A Holiday Tale of my Clever Friends

Sharing here...my Wednesday night quilting group..so talented

A birthday party like no other.

First up, my zippy, flat bag I made for my Democratic friend, Carol..

 The bag backing is vinyl with lining of batik I bought at the now closed

Fabric Depot in Portland.  Bag idea from Ellen.

My girl brought me wine in a can from Dear Mom..in Portland

How perfect is that!!!

And.some Cotton and Steel thread.for me to try.

You all know about the fabric love...look at the ice cream flavors...

From the minute Muggs got her embroidery machine, that girl was on it.

My lavender sachets...with my favorite flower, the sunflower...and

The Swedish Dala horse with my initial

 Look what backing she found on Spoon flower...perfect!!

Jean made the luggage tag holders and the crochet snowflake

Creative Drenna made needle receptacles for our used needles from saved

gum holders...She added..colorful tape to brighten the containers

 She took a used purse, saved the vinyl and voila..zippy purses.

Sherrie made a string bag for the wonderful jar of honey she gave me.

Carol found me a Swede!!!!

Terri wins the clever of all clevers of the night.

She made favors for all 12 of us..

A little green box from construction paper

 Then she applied candy cane scrap booking paper

to the top of the box AND to each little candy within..

 Terri, you are a genius.

My girl and I went to Walmart this afternoon...happenstance saw trees marked down to $7 from $38

My girl said we must have a real tree when we can get it...sooo.

The white tree went onto the screened in porch, visible from the living room.

And....the real tree came inside.

Excitement was delightful.

I think Christmas spirit came in tonight

My daughter fetched an old tree stand..my son and his children
put the lights on...

All done before the quilting birthday parties began.

For some reason, my friends think I have stress in my life.
Lavender items galore...all to soothe my stress.

Then there is the always generous Cousin Ann....xoxo
My friends are all so wonderful.
My son and daughter are the best.
I am blessed and happy tonight.

Of course, I did just have to add this link for your
perusal...Just cuz...just cuz...that is all...
It is still there, you know....

Physical Symptoms of Grief

Red wine tastes better in a Christmas cup of my mother's
To think that all my life I was told that I am 50% Swedish.
Now, Ancestry tells me that I am 40% Swedish and 20% Norwegian .
I wish my grandmother was still here....to hear about this one...
My brother told me to forget Ancestry.com and listen to Grandma.
Way to go brother...

The Invasion

Grandma O'Quilts has a private sewing room with two doors that close.
It was supposed to be a dining room...couldn't bear to waste the space.
It has been mine for over 20 years.

It is the gathering place for all family and friends.

My son here...working on the broken taillight for his car,
on my sewing table..

If you will note....cough, cough, he is using my seam ripper too!!!
...OMG

 Lynsey girl finishing up presents for her teachers.

She worked hard all day in my sewing room

She pasted the words onto the tags and
cut and tied the twine.
Lynsey is nine.  I can leave her to sew the potholders herself now.
So proud!!!

Lynsey is all ready to give out her teacher presents Monday.
But the boys...???
Why can't the boys be like the girls...that song was so wrong!!!!
Rex Harrison, Why Can't A Woman be like a Man

Dylan has been easier..
.Evan, the thirteen year old is most difficult.
...Jeeze Louize.
I do not care if he finishes his potholders or not...
He is in 8th grade. It is his deal.  He has two unfinished ones..
So grateful his daddy is here taking over some of the parenting with Evan.

Tomorrow morning, my girl and her man come into Charlotte early
on the red-eye from Portland, Oregon.

   I am so excited...
I am so excited
I am so excited

I see my favorite online fabric store has a 20% off sale on everything.
Just sayin'
Hancocks of Paducah

Ten Days Before Christmas

Dylan shines for the 3rd grade holiday school show.

Both his parents went.  So proud of them.

My photos are so sketchy ....Oh well..

