Working for Spare Change

I made a decision this week that I don't want to work on anything else until I see some real progress on the Spare Change swap project. Here I am sitting at work, getting paid to work on my quilt. Thank you Mr. F... :)

Merry Christmas

It has taken me 2 hours to get on here tonight, so this will be quick in I lose the connection again or the battery goes from trying so long.

The tree turned out beautifully, the gifts are wrapped and there is tabouli in the fridge and Charlie brought me some of my favorite cookies from Nancy!

I wish you a Merry Christmas!!

Christmas is coming

Believe it or not, we are still in the process of putting our tree up at home so who knows if I will get a photo of it. I tend to drag my feet when it comes to putting up a tree every year but we are getting it done, yesterday I just sat by it all day and late into the night with nothing but the lights on it. I absolutely LOVE having a Christmas tree but I absolutely HATE taking it down.

I work with Surgical Residents and last year and this year a couple of us have put up this little 4 1/2 ft tree that I had in my stash in their lounge.
I wanted to do something different for them since they are there so many hours so I tied ribbon on all kinds of treats and hung them on the tree for ornaments.

They love it and I love doing it for them! Every morning when I go in to check on it, it is empty. I have to say I am glad there are only a couple more days to this decorating. The good news is when it's over, there are no decorations to put away just fold up the tree and put it back in the box.

In case I don't get back here before the big day, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! If I do get back here, I'll say it again. :)

Let it Snow

I heard from Kat in Queensland Australia that she received the apron I sent for the Sassy Apron Winter Swap. It didn't take as long to get to her as I thought it might.

I do hope Kat likes it. She mentioned that she likes the color blue and I love snowflakes and snowmen. I didn't make the apron, I bought it on Etsy and for some reason it isn't showing up in my purchases so I don't have the person's name and I no longer have the package it arrived in.

I sent my very favorite sugar cookie recipe (thank you Nancy) and I also sent the kind of sugar cookies I have made recently (thank you Archer Farms).

Thank you Lucy for hosting the swaps this year. It has been a lot of fun.

100 things

If you want to play, just copy the list and bold the items you’ve actually done.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain (in a car)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Some of them anyway!)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (not even in the daylight)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia (saw it on my way to China)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (from an airlplane)
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (no but have seen it happen more than once YUK)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life hopefully
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (x's 4)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a mobile phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

I've been busy not doing what I need to be doing

I was asked by a coworker to make some coasters for her to give as gifts this Christmas. I got those made and then picked up some thread and started making doilies. I haven't made a doily in YEARS and now I made two this week. These were the reason I wanted to learn to crochet all those years ago.

This one is the same pattern I used for the coasters and then just kept making it a little bigger . It actually started out as a joke because one of our doctors purchased a file cabinet that I said looked like something that would go in a bedroom and his birthday was last week so I said I was going to "whip up" a doily to put on it. Then came this one because I looked ahead in the calendar. Both patterns came from the Crochet Pattern a Day Calendar for this year. I managed to get the finished photo just as the camera battery decided it had just about had enough.

Winter apron has arrived

I got a nice surprise when I made it to the post office Saturday. The apron from my swap partner for the Winter Sassy Apron Swap was there. Katie in AR did a wonderful job on the apron. I was so pleased that it had snowflakes on it. I LOVE SNOWFLAKES!!!!!!

She also sent me a variety of cookie cutters and a recipe for Ginger Snaps and one for Pumpkin Dip. I had just been told by a friend last Friday about how wonderful Ginger Snaps and Pumpkin Dip and then the recipes arrived for me to see for myself.

You can see the detail a little better here. It is a full apron but that photo didn't come out so well. I will try to get a better one later.

Thank you Katie!! I love everything!!

Thank you Lucy for doing these swaps this year. It has been a lot of fun.

The arpon for my partner is on the way but I will wait to post about it until she receives it.

