The Best Day in a Very Long Time!

 It is almost midnight as I remember to blog about my great day.  My sister  and two friends joined me today for lunch and laughter. I almost felt "normal"..although I surely know that "normal" does not exist.

I made bowl cozies in order to give the potholders a rest.

Here are the three I made, both sides.

A stunning day today of 77 degrees F.  Bright sun and Carolina blue skies.

Pansies blooming in my grandmother's antique  bowl.

Hyacynths Linda planted in the late fall.

I am sitting here eating a slab of Port Salud cheese, a few pretzels and a glass of Shiraz.  My brain is bursting with memories of our fine day.

Meantime, in Portland, it is snowing.

Teaching her young, Aoife clears the road for her car!!

They are all ready to leave at 5 am tomorrow for vacation...IF the airport does not close.

At today's end, I enjoyed cutting with my new Shamrock template.  I just love to be able to make "Thank you's" for the kind anf generous new friends and staff here at my new retirement village.

The lovely today ended with dinner with friends at our Bistro while Carol's Yadi cleaned my apartment.

I came home from dinner with a clean place, fresh sheets and joy in my heart.

So very grateful!!

Who Knows the Outcome?

 Here at my new apartment I have these for arm strenthening.

Here we also have this for lunch or dinner or both.

Dear me, I certainly will never be 40 again with all this temptation

Who knows the outcome???  I  think I do, but I do not care.  My movie star days are over!!

Happy Valentine's Day.....this is my last heart potholder for this year.

Nice to find birds of a feather in my new place....

And in that awesome package from Anna...came this little button that I wish was much bigger as it so tells the truth!!

Now I am off to finish the last binding on my last entry to the Charlotte quilt show.

The bag label is made and ironed on the bag.

I just have to turn the binding and sew it on top.

I am in the home stretch.

Tomorrow I get to go to PT again to try to regain the strength I lost when I fell a few weeks ago.

The good day today was exercise in the pool and a trip by myself to the library.  Wow, Mrs. O'Quilts, you are such a big girl.  Although, I do say that I left my eyeglasses in the car and could not see the titles.   And, I lost my library app which the help desk lady had to find for me on my phone.  Still, it all encouraged me on...

After a miserable few days, today was another sunny day in the Carolinas.

Cute  labels:  below a label Emily put in a shirt she just finished.

This is my label for the last quilt.  Did not put on the binding...lazy me

This fabric was white from IKEA  God knows when, but I dyed it yellow.

It is for my son whenever I find him.  For now, I love this quilt.

 Here you go Joye!!!Charlotte Quilter's Guild Quilt Show

Life on the Slow Track

After my pool exercising. I found an awesome package by my door.

It was a welcoming to  my new home present, but then changed to a birthday present, a Christmas present and a New Year present.  Now it is a valentine present and full of love and encouragement.

SIX yards of stunning African fabric...Oh, my...I am breathless with excitement.

Other treats are in the box too.....but I just could not stop gazing at the wealth of joy in this fabric.

Thank you Anna!!!!

Joining my Valentine potholder on my front door, is a hand painted one from Linda Swanekamp

Sewn and stuffed.  Linda shares with me her artistry.  I am so blessed.

Come in closer to admire Linda's work.

Today I stayed in bed until noon.  That extra rest enabled me to catch up on laundry, kitchen work and some organizing. I was able to attach labels on the three quilts to go into the show and clean the lint from the small design walls.that Linda D. made for me.  I am all ready for the Accuquilt presentation, I will share on Monday.  My things are all  on a cart, ready for the organizer to wheel down to our art room.  Love my red cart.

I have been under so much stress during my transition, that I did not realize I have not been getting blogposts from others in  quite awhile...months.....OMG   I am still on Bloglovin and probably should change, but am  terribly weak on computers.  Dear me....What to do??  I do not even know how to get the posts from Bloglovin again.

 This upcoming week, I will turn in 3 quilts for the March show in Monroe....Charlotte Quilter's Guild....and, Monday I will show the tiny quilt group at my place, the electric Accuquilt...with some of my examples and dies to try.  It is nice to be back with some of my peeps and my sewing friends.  I think I am getting better!!!

A Spring Day in February

The Valentine art decorations in our art room.

Above quilt is mine, c.1999  Charlotte

My second quiltlet has been renamed:  "Tree of  Love" to suit the season.

In December it was a Christmas tree.  Top gifted and made by Marie Hartman

Hand Quilted by me, c.1994  Charlotte

Using my awesome electric Accuquilt and the snowflake die...Voila two winter potholders.

Tremendous pounding in my apartment today as they prepare the third floor apt for renovation.

OMG

Lucky, lucky me is five minutes from the pool.

Lucky, lucky me had a brilliantly beautiful February day  here...at 68 degrees F and Carolina Blue..sun.

Instead of being crabby with the construction noise, old lady basked and napped in the sun.

 Oh, Happy Day

Night!!

 

Sunshine on my Shoulders

Honestly, stress is just everywhere!!  And, I know I am not alone.  Thank God, I have potholders to make and give...  And still I have lessons to learn in expectations...Sigh!

One of these is on my apt door, others are to be gifted.

My husband and my grandmother were my rocks in life.  I miss them so much.

This quilt. I made for my son.  I am keeping it for now,  It is made with sorrow and with love.

I named it, "Sunshine on my Shoulders". The fabrics are so wonderful in person.

Up close....backing is grey flannel.

My daughter, the musician has found her niche:  It is in the Celtic Women's band.

My girl plays a mean tin whistle, Irish style.  Her daddy must be so proud.