   Only a quilter would forgive the mess in the background

Lynsey is doing a Secret Santa at school tomorrow.
She asked her grandmother to make the pouch.
The night before...of course!!!!

An old candy wrapper for the front

 Oil cloth for the back.

candy wrapper zippy pouch

She added a few treats inside.

My Wednesday night group  basted this flour sack flimsy for me.
Flannel on the back and wool inside...
I was going to tie it, but Jean suggested a wiggly machine stitch to secure the seams.
It is hand pieced with loose stitches.

Three days until my girl comes home for Christmas..

Thank you Michelle for sharing Maya with us.

This Christmas poem is just perfect.

Amazing Peace

The Notable and the not so Notable

For relaxation, I cut some lavender blocks and started with 

my 1.5 inch strings...just sewing along..

It is a bit blah, but with a blue or red binding, it should be ok

I want to give it away....to the fire folks?  to the hurricane folks?
to local folks?  I do not know...I do not feel like quilting it....

The children have had this tree for the five years they have been living with me.
They love it as a memory...It;s physical beauty is way gone..
Thanks to Boo and Stitch.


The O'Quilts family survived the winter storm.
No pretty snow, just ice and the loss of power.
Thank you Barnes and Nobles for being open.
Met some new friends there from all over Charlotte in the same situation..

We are back on a roll now with Carolina blue skies.

My girl making Christmas catnip for her cat loving friends.


My son was with  me during the storm.  When I came home from the bookstore,
he had LED lights all around the house....No power needed with LED cheer.

It was delightful

My son decorating...so happy.

Marie showing her Kaffe fabric quilt.

I hate to go to bed.  Last night I stayed up to 2:30 finishing a book
I am in physical pain with my decayed joints
This is a tough Christmas without my man.
But, I am happy...I am getting stronger.
My friends all have their spouses...
I am not jealous any more..
With my son home I feel like I have family again.
My girl comes home in 5 days for my birthday.
For the first time in 15 years, I will have both children
under the same roof for Christmas
A miracle.

Never forget:
Living with ALS, the cost of staying alive

Always remember:
A Better Man
and
Eeyore..HIgher Perspective

A Night-time Post

It is already past midnight.

Just thought I would share how much I love this fabric.

The children are gone to their mother's house for the weekend.

My son had gone out to a meeting.

I was starting to feel the pangs of missing my dear man,

especially when a storm is brewing for the Carolinas.

Tried to cheer myself with Hallmark Christmas movies and sewing.

Then,  I received a text from my son.

Mom...I am in the front yard salting your sidewalks so you do not fall.

My  heart....oh, my heart.

As I work on the daunting task of sewing room organization, I found

five blocks from an old quilt top from a friend of my  Aunt Billie's in

Glendale, Arizona.  She had asked me to finish it for her...I was only 23 at the time.

I have made several lovelies from the blocks and have these five left. 

Not knowing the outcome, tonight I have ironed 

them all onto Steam-a-Seam light, cutting

around the edges.

Stay tuned for my improv adventure.

 Always the student...I bet u did not know that I am a disciple

of Wanda...for Christmas Cacti..

My cacti below are 5 years old.  They live beneath

a porch bench all spring , summer and fall..and in the

winter, they come inside for a feeding and a display in my

kitchen window.

 

 All Lynsey wanted this  year from Santa was Elf on the Shelf..

NOooooooooooo.

Guess...Santa listened....good thing her daddy lives here now.

I was really amazed as Lynsey is almost 10

Here is the upfront and crazy picture of "Lucky"

Below the glimpse from the room.

Lucky cannot be touched and the spirits move him nightly.

Poor old Grandma....😇😇
Just kidding...I love my grands so much.

A little reading now and all the dogs and cats and Grandma will

soon be asleep.

Snow coming early Sunday morning.

Maybe....it is still only Friday night.

and you know how they are.......

Celebrating with Friends

My grand dog, Rosie....enjoying the Oregon coast.

Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild Holiday Party

We played the 3 of your favorite things game.

I brought three bag holders.