I've Got A Lot To Be Thankful For

Those are words some who read this will know a different meaning for but words I truly mean and am so grateful for. To everyone who ever stops by here, Happy Thanksgiving.

Spare Change is being collected

I worked on the Spare Change collection I received from Juliette at Chickpea Studio on Saturday. I plan to use these for the centers and use the white on white that I picked out for the petal part of the flowers. I've started making those also but they aren't in the photo. I making these out of 2" hexagons so I think it will go pretty fast.

Or I might make it with the Ferris Wheel design. I've not tried that one yet but have been wanting to.

Then there is a different design that I've been looking at that looks kind of like a lattice.

I have so many things in mind for these little jewels. I just need to make up my mind and do it so I can get it done and have something finished.

There are some fabrics in here that I really love and want to see if I can find out the pattern so I can get some more of it.

My thanks to everyone who participated in the swap. This was the easiest thing I've participated in so far.

Long time - no see

I hadn't realized it's been 2 weeks since I have been here. It's been a busy couple of weeks and I just got to the post office today. The pieces for the Spare Change Swap were there waiting for me to pick them up and get started and the apron I purchased for the Winter Sassy Apron Swap
was also there to get together with the rest of the package and in the mail.

Debi is also having another giveaway in January. I am still trying to decide if I am ready to do another one but still have a few days to think about it.

For now I am just hobbling around on my "fixed" knee for a little longer.

See ya back here soon!

I love vacation time

I just got to spend 4 1/2 days with my kids in Colorado. I can't tell you how much I love going there. It gets harder to come home every time I go.

In the past week, I have seen all 3 of my daughters, 2 of my sons-in-law, my son and all 6 of my grandkids and it isn't even Christmas!

It's in the mail

I managed to get to the Post Office just before they closed on Saturday. I got all of the giveaway prizes on there way.

I also got the fabric out for the Spare Change Swap.

Now it is time to get started on the Winter Sassy Apron Swap.

Every one has been a little more fun and this one is no exception. I am excited about it.

We are having a rainy morning here and I love it.

At long last, the time has come to draw a winner

I decided to let the random number generator to pick the winners for me. This has been a lot of fun and I tried to get back to everyone who commented. If I haven't made it to you yet, I will soon.

The winner of the Slash Your Stash Quilt Book is Karen

The winner of the Amy Butler Fabric is Corinna

The winner of the Moda Jelly Roll is G'G'Ma

Congratulations to all of you. Please send me an e-mail with your mailing address and I will get your prize out to you.


Thank you to everyone who stopped by and left a comment with your favorite fall color. I can't possible pick one myself and wondered how many others couldn't either.

Thank you to Debi for hostessing the giveaway. She will be having a Winter Giveaway soon if you are interested, stop by and let her know.

You won't want to make this mistake any time soon

As I have mentioned before, I read a LOT of blogs. Every day. I spend my evening hours at work reading blogs for hours like they are that great new book you just can't put down. I read about cooking and cleaning and sewing and crafts and - you get the picture.
One of the blogs I read every day is A Year of Crockpotting. Stephanie has made something everyday this year in a crockpot. Some have been old stand by meals, some have been gourmet meals, there has even been melted crayons. She did it all in the crockpot. She has been on Rachel Ray. I really like reading this blog.
Last night when I started reading I saw she is giving away a crockpot. I love to use my crockpot to cook since I am rarely home, it is a good way for me to make dinner and put enough away to eat several times without cooking since it is just me to feed. The crock part of my crockpot cracked and so I decided I would enter the giveaway. Fat chance I'll win but hey I won't if I don't enter.
When I was filing out the required stuff on blogger, I checked a box about reply e-mails. I thought it meant that she would reply to that e-mail. OH NO my friends. It means that EVERY SINGLE ONE of her thousands of comments from people wanting to win the crockpot (the one I want) is coming to my inbox along with the hundreds of e-mails from the people entering my giveaway.
I told Stephanie what I did and she is still laughing about it. I bet she couldn't sleep last night laughing about it.
I'm sure glad it wasn't Pioneer Woman that I did that to...