I spoke with Aoife tonight.  They have to bribe her with a piece of chocolate to talk with Grandma...sad!!!  They put one piece in  my old Irish teapost.  When we finish a nice chat, she gets her chocolate, from Grandma....Jeeze Louize...Guess this is part of being 2 and a half.

Thank you Rachel for the lovely visit today.  Thank  you Betty for the visit to your stain glass studio.

Thank you my sister for the help yesterday.  Thank you Sherry for the pictures you sent.  Thank you Sunny for the great talks.  

Yet still the ocean's rocky and scary.  With a sense of deja vue, I carry on.

There is a cafeteria worker who hugs me every day, telling to be grateful that I get to be 75.  He says, my big jobs are done, I have to leave all the rest up to God.  Sometimes I feel so deserted, then I see that I do indeed have friends. GUS is there...Great Universal Spirit!!

Looking forward to sewing with Linda tomorrow. 

And, I have two new friends who live here who deserve an "I care" potholder from me.

Tonight is a chilly night in the Carolinas.  Perfect to cuddle in bed under my quilts and be grateful.  xo

Quilting as Solace

"Auntie Sam"

"Both Sides Now"

Backing

These are two quilts I am putting in the Charlotte show in March.

Just gotta do the binding.  I do not care about the quilt police.   I am  putting on the bindings by machine.,

I will prepare the 3rd one tomorrow.

I do not know what I would have done without my longarmer, Mary Jerz!!

Below, Aoife checks out Mt. Hood with her daddy.

Grandma here, is still working on accepting life on life's terms..

I was going to stop OT, but she gave me a week off, so now I guess I will keep on plodding along.

Meantime the pool gives me solace xo

SewBlest

 Big thanks to Pat for sending me this license plate.....SewBlest!

Part of my quilting history, EPP that I sat and worked on in the 22 months I waited in the ALS clinic with my husband.  At the end of the time, I made these into coasters, backed with felt, for friends who gave me such great support during that terrible time.

My grandmother taught me to sew at 13.  My mother refused to buy me clothes, but agreed to buy me fabric all throughout high school.  First year of college, I started handpiecing quilting blocks as I waited in line for things...eg, the bookstore, lunch,.... I taught myself to quilt using these Foxfire books. I graduated college in 1969

Evan...OMG....18 in June...Where does the time go????  Now working construction in his step-father's business.

My December birthday Amaryllis...Now has 6 blooms with two more stalks rising.

My neighbor helped me on the rainy, rainy day.  Wed, I had to go to the doctor for a scan.

I did not have to wobble to my car as my neighbor did it for me....sooo nice!

She owns a sailboat, is a musician and gave me a piece of fabric for her curtain.

I used all of those for her potholder and pinned it on her door with a magnet for a surprise thank  you.

My Oregon family is snow walking??  in Bend, Oregon, this weekend.

Poor Aoife....and in the warming hut!!

Just delivered today, 3 of my quilts quilted by Mary Jerz.

Soooo exdcited.  Will work on binding tomorrow...and post them...

Good night xo

Grandma Rambles

 Today is the 38th birthday of my only son;  my charming, kind, intelligent and handsome son.  I had  thought I had no contact information for him; alas tonight I found his friend's new email....  When it was a sad day,  I unloaded the dish washer...What else could I do.?  Glad to hear he was working on a car, mechanic he is.

My new glasses will not come until Wednesday. I ordered readers online, 3 pairs for $9.99.

Tonight's energy came from my lovely long morning nap and from finding my son to say Happy Birthday.  I have now recovered one more of my mother's old wheelchair pads...

The grands came to visit this weekend.. It was totally relaxing and enjoyable.  We all did our own thing. As you can see, Dylan has his own set up.  He brought his brother's lap top adding that to a TV he keeps under my bed.  He would not even get off his game when his step dad came to pick him up!!! OMG, talk about addictive!!

Here:  showing the flower progression by the Angel of Hope.

Last week when I fell, I was desperately lusting after a white cake with white gooey frosting.  Look what my great DIL brought  me when she brought the kids.  She knows what to get.  When I asked her once what her favorite dinner was, she said cake.

Here is my recommentded motion detector magnetic snap on lights to keep the old lady from falling.

Amazon to the rescue....again!!

I have been waiting for a picture of Lynsey to come up....too late, slow internet...going to bed now. xo

A Finish

Finally, Samson's baby quilt is finished.  The threads are even cut.  We have an awesome art room here for that kind of work and for basting too.

Orphan block potholders:

Sherry's table runner:

There is nothing I like better than sewing with friends.

I do not seem to have great pictures...Maybe I  need a new phone/camera???

Yesterday started off as a nasty, sad day, as my son was hospitalized, then walked out AMA with no notice.  However, thanks to Sherry's visit, it turned out great!!!  We sewed, we laughed, she fixed some things for me.....really, genius fixes..It is so on my gratitude list to have such a smart and caring  friend.

Today was destined to be a great day too, alas, at 6 am I fell.  It was all my fault, getting up in the dark with no light, nor cane...I tripped on a wheel and fell flat on my face.  My glasses broke and cut into my cheek.  Good thing that my movie star days are over.  Tomorrow I should be  quite adorable.!! (cut and puffy face, etc) Gratitude to live in a complex like this where paramedics are right at the security gate,  I pushed a button on my wrist and two cuties arrived in minutes to get me up, brush me off and treat my boo-boos.

Tomorrow I will get a big lecture from my OT on how the elderly with falling histories should not walk in the dark...Guess I will not be exercising for awhile. For sure this calls for junk food....sigh...Wondering if I can order white cake with sugary white icing by phone???  Lynsey is coming  this weekend, maybe she will make me something to ease my pain.

My long time hairdresser came to my patio today to cut my hair....I am sooooo glad.

Sometimes it is mighty hard to ride that rollercoaster called life!!