Thanks to my graham cracker friend...

I got this awesome pen.

From Nancy's basket bazaar came the basket.
I filled it with the hand warmer "Thank yous",
 for our teachers at the elementary school.
Shown just a few here..but I piled them high.

Tissues to say "thank you" to the folks at Camp MIndy at the J.
All turned in in time for Hanukkah !!!!

Show and tell Margaret showed the wine sleeve made

out of a shirt...so fun.

Tuesday..a marvelous trip to IKEA.
There were 10 of us...from our Wednesday night quilting group.
And...a surprise visit from Kathylynn....wahooooo.
So glad I went with sweet Sherry...the best driver ever.
I put my joint pain in my pocket and marched on.

Now the huge excitement in our family....Ancestry results for my son, Eamon.
61% French, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish
5% African
4% American Indian
26% Irish and Scottish ...he is more Irish than I am!!!

The Southern European migration is through Puerto Rico,
Venezuela and Cuba.
Amazing.
These results..just shake it all up.

I LOVE Anne Lamott
"What if you wake up someday and you're 65...and you were just so strung out
on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life?"
XO

The Season of Giving

Gingerbread bath bombs

 The long anticipated gingerbread bath bomb creating...
Fun..then they started fighting  OMG
Not exactly the memories I had in mind.!!!!

Granddaddy's handicapped bathroom was made with the  help of a huge fundraiser by his friends

at the Irish society...He was a leader there in music, spirituality , reading and good crac.

Now that he is gone...I am trying to cheer up the bathroom..Here is the latest holiday effort.

Ancestry results are in for me.

I am 40% Swedish instead of the 50% I had thought.

and...18% Norwegian...Really...no one in my family ever

mentioned Norway to me before...hmmm

And in Evan's DNA there is no trace of Cuba..Really?

His migration is through Puerto Rico???

and he is 80% British ...who would have known.

Eagerly awaiting Eamon's..results...cuz as you know, when a child is adopted
there is often a big question mark...We never want to live a lie...when there is DNA expertise out there..

Dylan's jar openers.

 Lynsey and Evan have made two potholder tops each.
Evan said that next year he will be in high school and is NOT
making any teacher a potholder for Christmas...but, he said that last year...
Meantime Lynsey wants to make a potholder for everyone.

The children have been sewing these teacher presents.
Grandma, however, seems to have a sewing blockage.
My energy is probably spent with the children....I seem to have little of it.

I have finished the last of 13 Maisie Dobbs mysteries.
What strikes me is the similarity of problems in the 1930's as we have now...
Soldiers who have fought for their country and been wounded are neglected and overlooked.
The rich live in comfort as the poor suffer...
The horror of war.

My cane and I wobble into the library with my book list
The librarian goes to find the books for me.
Sometimes they even carry the books to my car.
Everyone is so good to me.
 However.....
No one wants to always feel beholding..
I like to feel good about helping people too.
No one wants to feel humble by receiving and revealing..
Everyone wants to be the giver.
But, then....
"Humility like the darkness, reveals the heavenly lights."
Thoreau

Ramblings at the end of November

Merry Christmas Uncle Kieran..Sr.

You came 20 years ago to visit, planting this tree to remember you by.

It was only 2 feet tall then.

You would be thrilled to see how beautiful it is now...thinking of you..

Into Granddaddy's handicapped bathroom went our second
Christmas tree...It is beautiful ...white on white LED.

Cheer from Eithne.
She embroidered them for me in green and red.
Helping me to get a grip and be accepting of myself.

 Felted wool trivet gifted to Sherry on her birthday.

 Sandra in Alabama sent Lynsey her pencil collection,

memories of her travels..

So generous.
Our girl is mesmerized...

The boys are running around...way too fast for the camera.

For some reason, this season is very difficult with grief.
I am doing the best I can.
My grief is way too intense for most.
Grateful that I have my two children for support.


I love this post.

In Our Own Words...from Leland Studios.