Spare Change

Juliette at Chickpee Sewing Studios is hosting a stash swap. I have asked to be included. I love the quilt she made for her little guy using this method and have seen some others and think I could come up with something nice also. If you would like to join, just let Juliette know. This should be fun! I think I will do mine with paper pieces like this one Littleshika did or this one from Twiddletails.

Winter Sassy Apron Swap

Lucy is once again hosting the Sassy Apron Swap. This is the Winter edition.

This is the fourth Apron Swap I have done with her and it has been a lot of fun.

Check it out, you'll want to join too.

October 1 is the day for the Fall into Fall Quilters Blog Giveaway

The time has come to post about the Fall into Fall Quilters Blog Giveaway.

I have purchased 3 items to giveaway and so will pick 3 winners. Please forgive the pictures, I had a co-worker take them with his phone. They really are very nice prizes.


#1 is a Moda Jelly Roll called Fall Back Into Time

I saw a quilt in the shop made up from this and it is so pretty.


#2 is an Amy Butler 5 Fat Quarter Bundle

I thought I was buying a charm pack but just realized that it is folded fabric not cut.
I found the name of 4 of them on Amy Butler Fabrics they are from the Midwest Modern Collection. The 4 I do know are from Orange Dahlia Collection- Pink Happy Dots and Brown Trailing Cherry and from the Pink Dahlia Collection - Fuchsia Fresh Poppies and Moss Nouveau Trees. The 5th one has green tones.


#3 is a Slash Your Stash Quilt Book




Here are the "easy rules" to enter my giveaway, leave a comment between October 1st (not before) and noon October 15th. Tell me what your favorite fall color is and a link to your blog, or if you don't have a blog your e-mail address so that I can contact you. Feel free to mention this on your blog. To be fair, any comment that does not have these requirements will not be considered. A list of all participants can be found on the The Fall into Fall Quilters Blog You can go there and enter any and all of the giveaways. There are some awesome prizes waiting to be given away.

It's not too late to join us yourself if you would like just stop by The Fall into Fall Quilters Blog and Debi will add you to the list. There are over 40 bloggers participating so far!


The winners will be drawn and posted here on October 15th.

Good luck and thanks for playing.

I'm not a quilter - I am a crafter

Today it sunk in. I'm not a quilter. I have made 2 quilts in my life, and they were both made over 25 years ago with lots of help. I love quilts and I would love to make quilts. Someday I will actually finish some and maybe all of the quilts I have started. For now, I will continue to read about quilts in books and blogs and collect fabrics and dream of what mine will look like.

This morning when I was looking for something to bring with me to work and looked through drawers and bags of fabric, I just got overwhelmed with frustration. I am forever starting something and not finishing it. I have GREAT ideas but I don't follow through with them. That's enough beating myself up. I think maybe every crafter has these feelings at some point.

I have been giving a lot of thought to what I want to provide for the Fall into Fall Quilters Blog Giveaway and I have decided what it will be. I hope you will join us. I have spent today reading blogs of the other participants and there is going to be a wide variety of prizes. I am really excited to be part of this.

Fall Apron Thank You and other things

I finally got to the post office after the nice vacations I've had recently. I got to do the happy dance again when I opened the package from Kathie P. from the Fall Apron Swap. I got the nicest fall apron with material that has fall colors and leaves and nuts and stuff and she used my favorite color (yellow) to make the pockets and the neck and binding. The pot holders are so cool! I've never seen any like this but I really like them, you put your fingers in one end and your thumb in the other and then it kind of squishes together to hold the hot item. There was also a nice surprise of some fall cookie cutters! There is an acorn, an apple, and a pumpkin. Thank you Kathie, I really do love it!!!!

The apron I sent was from Aunt Bee's Kitchen on etsy.

