Oh, Happy Day...

Cleaning the quilting room always leads to great finds!!  I found 9 facecloths with the binding cut off...just waiting to be matched with pretty fabric and finished...Done!

 I found tons of orphan blocks destined to be potholders...more fun...

 A cold winter's day led me right to the pantry where I found Nancy's homemade delights from her pear tree.  I am keeping this one to add to Marie's famous chicken salad.

 On Tuesdays, Panera has a deal on bagels.  My lunch was an onion bagel with yummy pear preserves.  Thank you Nancy!!

Snow is predicted to start shortly in Charlotte..unusual for us...This indulgent grandmother sprung for these at Walmart this morning....These with some double socks should make the snow play better.  They did not have my size...I love them anyway.

 Tile all done on the downstairs handicap bathroom renovation.

And then there is this skirt from Eithne.  Thank you Eithne...a few tucks in the waist made someone quite happy last night.

 You know that a tablet reads better when one wears a pretty skirt.  So admired by Zoe.

 Found these too for a hospital quilt...someday...not today...back into the mess they go...lol..

Debbie posted about adorable small design boards from Bee in my Bonnet.  I love small design boards, but never ever thought of the glue gun and the colored bindings.  I make mine with staples and these are way cuter!

Really?? Mother?? Really??

I have felt so so guilty not being able to visit my mother as much lately.  With my husband being so sick and the grandchildren living with us...poor Mom got left out...Of course, she does milk it...She misses me so...etc.

.Oh, really Mother...as I read through the mail this morning I came upon this from the Sunrise flyer.....

I ask you....Does this look like a neglected mother to you?????

And, I did not even know she had gone on an outing...to the vineyards, no less...

Parkinson's evidently does not keep her down...lately, anyway...

I love you Mom...

The Bad and the Good and the.....

The bad...I almost burned the house down tonight...being brain dead(:  Just ugh!!  I put my homemade chicken soup on the stove and turned it on high.  TBTG I was still in the kitchen to see and smell the smoke from the potholder that was stuck on the bottom somehow...burning..smoke...smoke and smoke..rancid and awful.  Thank God no flames.  We opened the windows and turned on the fans and the house still smells disgusting.  Glad that this potholder was made in the older times with blue jeans as the base.  I wonder how Insul-Brite would burn.  The good news is....I did not burn down the house.

 The good news is that Rhonda sent her husband over with yummy, and I mean yummy potatoes and bar-b-cue chicken...she just happened to add these adorable potholders that she made..(just in the nick of time tonight, that is for sure..).Did that ever cheer me up!!!  Yup, it did...Thank you Rhonda. 

 The good news...how yummy this other dinner looks...I found the pix in a magazine and just had to clip it...steak and candy corns...just my style.  the bad news.  I have neither on hand.  The good news...Rhonda saved the day with better stuff.

 More bad news..I looked deep into my scrap bucket for the M&M's I had hidden...no luck...guess I had already found them on another desperate occasion(:

 Good news...my scrap adventure is shaping up...Butterflies are free...I wonder if it matters what shape the body of the butterfly is....

Good news, Evan relaxing with Zoe after finishing his science experiment.  Results:  no Epson Salts, no Potassium Chloride (de-icing salt)...nothing made pretty colors in the fire. 

 He just has to write it up tomorrow to turn in on Wednesday.  Teacher understands that it is a month late.  She knows we are hanging on a thread around here...ha..but what she doesn't realize...is that it is Aurifil..ha ha...funny right?

Tonight I think that the good outweighs the bad...Most of the time it does..just gotta remember the gratitude.

Oh, no...another one of those days and I am out of M&M's.....

When I was doing my scrap Blue Street quilt, she was practicing hers with fabric she didn't like to try different sizes.  She doesn't want them any more.  I do.

 My cup of tea (even without the chocolate) is to make it fun.  So I took some of Kaffe's orange scroll fabric right sides together and did the triangle thing...so fast...so good.

 The blocks are all different sizes because that was her challenge...Now, it is mine.  What to do, what to do...re-size them...That's easy:)  or, float them different sizes?? Or make something else with them, like butterflies or a medallion ??  She refuses to go buy me more M&M's even though she is going right by the store on the way to her exercise.....That's ok...I am sewing now...and I feel better.

