Itsy Bitsy Spider

Round two of millions of boxes delivered today.

Thank God for friends.

Yesterday's helpers....Cooking with Bella.

This baking went on and on and on...

The crust was too cold, the crust was too thick, etc.

Finally....voila..

By this time, I was on the list of crabby grandmothers...

.I announced to the cooks that I was going to bed.

When...what to behold, what appeared in my bedroom...but a big slice of blueberry pie.

And company to enjoy it with.

It was absolutely delicious...I was amazed...The crust was perfect...I was indeed amazed.

The minute there is a free space....there is no more free space.

Here they are practicing Karate on the Scrap Vomit quilt my daughter and friends made me.

The storm passed through here today, so I slept in and missed the pool.

The knock on the door that woke me was animal control. They were checking on Stitch.

Good Lord, I was in my nightie and could not find the cat.  Finally down the stairs he came. He was pronounced healthy and his hand biting, no rabies case was closed.

Happy Happy presents came yesterday.

:Lovely "Starry Night" from Katy @ Katy Quilts

From John's vintage collection came 20 lovely Grandmother Flower Garden blocks

Both gifts were surprises that lifted my heart!!!

For some reason I stay just so exhausted.

I really do not know why my get up and go has got up and gone...

Jeeze Louize

Going to bed now before the thought of tomorrow's unboxing does me in.

I

 

The Phoenix Rises from the Flood

Making things new.

 Revamping the living room into an extended sewing/bonus room...first draft!

Just the beginning. re-purposing my mother's old store recycle bookcases into fabric shelves.

The workers told me that these boxes represent 40% of what is left in storage.

Must be for the neighbors. I certainly am not a fabric hog like this!!

Went to the pool this morning to exercise my arthritis with all the other old ladies.

Now, I want to start putting fabric on my shelves...Oh, NO!!!  My friends say...patience.  The cases have to be secured onto the walls.  I hate to have to wait for people to come help me.

Well with the love of friends, that is done!!

Karate comes in handy...Kung Foo, the box is opened!!

So, the kids want a bonus room.

Memories are painful.  The crisis counselor came to day for a few hours.  We all love her.

Here are the sewing desks/work desks for the children.  They also have two shelves in the fabric cases.

They are sooo thrilled. The children made the yummiest chili tonight....and ate theirs at their new desks.

Cory and Cecilia, the fish enjoy the new spot too.

The plan was to set up this new room with a huge table for friends to come and sew.

Shocked, I was, when I found all this...The children having other plans.

They set up 6 screens....OMG  I did not know we even had 6 screens!!!!

Tomorrow we are planning such a great time

First the farmers market.

Then all of us to lunch with friends.

Finally, friends here to help me put up the design walls.

I can barely wait.  I am so excited to have them back up

and for the entire fun day.

Cousin Ann visits the Cork homestead!! She meets Aoife for the first time.

The new boss in my girl's family is running the show as she learns to point!!

And so today was a day to be happy.

Even 90 degrees did not bother me today, reading on my screened in porch.

Bed time now, when Lynsey announces she is making raspberry cheese cake???

NO..I said, it is too late.....but really, she has already cleaned up the whole kitchen and her brother will help her.  I hear them taking pretend orders from pretend customers, both of them in aprons.

Grandma is chillin'.  A new experience for her!!

Moving Right Along Like a Snail

My darlings enjoying the fourth with their mother.

 And, Evan...grown up at 16, working. Wahoo!!!!

His mother is doing a wonderful job with him.

The boys next door have many fish tanks...They are my go to folks when it comes to moving the fish tank into the new sewing/ bonus room.

The house is coming along...slowly...floors in, walls painted, shelves available and secured to the wall.

Boxes everywhere and 50 more in storage still.

This is a start.  The new bonus room has tables and chairs for the children to sew in...a space of their own.  They are delighted.  They will also have design walls.  My friends are coming Wednesday and Friday to help set it up.  I love my friends.

As for sewing....here is Suzette in Oregon, with her stunning quilt...dressed to match.

Kids are home.  They went to karate tonight.  Crisis counselor coming again tomorrow.

And so we roll....Not so bad, for the three of us.

Life is good in spite of the hiccups..

xo

I must say that I really enjoyed this:

                       Interview with Barbara Brackman  by Karen at Let's Get it Done Quilts

My Wild Irish Rose and My Wild Southern Daisies

Just in from Cork, Ireland. Our Aoife, 11 months, the Wild Irish Rose.

My Wild Irish Rose

Picture from the beach:  Our Lynsey on the climbing wall.

The girls:  Ava and Lynsey

The Beach Boys...newly 16 year old Evan, 11 year old Dylan and their loving and generous step-father.