I have been reading a lot about jelly rolls lately so I ventured out to the quilt shop downtown between jobs today and checked them out. The nice lady there showed me all kinds of books and quilts in the shop made from jelly rolls. I think they might be my new friend.

I had a great time in Colorado. I always love going there but this time was just very nice. I got to spend time with with my girls and their guys and their babies. I got to babysit with a squishy soft little baby Adeline and a big handsome Max. We read books and told stories and sang songs. Well, I did all of those things. They just listened, but it was a great time. Ang and I had some good time together. I went shopping. I don't shop. I hate to shop. But I wanted to shop and I have so many new things to wear now. I think Deana was a little surprised that I said I wanted to shop. I hear that she thinks it is worse than shopping with someone else but she didn't complain one time, at least not to me. She just kept handing me things and telling me that I was buying them. I came away with some great bargains and a box of things to check at the airport. The weather was amazingly beautiful. I sat out on the deck and had breakfast. We drove up to Mt. Evans and it was so pretty. I got altitude goofy a bit. I forget about those things.

I actually sat down at the sewing machine for a little while on Sunday. I haven't done that in MONTHS. I hope it isn't months before I do it again. I was just testing out a little project.

That pretty much catches you up with my little spot in the world.

Fall into Fall Quilters Blog Giveaway

Debi at Quilting with Debi is hosting a Fall Giveaway and I am joining in. Check back soon to see what I come up with for my giveaway and to be entered to win.

Oops!

As I was looking through some old posts, I realized that in all the excitement that's gone on here lately, I forgot to post about receiving the winning from HobbyMommy and her 100th post giveaway.
I got this awesome charm pack! I love the colors! Brown has always been one of my favorites and this shows me how nicely some other colors go with it that I wouldn't have thought of.
I've been giving it some thought and I think I now know just what this lovely little package will make.
Since I am without a camera right now, I borrowed the pic from HobbyMommy so that you can see how cute they are.
Someday I'll show you :)

Hairy Pets

The nice people (Heather and Ivy) at Home Ec 101 are having a giveaway for a Furminator over on their site.

Ivy posted about it the other day and they offered her one to try and one to give away. You can hop on over there and enter if you like but I have to tell ya, this is another one I REALLY want to win...

Arggggggghhhhhhhhh Ugggggggggghhhhhhh

Does anyone out there know where I can buy a nice, cute, full apron and hot pad in either Halloween or Thanksgiving fabric? This was supposed to be the easiest breasiest swap so far and I am coming up empty...

Someone's having a 200th post giveaway

Check out Debi's blog. She just realized that she has had 200 posts and is having a really nice giveaway to celebrate!

Debi held a quilting round robin recently. Of course I thought about doing it but we all know that mostly what I do is think about it. I really liked the patterns and the way her quilt turned out.

Meet my newest Granddaughter

I went to Colorado Sunday night and Ang and Dan went to the hospital early Monday morning.

Adeline May was born at 1:57 AM on Tuesday the 12th. She weighed in at 8 lbs and 10 oz and was 20 1/4 " long. She took her time getting here but what a wonderful prize at the end of the wait! She is so soft and precious! I think she is just beautiful!!!

08-08-08 and a few words from me about China

The Olympics have started!!!!!!!!!!! I love the Olympics. I woke up this morning and this was my first thought. I knew the Opening Ceremonies were already underway because of the time difference.

I think this one is so exciting for me because it is bringing up so many fond memories of my trip to Beijing 5 years ago with my daughter D and son-in-law S. I started looking at pics we took on the trip and thought I would share a few. It really was hard to narrow down which ones to show, between the 3 of us we took nearly a thousand. As you can see here, we got a lot of the same shots. S thought it was funny that we were both looking so much like tourist. We had bought these great little cameras that were only about 2 inches square and worked very well.

It was the trip of a lifetime for me. It was my first trip out of the country and set a traveling fire in me that I hope burns the rest of my life.

