Trick or treat!!!! It’s Halloween. Chelsey and a couple of friends are carving pumpkins after school. We typically don’t get trick or treaters out where we are at, but I bought candy just in case. One can always hope…..

Trivia question once asked of me: You’ve got a bucket of trick-or-treat candy, what piece of candy are you digging out first? I’m definitely the Nestle Crunch kinda girl. While it’s not my ‘All-time’ favorite candy (Special Dark Bars), for some reason it’s the grabber from the Trick-or-treat bucket.

I’m at a holding point on the Buggy Barn quilt. I’ve got it all together, but I’m 12 inches short on border fabric. Yeah, I sew it without measuring, but I guess it’s that lack of detail thing coming through, I don’t have enough. I wrote the quilt shop I purchased it from and sent a sample asking to purchase more. The rest is just up fate. I know it’s a Moda Marbles fabric--- but do you know how many different shades of green there are?!?!?!

I’m making a fabric postcard for my Sunday school kids, this week. I’ll post when complete. Then I’m hoping to work on the journal covers for Christmas.

I made my Scarecrow about 14 years ago.
It was an attempt to teach a friend to sew. I think it was a Simplicity pattern. I remember us going to Shopko (the only place to by fabric in town) to get supplies. Fabric was just tossed on tables and you had to “dig” to find what you needed. We split up and met back at the cutting table. She chose something TOTALLY different from what I envisioned a patchwork Scarecrow to look like. We both left happy with our fabric. She’s since moved across the country several times I think. We’ve lost touch. The patches on his knees are my favorite parts

Gratitudes:
1. Crisp days in the fall.
2. Mail in the mailbox
2. leftovers for supper

The weekend is here. Of course, I have the opportunity to sleep in and I’m wide awake at 5 am, so I thought I’d type a few lines. Eric made it home this weekend. I haven’t seen in him 6 weeks. It’s the longest he’s ever been away from family. He seems to be thriving. We celebrated Don getting a promotion last night, going out to eat –lots of fun.

Work is going well. Lots of tasks completed, but longer days than I would have liked. Don and I have been getting home about the same time. He’s been running Ransom with me and helping out a lot around the house. We’ve kind of got an unwritten law that housework is divided by how much you’re home, so we’ve put in about 50/50.---No complaints.

Chelsey is having friends over for a Halloween bash tonight. They’re wayyyyy tooo cool to dress up, but we’ll have munchies, a couple of games, and movies… I’ve got the bunnies ready.

I’ve got one last seasonal quilt. It was a Thimbleberries quilt from a few years back. The vines are a little different than the pattern.
I guess reading and studying everyone’s quilts has gotten to me. I want my quilts to be different. We’re neck deep in Thimbleberries country around here, but when ever I go shopping now, it’s not the Thimbleberries stuff I purchase. I guess everyone’s taste changes over time.

Gratitudes:
1. The quiet hum of the furnace this morning.
2. All my chickens, aka my kids, asleep in their own beds.
3. Time to sneak down to my sewing room right now.

Have a good weekend—
Count Your Blessings

Just a short note this morning----I’m not going in to work today. Yes, we’re dancing right now, you just can’t see. I have a 3:00 doctor’s appt. Soooo, I didn’t want to be late. (yeah, right).

I tried to make it the night without Nyquil, but at 12:30 am I got up and took it. This cold isn’t letting go, but it’s not slowing me down. I’m off to Green Bay/ Appleton before the doctor’s appointment to shop. Just a routine check up, no worries. I’m going alone. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

I got the Buggy barn hearts squared up. Maybe I’ll start sewing them together tonight. No definite plans, when ever I make plans--- they change.

Here is my Front Porch Witch.
She’s at least 13 years old. I made her myself from a wired tomato cage. She has Spanish moss for hair that I picked off of a tree in Louisiana. I’ve tried throwing her away 3 times. Once Eric, then Chelsey, and even once Don all said she can’t be thrown away and pull her out of the trash. So after every Halloween season, we pack her away for next year. I guess she was meant to be with us.

I had 13 kids Sunday in my class. Our lesson was about being a cheerful giver. I guess I’ll leave you with that thought. Whether it’s time, talents, or money --- it doesn’t matter if you do your part in giving--- if your heart, isn’t in the right place….

Quilt some for me today…

I am alive. It’s the weekend. Don and I are both getting a much needed break. We just completed the most hectic and tiring 3 weeks of work ever. Our Lansing Hangar has been sold so my job should get to a new level of normal. Don’s work just went through a maintenance outage –now complete. So we’re both at home together.