In my constant quest to accept my age and the physical issues that come with it, I got myself some online presents.  New canes...With brain drain and stress, I forget so much.  Now, I can have two in the car, two by the front door, one on the porch...Dear me..., just like my glasses.

Great time last night on Zoom...Charlotte's Modern Quilt Guild hosted 

Libs Elliott

Quilting fun takes my mind off the dismal and sad.  This was great.

Charlotte has a wonderful Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild

Some of my favorite take-aways from last night's zoom:

 Today was the first day that I did not cry in 2 months...Just a wonderful day.

Some of my furniture is back.  Friends and I had yummy lunch and visit at 

Cabo Fish Taco

Then, they came back home with me to brain storm and organize my newly painted and floored space.

Friends are good.  Friends are real good.

xo

We are All Just Walking Each Other Home,

 

A difficult grief day as I mourn my losses.

Day was made better....

Made better by friendship

Made better by the first sewing I have been able to do in weeks.

"We are all just walking each other home",  Ram Dass

Stitch Has His Day of Infamy...and More....

My grands at the beach in Florida  having so much fun.

Here at home, Lynsey's tomato plant is waiting.

It has taken 2 days for my flooring to be put in.  OMG..the dust..the mess. 

 But, the floor is in. Done is a great word. 

 I am getting used to manufactured wood...He said it was within the budget...of my insurance...After two months, I probably would have let them put down grass.

Had a lovely lunch. Someone went to Paducah and brought me home treats from the sale bin...

LOVE....Did I mention how fabric soothes my soul??

Under the ongoing mess from the flood, I found the barn star my daughter had had made for me in Portland, for Christmas...So lovely!! .

Today was uplifting....the above flowers from Linda as friends come, once again to save me.

She brought her man, who gifted us two new doors for the screened in porch.  He installed them and painted them...Amazing Grace...I am grateful...Bye-bye Mosquitos!! Thank God for Gary!!

Linda swept the porch.

A picture below of the new living room floor and the yellow paint.

This is my mother's gift to me....the hutch to hold the family china...Instead, it held my fabric stash.

I am now fixing up my entire house to suit the folks who live here. (two kids and one old grandma) Fabric will go back inside as soon as it is brought back from storage.

At first I hated the new floor...but since Done was such a wonderful word, I agreed to it.

Now, I am feeling quite pleased.

Our Aoife showing off her bathing skills at the homestead in Ireland.

And now...once again....Grandma O'Quilts goes south.

Yesterday was Stitch's day for infamy.  I was outside petting him and trying to remove a wad of gum from his fur when he bit me.  Siri told me that a cat bite was dangerous and I should be seeing a doctor within 8 hours of the bite....The tooth hit a hand artery and the blood spurted....I am protecting you from the nasty picture!!!  Urgent care, Tetanus shot, two antibiotics, and and x-ray to see if any pieces of the cat's tooth broke off in my hand....The bite was that bad.  I even cannot go to the pool next week...Sigh.

Stitch is five years old. He has never bitten anyone before.

Guess no one else has ever tried to pull gum off of him.

Grandma will not try that again.

Today, animal control showed up at the door.  I am supposed to quarantine Stitch for 10 days to check for Rabies even though he has had  his shots.

Maybe I am being tested for something?????  Enough testing already!!

My sewing machine and computer are set up again...TBTG and friends..

Friendship, sewing machine and a cinnamon scone..

What else would a person need??

 

Boo Takes the Cake

 The reconstruction of my life from the flood of 2021.

Bonus room:  now a lovely shade of green.

There had been a few boards taken off during the deconstruction, but when the painters finished this room, they plastered/ put drywall and painted it all over.  Six or seven hours later I heard a frantic meow...Dear Boo had been plastered behind the wall.  He could not get out.  OMG

Grateful for friendship, here is Linda's man Gary, to the rescue...cutting through the wall. Boo was out of there so fast, I did not even get a picture of him.

Our dear Boo, one life down, 8 to go!!

My newly painted raspberry sewing room.

The painters are finished....The living room a sunny yellow.

The flooring folks are supposed to come on Friday.  I am getting a bit excited after all the gruel.

This is a perfect week for the children to go on vacation.

A very fun lunch today with my widow group.

Once home...a delightful surprise!!!

My Marcia Derse Batiks finally arrived.

I am in fabric heaven.

This is the first time I have ever splurged on an entire collection.

More on the house.  Sunshiny yellow for the living room

My new red mantle....so very fun!!

From across the pond.....

Aoife meets her first Irish birdie from the barn..

Aoife is dressed for an outing.

Wishing I could share all this with my man.

Looking so forward to my sewing room being set up.

Grateful that so many people are holding my hand ..