7

The Night of the Cat

 Relaxing with my I-Pad...checking out Missouri Star Tutorials when someone tried hard to get into the action.

 Success! But, not mine!

The vet said that these children are not allergic to cats...Good thing, I say...

Sweet Dreams

Sunday Stuff

The sun is shining in cold Charlotte today as I eat the last of the Christmas chocolate.  Then, oh, then I have to go with the rest of the sugar loving old ladies to the "healthy eating club"...again.... sigh...

 Of course, since my girl has arrived....I could go for the green smoothie thing...but really, I do not think so....

 Dylan is being so helpful in the quilting room, snipping threads.  

I was working on these little bags, the smallest size..doing an assembly line thing.

 Reusable Snack Bags..tute by Jennifer at Ellison Lane

It is a great tute and a mindless project.  Just what I need now. Do not get me wrong.  I am grateful to be in the sewing room at all...but secretly I really want to be Rachel at Blue Mountain Daisy.  She is sooo very creative.

My very handy, finished snack bags for the grands.  

 Below...brand new flannel covers for the well used old rice heating pads I made years ago.

Here is my idea of fun...Michele Made Me...Michele, you did a great job!

I just loved doing this quiz.  It was so right on that I did a jaw drop!!

New York Times dialect fun fun quiz posted on Michele's blog...Hearts and Hands  Thank u Muggs for the heads up on this fun one.

And so a good Sunday so far.  The grands are with my sister, my man is in his recliner, homemade Chicken soup is ready for dinner tonight and I am puttering in my sun filled quilting room...a very good day.

The My Street Blues quilt top

"Me time" in the sewing room is the gift of family and friends.  Thank you...Mucho....

I bordered this top tonight, my version of the "My Street Blues"....Just the old scrappy life thing coming together....in the quilting room...at least....

 Evan, turning Carol's homemade chicken nuggets into his own yummy pickle creation...never try to guess what a kid would like to eat!!

 The downstairs bathroom renovation....week one..... finished........bang bang, pound pound, hammer hammer....no downstairs bathroom for a month...hmmmmm
Inspectors coming on Monday.

And, tonight, finally.....we watched...The Great British Sewing Bee Christmas Special  Thanks to my girl for setting it up.

The Eight Degree Thing

They say that it has not been 8 degrees in Charlotte in 120 years. We are Southerners, after all.  But.... tonight will be that night.  

 The contractors came this morning to start the renovation of the downstairs bathroom for wheelchair accessibility.  They turned off the electricity/lights and took out the plumbing in preparation for demolition tomorrow.  That also turned off the porch light.  When I go outside, I feel desolate.  It creeps inside of me.  That is how I know that I am still sick.  That is how I know that it is time for bed.

Evan is 8.  He is growing up...according to him.  He did not go to swim camp with his siblings, but wanted a towel anyway.  The grownup towel has the Carolina Panthers on it!!  No sissy stuff for him.

My friend Mary Pat outdid herself...bringing great excitement to our house today.  Old booster seats given new life with her custom made covers.  Thank you MP!!!!

Of course now, the "grownup" children are fighting over them.  All of a sudden, the eight year old really, really needs a booster seat.  Drama!!!

A two hour delay for school tomorrow means a bus pick up at 8 am instead of 6.

Good night, my friends

Love comes in on a jet plane on this Thursday night.

January 2, 2014

The New Year is still quite new.. It does have its comforting moments.  Being sidetracked with acute Asthmatic Bronchitis is not one of them.  From my asthma guy this morning, I got a steroid shot in my hiney, a breathing treatment, a box of steroids to take, antibiotics, Musinex, more inhalers, and a warning to rest for 3 or 4 days if I wanted to stay out of the hospital...3 or 4 days...r u kidding...it has been 11 hours since our visit and I am not well yet!!
 However, .. as Mr.O is resting in his recliner, the now, scaredy cat Mrs. O is obediently resting in hers...the old folks, you know.

Today's comfort...

# 1, My sister who took care of the children along with Drenna....the best.

# 2.  The beekeeper, Herb and the beekeeper's wife, who gave the special honey, guaranteed to speed recovery in most any situation....

#3.  Julie, who had volunteered to bring food for us tonight...and showed up with yummy spaghetti with a story, no less...how is that for cheerin' up sick folk...

Love, in all forms...