Enough about work. Here is a photo from my covered porch about 10 days ago. Incredibly peaceful. To sit on a porch swing and look out is the best feeling.


We cleaned the house together today, got the errands ran, walked Ransom 2 miles, and even squeezed in an hour nap. I am fighting a cold. Ever since I was a little girl… put me under pressure and I’m going to catch something. Every semester during finals, a new job, a new challenge…I guess my defenses wear down and I get socked with kooties. I am just refusing to give in. I can be sick during the week…but never on a weekend.

Look at my witch Don helped me build to day. I saw one in Country Home magazine and decided the porch needed one. She’s a hip one--- complete with a spider tattoo.

I baked a pecan pie after supper. The 42 buggy barn hearts are complete I’m about to go square them up and start piecing them together.

It’s definitely a great weekend.

Gratitudes:
1. Spaghetti for lunch
2. Broken in tennis shoes
3. Day-quil to ease the pain of a cold.

Tuesday morning—early, very early. But I like the quiet at home and at work early in the morning. It kind of gives you time to ease into the day. No quilting last night. Chelsey’s Spanish class is going to Mexico and there was a meeting on it. Don told her she had to pull B’s in order to go. This is her 3rd year, and even the teacher has seen a difference in her, she’s making A’s. So a deal is a deal. She wanted to go last year, but mentally AND financially, one kid in a foreign country at a time…..

I haven’t talked about my quilt shop trip 10 days ago. I went to ‘My Favorite Quilt Shop’ in Green Bay. That’s its name. It’s small, but it also sells antiques and is a framing shop so there are framed prints throughout. A neat place. I bought this fat quarter bundle.
It’s by Whimsicals called Grandma’s Garden. Chelsey and I were leaving and we saw this pattern for covered journals. It was too cute. We studied it carefully and decided I didn’t need the pattern. I could make it without it. Then the next day I wished I had bought it. If I tried to make it without the pattern I would waste $10.00 worth of stuff and lots of time to save $7.00 for the pattern. So, I called the shop and they mailed it to me.
It’s by Hedgehog quilts—Wrap it to Go. It’ll be great for several people I want to remember for Christmas…just because. That is what the fabric bundle will be used for. It takes 3 fat quarters for each cover.

Gratitudes:
1. Blankets on cool nights.
2. Pumpkins
3. Headlights lighting my way to work in the morning.

Just when you have plans—especially Plans to not do anything---things are going to change. It’s bound to happen, at least to me.

Friday night, Eric called. There were a couple of things he needed. Yes, I realize they don’t have stores in Lower Michigan, so Don and I went and picked them up. I threw in a pumpkin and Orange and Black M & M’s for the season. He’ll probably think it’s ridiculous on one hand …and know he’s loved on the other. He’s got friends home this weekend so Saturday I brought the package to them to tote back.

We went to the High School football game Friday Night. It’s the weekend for the major small town rivalry. It was pretty chilly in those stands, but fun. Even in the dark, you could see the blaze of color on the fall trees. Chelsey made it home about 10:00 pm, there was a school bonfire—pep-rally thing. Major problem—Chelsey and her boyfriend broke up. She was devastated. Remember those days. She’s never been one to just date one guy for long, but Joey has been around for 6 months. Oh, the tears.

Don’s response was ‘they’ll be lined up at the door tomorrow—what’s the big deal?!?!?’ No, he’s not a girl. I rolled my eyes and tried to settle her down. The next morning Don left for work, I talked with her all morning. I remember those days and no--- I don’t want to re-live them. We talked about seeing other people, about him still being a good guy, about keeping him for a friend. All those things…Finally, she says, ‘Mom, do you need some help cleaning house?’ ‘No Chels, just get in the shower…I do it.’ The Varsity game was at 1:00 pm and she was cheering…


I worked on the house and ran errands in the afternoon. Life as Mom…:).

Friday I came home from work. Look what was in the mail!!!
It was from my Mother-in-law. It’s my favorite lotion. I had seen it in Green Bay the week before and passed it up. It’s one of those ‘treat’ things that I thought I’d pass up this year and the lotion only comes out in the fall. She always knows just the right thing to do.

I finally got all the Terracotta Pots all put away for winter. Kind of sad…

I planted Chrysanthemums in the fall of 2005. This is the only one that returned the following year.
Our winters are really hard on them. Isn’t it beautiful?!?!?

Gratitudes:
1. My radio – on the country music station right now.
2. My dehydrator...the apples & oranges are ready for my SS Kids today
3. The Woods outside –yellow and orange.
4. My Mom… she went through those same things with me…

I worked until after 4:00 pm yesterday. Most would say,”Hey that’s not too bad,” but when you are at work at 6:00 am, that is way too long.