I had talked about going to China since I was just a small child ( I had been told they eat rice there and I could eat all I wanted. Not true.) and never imagined that I would really do it but here I am on our first day standing in Tiananmen Square with a young man who walked up and asked if he could take a picture of me. My first thought was absolutely not. I am not a have your picture taken kind of person. I usually hid any time there was a camera around or made some really ugly face that now comes back to haunt me at the delight of others. When the kids told me it was a good thing to do, I told him he could take one of me if he would take one with me. His alone when I said that was worth a thousand words.

Welcome to China! This is going to be awesome!! I didn't understand that I was as different to them as they were to me. I just assumed they were used to tourists.

I've not been shy around cameras since. Especially when it comes to my grandbabies! I wish I had thought about that when my babies were little but I didn't. Live and learn.

They snapped this one of me about 3 steps from me deciding I had traveled as far up that Great Wall as I possible could go. What a wonderful experience!

I got one of the 2 of them right before D and I headed back down and S went all the way to the end, or at least to the end of the area on this section. I have never been so tired in my life as I was at the end of that day but I wouldn't have traded it for anything!

Thanks again guys! I loved every minute of it. Even the high rise shopping mall. :)

I hope you sit back and watch all of the Olympics you can and if you dream of going to China, do it. You won't regret it. It is beautiful and inspiring.

Here's Linda

Linda was the first person to come to my blog. She has helped me many times. She does some of the most beautiful crafts I have ever seen whether it is embroidery, quilting, cross stitch or applique work you name it, she does it and it is all just beautiful!

See for yourself.

When all else fails...

I have tried several times to add some of my favorite blogs to the side like other people have. I haven't been able to get them to show up so I think I will just "showcase" them here.

I am going to start with one I found today called Mary Quilts

She makes quilts for charities and has put some of her photos and patterns on this blog in pdf form to share with others. She is very generous in many ways.

Take a minute and check her out.

Check it out!!!!!!!!

I've mentioned before that I read a lot of blogs. I don't comment a lot but I read a LOT of blogs. One of my favorites is HobbyMommy. I have found her through Crazy Mom Quilts several months ago.
HobbyMommy just had her 100th post blogiversary and a giveaway. When I said I don't comment a lot, I meant it. I love reading what people have to say and I love looking at the beautiful things being created. When someone has a birthday or an anniversary I usually say congrats but other than that, I just read. I commented and I won. I had completely forgotten that she was having a giveaway. I came back from lunch and saw there were some new post and there it was in black and white - my name. I won!!!!!!!! That's right I won!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!!!!!!
Go tell her happy anniversary and check out what nice stuff she makes.

Beautiful

I came across this site a few minutes ago and had to share they beauty I saw there.

It's getting close

and I am getting really excited. My new grandbaby is coming soon and I will be heading out to Colorado to hold it and find out what it is. This one is my baby's 1st baby and I am way too far away right now.

Anyone see a problem with this?

I am using 3' squares to make the 1 1/4" hexagon. These papers are reusable. When I have been looking online and reading about them, people show basting through the paper and being careful not to tear the papers.

My basting doesn't go through the papers at all. In fact I have been very careful not to go through the papers. Now I am wondering if I am doing it all wrong.

I do see that my stitches are visable (thanks a lot Aunt Jo) now I am paranoid about that. I was using light grey thread on these in the beginning because they told me at the quilt shop when in doubt to use grey. I really don't want to get all goofy about this but I don't want to learn it "wrong".

Anyone have any suggestions on this?

Toaster Oven

I think I want to buy a toaster oven. There are things I want to cook at home but there is NO way I will turn on my oven betwenn May and November. My house holds heat like nothing you've ever seen.

Does anyone have one? If you do, what kinds of things do you make in it?

It's the little things that make me happy

Have I told you lately that I have a great fondness for the elderly? I always have loved being around older people and watching them.

