Finished by Friday - Just a Little

I thought I'd show you Frank after I put the orange border on him. It's hard to see in this picture but the border has black spiders and spider webs on it. I put magnets on the back and he's guarding my refrigerator. If you remember I machine appliqued him onto a black plaid tea towel so there's no backing or quilting to this. The border I sewed on the front, flipped over and sewed onto the back. It's a simple piece but the grandkids will like him.

This is a free redwork pattern from Lynette Anderson. She has a lot of free designs that are really cute and I've done a couple of them now. She's doing a Noah's Ark Block of the Month that I love and hope to do at some point. I made a small wallhanging with this piece and plan to hang it on my bathroom door. I use the glue and iron method of sewing binding on that Sharon Schamber demonstrates on Youtube and did a demo on that at my guild meeting this month.

I made progress on a couple of other things this week but no other finishes. I'm hoping to really get into the sewing room next week though so watch out! If have a couple of things that just need a little done so maybe I'll have more to show you then.

My Heart Sings

Since I gave you a few things yesterday that sort of make me angry, just a little angry because you know I'm so sweet and mild mannered and easy going (quit laughing and get up off the floor!) I thought I'd also share with you what makes my heart sing. Just my heart, not my mouth because if it was my mouth it would hurt your ears. But not God's ears because my songs magically morph into opera quality melodies before they reach Heaven. I know they do because He told me in His book. I digress.




This made my heart sing: One night this week my telephone rang as I was sitting and stitching and watching television. When I answered this sweet little voice said, "Hi Grandma!" My seven year old granddaughter was on the other end and even though I couldn't see her I could hear her jumping up and down with excitement. I said, "Hi sweetheart, what are you doing?" Her quick reply, "Grandma, I can say all the books of the New Testament without looking!" Oh my goodness, be still my heart. "Oh I'd love to hear you do that!" And she did. Right straight through with no hesitation and no faltering. Naturally I praised her and asked her if her mother, my sweet daughter-in-law had been helping her practice. She said, "No, my Daddy helped me." Did you hear that? Her Daddy. My son. Helped her learn the books of The New Testament. Is there any mother/grandmother out there who wouldn't have smiled for hours after that? The next day I sent her a congratulations card (yes with a little money tucked inside) to remind her how special I thought that was.

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Photo by Flickr

Broken Glass Stress/Anger Relief

This morning as I was reading e-mail I had the news on television and I sort of had one ear listening. For me one-ear-listening means I frequently get things wrong because I can no longer multi task; I think I've mentioned that a time or four. Anyway, what I think I heard and think I saw out of the corner of my eye was that a new business had opened up somewhere that allowed you to come in, don protective gear, and throw glass somethings at a wall and break them into a million pieces. This process was recommended for times when you really need a little stress relief, or to express a little anger. Say you find out your spouse has a mistress. That kind of small stuff that sends you over the edge. Small stuff? That's not small in my book; that's more like Mt. Everest but whatever. It made me think about the times that I might want to avail myself of this service.



1. The neighbor, who ignores all reasonable and respectful requests to keep her dog on a leash, allows this giant, huge, monster of a dog to poop right next to my driveway where I get out of my car. Did I mention he's a large dog? That means it's a large.... well you fill in the blank.



2. I'm trying hard to get through WalMart in a timely manner and a gentleman stops to ask questions of an employee who's trying to unload a crate of items and get them onto a shelf. The employee's crate is blocking half of the aisle; the gentleman and his cart is blocking the other half. I say excuse me. This "gentleman" looks at me, raises his eyebrow, and turns back to berate said employee about the confusion in the store with the remodeling project that's going on. He doesn't move. Meantime my ice cream starts to drip onto the floor.



3. My husband continues to use the dining table as a repository for his hunting cap, his jacket, his newspaper, his mail,....despite repeated warnings that I might run screaming into the night. I think he would like to see this occur since I haven't run since Eisenhower was President.



4. My brand new one-size-fits-all socks don't. Instead they stick out 2 inches in front of my toes.



5. My two favorite long sleeved shirts have disappeared. Since I'm a tad bit on the modest side and don't remove my clothes until I'm in my own bathroom or bedroom this is a bit disconcerting. The big dog from #1 likes to take things from the carport and drag them out to the street but my shirts aren't likely to be on the carport. Unless my memory is worse than I think it is and I got undressed out there some time in the past. Hmmm, I could ask the neighbor but I don't think I want to know if I've done that.

I could think of some other examples but I don't want you to think I'm an angry person or even a stressed one. Really I'm not. Really.

Please join me on this one. When would you like to throw a few glasses, or plates?

Photo by Flickr

Follow Up on the Reunion

For those of you who read a previous post about my husband's reunion I thought I'd give you an update on the second and last night. The schedule was this: 6:00-7:00 drinks (cash bar) and visiting, 7:00-8:00 dinner, 8:00-8:30 comments and awards, 8:30-12:00 dance with 60s music.

Here's what really happened:
6:00-7:00 Mostly visiting. Very little drinking. Much less drinking than in past years when we were much younger. Makes you wonder if the less drinking should be chalked up to age, more people on medication that prohibits alcohol (refer back to age), cost of alcohol in retirement (refer back to age). Whatever the reason it was nice. Nobody that I saw or talked to over indulged, unlike past years. In addition I noticed only 2 people go out to smoke. That's way less than before and a really good thing. Maybe people are finally old enough to know better!