I made it home about 4:30 and Don and ran Ransom together. Then we cooked supper together. Nothing is too bad if you have someone to lighten the load with. I tackled some laundry next. Then I sat down and started working on my Buggy Barn quilt again.

Every day, I’ve been getting between 15 – 65 seams done and pressed. Chelsey “scrap booked “ with me, so we had time to catch up. But by 7:45 pm that was it. I was tired. I sat down on the other end of the couch. I laughed to Don, ”You know, I love to quilt, I just wish I could do it and not be tired before I even begin.” It sounds like a complaint, but I don’t think it really is. I just noticed it was a fact. You know you love something if you do it even if you’re tired. So Saturday, Don has to work and Chelsey has school activities. I’m sewing first---- before the house housework, and before I’m tired.


Today’s picture is a cross-stitch piece from a couple of years ago. It was a free pattern from BH & G. I finished it 2 days before Thanksgiving, but I knew I’d have it for years to come. The words read:

Count your pumpkins while they last,
For soon their time will come to pass.
The Winter winds are sure to blow,
Turning Autumn fields white with snow.

Gratitudes:
1. Animal Cookies
2. My pearl bracelet
3. The weekend ahead.

It’s the day before Friday, October 5th. Work has been pretty intense with the pending sale of our Lansing branch. I’ll be glad when it’s complete. Don’s in the middle of a maintenance outage at his work, so he’s got long hours too. If we’re not working were taking care of business at home or just plain ‘dog tired’.

I played in my quilt room last night. I really made a mistake by walking down there this morning before work. Now all I want to do is quilt. I’m going to say it’ll get me through the day, but right now I’m just a cranky..

Look at what Don built me this weekend. The Raven--- The Old crow.
I saw it in a picture. I’ve searched far and wide for one. I finally drew it out on paper and Don built it for me. I painted it—antiqued it in green. (Don helped with that part too). He comes in handy every now and then. There’s even a piece of quilt fabric around its neck. We built one for Don’s Mom and it’s done in antique blue. I mailed it out yesterday. It’ll be a nice fall/Halloween decoration for years to come. I really like them both.

The leaves have peaked in color now.
This has been one of the most beautiful falls I remember.
Or maybe it’s because I’m stopping… and taking the time to appreciate it.

Both kids are doing fine. Don got up and said, “I’m really missing Eric today”. I guess there will always be days like that.

Gratitudes:
1. Wood Working Tools – for things you want AND things you need.
2. Spaghetti – last night’s supper
3. My washer and dryer – thank heavens we don’t have to tow those clothes down to a river or something….

It was a great weekend. I laughed, Sunday evening Chelsey, Don and I were all pouting not wanting the weekend to be over. I guess they are never long enough. Don starts a maintenance outage at work, so he’ll work for the next 21 days, 12 hours a day. So Chelsey and I are pretty much on our own.

The leaves are really turning. We’re supposed to get up to 75 degrees today---no complaints. Chelsey and I went to Green Bay Saturday. I bought 2 skirts and even went to a quilt shop. I’ll show my purchases tomorrow. I work in an airplane hanger, in the back of an airplane hangar. Chelsey asked why I was even buying skirts. Well, you don’t work 24 hours a day, and occasionally I’d like to look like a girl. It did my heart good and it did make me feel like a girl.

I had nine kids in Sunday school this week. We didn’t string apples because I was scared I didn’t have enough, so we painted instead. Flexibility was the word this weekend. Lots of time things don’t go, as I want them to. The right food is not in the cupboard, the cable doesn't work, the laundry is piled high. I could get mad or disappointed, but when the fit is over, nothing has changed and time (a precious commodity) is wasted. Trust me, this a real growing point for me… And I'll keep working on the apples.

I put out some Halloween things—Thirty days of ghosts and goblins. Yeah, I’m Baptist Sunday school teacher that thinks Halloween is OK. We don’t have séances or practice witchcraft, it’s just a big costume festival. Usually, when my kids were little, it snowed on Halloween, so the holiday was like Christmas caroling through the streets, but instead you went for candy. It’s kind of like movies, you know they aren’t real, but it’s fun to pretend and be scared and realize it’s just that---pretend…

Quilting---I’m still plugging away on my buggy Barn quilt. Here’s the fall quilt for today.
It’s from Backyard quilts, a small 16 x 12 size. Here’s where it’s sitting in my home.


Gratitudes:
1. My daughter---my shopping pal.
2. The Bar-BQ grill—grilling season is coming to a close.
3. Acorns – falling from the oak trees.