While I was having lunch with a friend today, a little lady came in and sat down at the table closest to ours. In a few minutes, a little man came in to join her. It was pouring rain so I am guessing that he let her out and then parked the car. He had a cane and a hat (with raindrops on it). He was walking real slow and he was so bent over he looked to be about half as tall as he used to be. It was so sweet to watch them. When it came time to get our check I told the waiter I would like to pay for their meal also. He looked at me a bit like I was crazy and then brought me their check too. He said he would wait until I was ready to leave to tell them. I asked him not to tell them until they were ready to leave and after I was gone. I learned my lesson last time I did that and made the little lady cry and then I cried and then my friend cried.

If you've never done something like that before, give it a try some time if you feel like you can spare a few dollars. It is amazing how such a small gesture can make so many people feel good.

The flowers, they are growing :)

I have been spending every sitting still moment putting these little things together.

I followed the great tutorial from Sunshine Creations and it just couldn't be easier!

I used my entire package of templates (which was supposed to have 75 i nit but there were only 72) to make the hexagons and then just started piecing them together. Of course I am already second guessing my choices but I am sticking with them.

I have put together 4 of this size and gone another round on 2 of them.

I am going to use green to tie them together (after I buy it). Not all of the fabrics I am using have purple in them so I don't know if I want to mix the centers or just keep on using purple. Any suggestions?

Have I mentioned to anyone that I love this method?

I just ordered several different shapes and sizes of the paper pieces so I can play more!! The quilt shop only had a few and when I started to buy both packages of the size I needed the lady acted like I shouldn't be greedy. I'm out, I need more so I ordered directly from the company. Plus, they are on sale and have a lot of different shapes that the store didn't have AND I don't have to drive back to the shop which is no where near any place I need to be.

I have been so frustrated at having all of these pretty fabrics and no time to do anything with them and now as I have been looking at so many different patterns that use this method, it almost makes me giddy to think about what I can accomplish.

Happy 4th of July

I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday.

I am here working on my hexagons and having a blast. I think this is possibly the most enjoyable thing I have tried ever and I can't believe it only took me 50 years to try it.

Here we go starting something new again

I finally found the little paper pieces to do the Grandmother's Flower Garden. I know I could have traced and cut from the patterns I've seen but I also knew some kind person had a company that would do that for me. After looking all over town for them, I called my quilt shop. The one where I took my class. I told the lady what I was looking for and she told me they didn't have anything like that. I stopped by the quilt shop by my house yesterday and told the lady there what I was looking for and she told me they didn't have them. I asked if she knew where I might find them because I was striking out. She told me the name of "my" quilt shop. When I told her I had checked with them already and the lady told me she didn't have them she laughed. She told me she buys them there all the time. OK.

I came in to work, thought about it a minute and called my quilt shop. Yes, she knew exactly what I wanted and they sure do have them she uses them all the time.

Guess where I went between jobs today? My new toys are spread out here all over my desk waiting on me to get started on making something pretty.

Wish me luck!

This has nothing to do with crafting but I need to talk

I stopped to fill the tank on my car for the week Monday night. It was late, I was tired. I filled the tank and headed inside to pay. A man starts walking towards me holding a baby saying "Ma'am, Ma'am". I realized he was talking to me and I looked up to see him standing right in front of me holding the pretty little girl about 4-5 months old. He asked if I could please help his family get some gas for their truck. They were from Muskogee and trying to get to Tulsa. He said they were out of gas and the water pump had gone out. I asked where his truck was and he pointed to a mangled up old pickup with a woman standing beside it and a little boy in the back seat. There was a stream of water coming from under the truck and out to the parking lot. I said ok. I went inside, paid for my gas and then handed the clerk a couple of gift cards I had and asked how much was left on them. It totaled about ten dollars. I asked if he knew what the deal was with the people asking for money in the parking lot. He didn't. I walked out and over to the pickup and handed the man both cards and told him there was about ten dollars on the cards. He thanked me and God Blessed me and the woman got back in the truck and the man started putting the baby in the car seat. I drove off and got a couple of blocks and thought I would go back and give them what little cash I had with me. When I got back in less than 2 minutes to the QT, they were gone. They were beside me on the street going the wrong way to be going to Tulsa.
I had been duped. Why can't I just keep on walking? Why do people think it is their right to basically rip people off? This has bothered me for a couple of days now. I know I have to let it go but I really don't know how.