7:00-8:00 Dinner was a delicious buffet. A very fattening, high carb and bad for the heart buffet but oh my goodness it was delicious. Yeast rolls, potatoes au gratin, squash/rice casserole, green beans, and prime rib with peach cobbler for dessert. Now picture the class of '63 (all of whom are 63 years old now) eating this heavy meal and then trying to stay awake afterwards. :) Hilarious....yawns galore!

8:00-8:30 Awards were given for the longest marriage (March, 1963) and the shortest marriage (July, 2008). Hope springs eternal - that's my take on the most recent marriage!

8:30 The music started and the little band was actually very good. Not too loud - I worried about that. Admittedly they weren't a lot younger than my husband and his friends and had to have the music since they could no longer be sure they would remember the words, but it was enjoyable.

Here's another thing I noticed. Not very many people danced any more. But those who did had a joy filled time, including the women who danced with each other! Two couples I'll tell you about - the first was a couple who were very good dancers. The woman was the class member and was/still is tall and thin. In her younger days she was a professional dancer for a while. She had on a slinky white dress with a beautiful white sweater over it. She took the sweater off to dance and the dress was spaghetti straps. She also had on beautiful spiked heels. And ya'll, she danced every dance in those heels. I freely admit that I haven't had on a pair of heels...well, can't remember the last time. I have no idea how she did that! No matter how wonderful those shoes were, and they were truly wonderful, I would be worried about falling and breaking a hip! I also can't imagine at this age wearing a slinky, spaghetti strap cocktail dress but she wore it well. The other couple I want to tell you about later in the week.

Now that dance was supposed to last until midnight. Half of the group left when the music started. Half of the half left were gone by 10:15 (including us!). And I'd be willing to bet that by 10:30 everyone who wasn't on the clean up committee was gone. How time does change all of us - always before this class closed down the place at midnight by standing outside still talking as the employees left!

Have you been to a class reunion lately? If not, why not? Whether you like it or not the people you went to school with impacted and changed your life. They were part of what makes you who you are today. Good or bad they helped to form you. Those that you didn't like or weren't nice people then, may be completely different today - God works many miracles in people's lives. You should go just to see those miracles! The people who were nice when you knew them before still are. It's good to see that. And at this point success is thought of in a completely different way than it was before - if you are healthy you are better off than many in your class. If you are happy you are successful beyond what many have been able to attain. It's good to go back to your roots, to be nostalgic for a while. It makes you so much more appreciative for the people in your life now and the relationships you have that have brought you happiness.

Sunday Star

One day this week I was running errands. I try to do them all on one day so I don't waste time and gas. I drove through McDonalds to pick up a burger and coke. I know, I know. Not healthy. But fast! And cheap - $1 hamburger and $1 coke can tide me over for several hours. As I gave my order to the faceless voice I noticed that this voice was clear and articulate and, well, happy. So many times it's beyond difficult to understand what the faceless voice is saying and rarely do you ever hear any vestige of happy. Sometimes they talk so fast it sounds like a language I've never heard and certainly can't comprehend. But this voice was pleasant and made me wonder who went with it. When I arrived at the window (the first window because for some reason they can't take your money and give you food at the same window any more - I'm not sure why) the lady taking orders, and money, had the most beautiful smile and you could just see happy in her eyes. I guess that's why I heard it in her voice - it sort of spilled over from that smile. She was a spot of joy in my harried day. I know that working at McDonalds is not my idea of fun and I doubt it's anyone's idea of what they want to do all of their life. But this woman was middle aged (no I don't know what middle aged is but it's less than my age which is 62 but older than my daughter's age, which is 43, or at least that's my definition and don't you wonder what I'll think it is when I'm 80 because I don't believe my children could ever be middle aged!) and working at McDonalds and she was making the very best of where she was and what she was doing. She put on a happy smile, greeted me warmly and wished me a good day. Like she meant it. She's my Sunday Star - and I hope that every time I go to that McDonalds she's the one I get to talk to.

Uh Oh

Friday night - the first night of my husband's 45th high school reunion:

1. We pulled up in the drive-thru of the hotel to register. There were 2 couples standing outside unloading their cars - obviously there for the reunion. Horrified I looked at my husband and said, "Oh my goodness, they're so old!" Not a good sign ya'll when that's your first reaction.

2. We arrived at the Meet 'N Greet, or whatever they called it. More old people. This can not be. We aren't this old - how in the world could my husband have been in this class of old people? I was a year behind him but he's 2 years older than me. Well, part of the year he's 2 years older and part of the year he's 1 year older but you can bet I'm claiming the 2 years part of that.

3. Even though I am a year behind this class I know several people there. I stand in one place and scan the room. It's like I've heard dying is - your life flashes before your eyes!

4. Becky - the sweetest girl I ever knew (I used to study with her sometimes because she lived close by) who still is the sweetest girl I ever knew! I think her husband is a preacher - fitting occupation for Becky to be a preacher's wife.

5. Connie - I went to church with her and her mother was the most wonderful, tiny little lady. Connie truly looks 20 years younger than everyone else there - I thought there might be a mass agreement to kill her she looked that good. Except she's so nice you have to love her.

6. Ted - used to date him and oh what a crush I had on him. Still handsome.

7. Moochie - yep, that's what we called him. Wonderful, dynamic personality still there. Came in in a gorilla costume - yep, still the class clown. His grandkids call him Papa Moochie.

8. Martin used to be shy - not any more. We went to the same grade school. Fancy remembering that 50 years later.

Here's what I learned tonight and this is important so ya'll pay attention. Thin women are wrinkled. Fat women aren't. I think all my fat plumps out those wrinkles. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.