 

 Looking now for a funky white artificial tree that works like an umbrella...push a button and it comes alive...lights and all...A woman just has to do what she has to do...Friends, please point me in the right direction...

A Good Day

Mr. O'Quilts had a grueling three hour doctor appointment today.  Making the most of it all, the Mrs. finished her needle turn applique for the hexie political quilt.  Seems like forever that it has been on the design wall.

 I see that I am late for the very important date...but, since I have not done needle turn in like 20 years...I am pleased with myself.

 We celebrated surviving the appointment with...still another date:)  ....our favorite Chinese restaurant...Tonight I am turning my "silly quilt" into the "experimental quilt"...Progress, I think.

The Gift!!

My husband RETIRED on Wednesday and we headed up to the mountains for R&R...He for a tennis tournament and me for sewing and fabric shops.  I had been so wondering what retirement present to get my man.  He sat in the car while I ran into the Tuesday Morning in Asheville.....and when I came out I was carrying the perfect present!!!!!  By the astonished look on his dumbfounded face.....by his speechless demeanor, I knew in my heart that I had made the right choice...:)

This is a Kenmore mini ultra...11 pounds!!  We know that we cannot keep up with the Jones'...but we CAN keep up with the D family and the W family and the Y family....They all have a Kenmore...Now the lucky M family has one too!!!  (Although Peggy says that Kenmore machines are now owned and made by Janome).  Kathy had one of these at a Guild Sit and Sew and I totally loved it.  It is easy to carry and comes in the most lovely shade of blue (that does not show so well in this pix). She gave me the Ebay link for a $10 free motion foot for it.  How exciting is this???  This machine is available online at the Kenmore link for $99 or at Sears or Walmart for $69...but thrifty me found it at Tuesday Morning for $59.  I thought it was hot off the press, but Kathy has had hers for three years..so guess not.  I am so glad that my husband has retired!!!!

I did a little work on these quilt blocks in the hotel room while Mr. O'Quilts was playing tennis.  I have 9 blocks to go to make 7 by 5...if I want it that small...I also worked on my secret challenge for my IQ bee.  We read by the fire in the cozy hotel lobby, exercised in the pool, ate dinner out and had a wonderful time.  Oh, and P.S....went to 4 quilt stores.  I think that Ruth is right.  The Asheville Cotton Company is really a wonderful store.  They have frequent sales of 20% off all fabric...a wonderful sale section...with minimum cut of 1/2 yard....AND  they offer Wi-Fi for waiting husbands.  We hit two Foam and Fabric stores which both said that they have Wi-Fi, but do not let customers use it...whatever.....Good customer service brings in more moola...It was sad to see that Marti's quilt store in Black Mountain has gone out of business.  We are home now.  It will be very strange for my husband not to go back to work come Monday....oh...hmmm...he just got an email with a possible offer of consultation...hmmmm

The Zigzag crabs....help needed

This is NOT working.  I am about to put it away for a UFO..where am I going wrong???