It REALLY is SO easy!

About 30 years ago, I used to watch my friend Nancy make these pot holders. I was just learning to crochet and she made this look so easy. She would tell me "it's so easy". Well maybe for her it was so easy but my brain kept saying that looks sooooo hard.

Friday I was doing my daily blog reading and she was talking about working on some potholders. I followed the links and saw the picture of the ones Nancy used to make. I proceeded to print off the pattern and last night sat down and decided I was going to try it out. I didn't read through the pattern, I just started making it. In a few minutes it was like a light bulb came one and out loud I heard myself say it - this is so easy.

Why did I never try this before? I am always looking for a potholder. I have 3 but they always seem to be hiding from me. In just a few minutes, I had 2 more using up some of the yarn I bought to make the cup holders that I am now bored with.

For Baby Lu

When Brenna was expecting Lucy, she picked out this theme for her baby room. It's getting close to time for Lucy to make the big step to her room so I thought I better get busy. I had picked up the material for curtains before she was born but just couldn't bring myself to buy the pre-made quilt. I just didn't like it. I don't suppose it really mattered if I liked it or not. It wasn't for me, it was for Lucy. I finally bought it and I am really glad I did. I had no idea at the time that no matter how much I wanted to "make" her a quilt that I would have no time to do so. I carried it around with me for a couple of months and finally a week or so ago, as I was laying in bed not wanting to get up and go to work again, I pulled back the little blankie that was Angela's when she was a baby almost 26 years ago. It was once a pre-made quilt and she loved it and now I have it by me every night. So I picked it up the one I had been carrying around for Lucy and worked at putting the binding on it. It took just a few hours and it is finished (as you can see, I had a little help).

WHY am I so stubborn? I never think anything is going to be good enough to give to someone. Brenna loved it and some day, Lucy will be dragging it around behind her and she will love it too.

Home Sweet Home Apron - for me

I went to the post office yesterday and look what was waiting there for me. I got a package from Cynthia, all the way from Tennessee. She might be one of my long lost relatives since my people came from Tennessee.

I know she must have esp because she made it my very favorite color combination and she embroidered my very favorite of on the pocket!!!!

I am looking forward to trying out the punch recipe she sent too!
Her daughter named the apron Home Sweet Home and I think that is just a great name.

Thank you Cynthia, I love my new apron!!

Suggestions???????

A month or so ago, I must have had a minute or two to get bored because I cut what was left of these fabrics from the first quilt a long Amanda Jean did into small squares.



I think they are 2 1/2" squares. I packed them all neatly into small school box and have been carrying them around with me in the car. I am sure I thought I would do something with them.

It has crossed my mind that I thought I would just make some nine patch blocks by hand and put them together for a nice little quilt. That seems a little boring though. It also crosses my mind that maybe I thought I would turn them into those little things that make a grandma's flower garden. I really like those but don't have a clue how to do it.

Any ideas from you what the would be good for? Or better yet, can you tell me how to make those little stop sign looking things?

Summer Sassy Apron Swap

I have to admit that I didn't make the apron for the swap. Since being handmade is the requirement and not necessarily handmade by me, I joined Sassy Apron Swap again. I really enjoy these swaps and hope Lucy likes doing them as much.

I bought this apron and dish towel from Thevillagegiraffe on etsy and I really hope my swap partner likes it. I did make a coordinating dishcloth to go with it and sent THE BEST punch recipe you will ever try.

I asked a friend in my office to "model" it so I could post it but she asked not to have her face shown.