My man wants my sister to take down the tree tomorrow, but I say no!  When I am resting by the tree, the ornaments bring comfort with great memories.

Here's to remembering gratitude on January 3 and every other day.

Oh, and this one...tops the list....  My miracle 92 year old mother who insisted that I buy her a chocolate doughnut when I met up with her in Walmart last week.  She was ahead of herself on the New Year thing as she is with most..Love you Mom.

Happy New Year

Last night I found the Christmas tissue paper.  Last night I found the fleece that I had bought for the children's new Christmas pillowcases.  I decided that they would be good New Year presents.  They loved them...a good sign for the New Year.

You really do not need a tute for these, but the one I found at MADE inspired me.  A cold, January day in North Carolina made better by fleece pillowcases.  Sewing makes everything better.  Happier New Year!!

Rainy day inside and rainy day outside

It is only now, at the end of the day, that I have any energy.  And, the grands are at their cousins...so no excuse at all.  I guess the expectation that every day be brilliant is way off the mark, for me anyway!!

The YMCA has gifted the two younger kids with three afternoons at a water camp.  Thus, the towels yesterday, and today the snack packs.  Thank you to Jennifer at Ellison Lane for linking me to the tute.

I decided to start with the largest size.  I had some laminate scraps that Marie had given me way back and thought that that might be stronger for what I wanted.  This tute was so easy and very functional.  These are the four I made this afternoon

See, the largest size fits, the sip-up, apple, cheese string and Goldfish for their camp snack.  I am filling two and putting them in the fridge for tomorrow...all ready for my sister to grab when she drives them to camp.

The smaller sizes should be cuter and perfect for just the Goldfish, etc..I will make them out of novelty fabric and the ripstop.

Today's accomplishment:  Getting up, getting kids ready to go to cousins' house, going back to bed, sleeping forever, heating up lunch someone else made, for the two of us, doing some laundry, and making these...a very, very poor showing...but..tomorrow is another day ...TBTG..Taking my man to the doctor.

Today's Good Stuff..

Look what adorable handmade ornament graces my tree today!!!  A sewing machine from Beth in Houston...How cute is this and what a perfect way to spread the joy.  Thank you Beth.  Thank u mucho!!

Good friends took the grands out today...again...more friends and more free time.  It gave me the space to meet my sister and friends for her birthday lunch.  And it gave me time to make swimming towels for the youngest two grandchildren.

  Pre-printed letters from Hancocks of Paducah made it a piece of cake.  I did a bit of Wonder Under, some machine applique and some free-motion quilting for security.  The few days swimming camp next week is for 3 to 5 year olds.  That leaves the 8 year old out.  I am going to make him a towel anyway and I gave him the choice of yellow or green.  Oh, no..he is upstairs in his bed pouting because he cannot have the color I chose for his brother.....Lordy, In my old age I did forget about the jealousy.. 

Happy Things

An upcycled present from Rhonda...tea towels from her sister-in-law's old curtains.

 My grandchildren making gingerbread houses from IKEA gingerbread house stuff that I had frozen..  I see some candy is missing......

 My birthday fat quarters....My birthday was on the 17 of December....my sister's bday is tomorrow...My mother had this thing about March I think...We are 11 years and 11 days apart....Our group gives two fat quarters to the bday pot...so much fun.

Meeting my mother at Walmart...she was coming on an outing from Sunrise Assisted Living where she lives, and I was just dropping by for an errand...I surprised her and we had a great gossipy chat...I just loved it and so did she.

Friends who are taking our grandchildren on outings..every single day of Christmas break...and friends who are bringing dinner so I do not have to cook between crying jags....So wonderful...

And a little Blue Moon:)

Rowing against the tide

  The new life, the new tree, the new normal...This tree has spawned some interesting decorations...I spy four different paper airplanes that I have never seen before...my guess is that they sailed up there while I was sleeping.

And, what is a Ty stuffed animal doing on this tree????

Jean, you did an awesome job at putting the names on these stockings for the grands...Thank you sooo much

 With the kids off to a movie with friends...I got a chance to sew together some random blocks...sigh!

 Beth brought Christmas dinner tonight...I love you Beth....We ate this part early. 

And so it goes...the love of friends makes the going a bit easier.  Ken said tonight that with our group, if one member cannot row, then the rest just row harder.  That is so nice.