OK—I wanted to chat—no new quilting going on so I dug deep for something to talk about. Sorry about the poor photos. They were taken last night amidst cooking supper and sprinkles of rain.

Everything has a story. I made these two shirts about five years ago. They are Caboodles patterns, but for the life of me I can’t tell you the name.
They have been passed down to a couple of ladies that deserved the patterns and wouldn’t have gotten them any other way.

First of all – The shirts… I found them—of all places the grocery store. I saw them on a rack, the price was right-- something like $3.50-- so I bought them. I told myself they would probably disintegrate the first time I washed them, so before I sewed on them I washed them five times to see if they would make it.

Vanity--- since having kids 19 years ago… I never tuck anything in. Paranoia maybe, but I just don’t. These shirts are XXXL size 54. They are huge. Each one comes to my knees and I'm 5'6". You can see the sleeves stay rolled up. I love them because they are huge. The first shirt has 3 scarecrows.
I took pieces of the pattern and appliquéd on the pocket
and put a crow on the back.
In the fall we pretty inseparable.
For December, I have the little boy with the Christmas tree.
I wanted to show the collar. No pattern was needed. I just traced the outline of the collar onto newspaper, cut it a little smaller on the bias of the fabric so it would curve nicely. I fused it on and zigzag stitched around the edges. I made it match the buttonholes for the button down part of the shirt.
I’ve even seen cuffs done the same way, but since I roll the sleeves I didn’t bother.

Oh yeah--- It’s a man’s shirt--- I thought it may be a fun idea for a gift for someone or for yourself as a Saturday “Cheer Up”…



Gratitudes:
Good Doctor’s Visit
Smoked Beef Brisket for supper
Ritz Crackers

It’s Monday--- the attitude is in check and I’m ready to tackle the week. Lots of good rest this weekend. The weather was even in the upper 60’s so Ransom and I got out a lot. My geraniums are even budding out again; it’s been so warm. The high today is only in the 40’s so the flowers may be short lived.

I pulled out the winter clothes and put the summer ones away. Don and I—well mostly Don--- finished painting my new fabric cabinet. I’ll have to post a picture soon. Saturday night I was lucky enough to host a group of teenagers for pumpkin carving. Good kids and lots of fun.
We built a bonfire and roasted marshmallows. I think Ransom got as many as the kids. Chelsey had her last regular season football game for cheering. I think this is the first time since her senior year began that something tugged at my heart, “Gosh--- this is it…” No more cheerleading, no more pumpkin carving… But she promised she’d come home from school next year and carve a pumpkin--- I’m holding her to it.

Chelsey needs a Halloween costume this year, so I got the fabric for it this weekend. Pictures will come soon.

Thanks for Marcie--- I’ve an autograph copy of her new pattern.
I have to give my self “the talk”, because I want to start cutting fabric for this right now. Her instructions are great, detailed, and easy to follow. If you don’t have this one, contact her and get it soon. I’m using it as motivation to complete things I’m working on now, so that I can start it.

What I’m reading---
It’s an “Upper”. I worried that it would be a Day in the life of a wife of a football player, or just basically “not good”. But I recommend this to everyone. She shows a lot of courage in this book. She's incredibly strong. I read this and sit back... where does her strength come from? She lets people know that her faith really got her through it all. She went through something really tough and went through it right in front of the media. One of those things you think-- "This can't happen to me.." But--- it can. Breast Cancer is the real thing.

Gratitudes-
Porch Swinging weather still around
Pumpkins
Five kids in my Sunday School Class yesterday.

The weekend is almost at a close. I’m just not ready. It’s going to take every ounce of determination to get back into the work week.
We had friends over for supper Saturday night. Lots of fun. Chelsey had an away ball game in Gladstone so we shivered and shook but sat through it. It was her last away game in regular season….
The best part of Friday was presents in the mail.
I’ve made a quilting friend who doesn’t have a web journal. She sent me this package of gifts. I’m ready for Spring--- these are flower seeds for hollyhocks and sunflowers. I can’t wait. She pays attention to detail… knows I love green AND plaids. These turned into napkins for my dinner on Saturday night. Someone’s blog had this pattern made up in Amy Butler fabric. I just loved it--- No zippers and it looked pretty forgiving… but at $16.95 it wasn’t worth the gamble. Her fabric store ran a special for patterns $0.99 and she picked it up for me…..again spring has got to get here (boy I’ve got a long wait) . We’ve got a lot in common and can relate to lots of the same things. The internet makes the world a smaller place…..

I got home from work yesterday. I had parent teacher conferences for two hours after that. All good reports. I had asked co-workers, “Are you headed over to the school for the “annual” event?” A few said yes but the majority said their kid was doing fine they weren’t going. My response was. If your kid is doing fine then go anyway. You’ve earned that “pat on the back” plus that teacher could most definitely use one too. Anyway, One down… I have one more set of conferences before Chels graduates.

Got home—another rumble with Chelsey--- we’re having way too many of these. Don says we’re too much alike…. So I headed off to church-- figured I needed it…

OK… This is the last pumpkin picture… but it’s an important one. We only have three women working where I work. Last Friday, our accounting girl had to have some emergency surgery. Nothing life threatening, but still, she didn’t have a lot of time to prepare. The office sent her flowers. She has family taking care of her kids. I wanted to do something—but what? I was out of town when we was in the hospital and now that she’s home, I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable worrying about her house with a visit there. So I decided..... she needs a pumpkin. Everyone smiles when they see a pumpkin. I stopped by the grocery store on the way to church and picked up this pumpkin. I just finished the fabric card… on the other side I wrote..” If an apple a day…makes you well… think of the AMAZING things a pumpkin must do!! Get well quick…” I attached it with fun ribbon (She’s a ribbon freak) and included a magazine. And on my way to work I’m going to leave it on her front doorstep for her to find.

Pumpkins are cheap… they’re only around for a short season….
Pick up one to share with someone before the season’s over--- Smiles---Money back guaranteed…



Gratitudes:
Don’s patience with Mother/Daughter Squabbles
My favorite Coffee Mug
Warm sweaters on cool days

Ok—it’s a given. I should be quilting instead of writing about it, but I felt like chatting. I had the best weekend. Don and I drove to Chicago for the weekend. We met Eric and a friend down there. We went to see “Wicked”, walked the streets of Chicago with Starbucks in our hands. Don got the tickets about 4 months ago. About Thursday I started panicking. Working all week. A long trip and back to work on Monday. I was going to be behind at home and exhausted at work. Totally not true. We had so much fun. It was good seeing Eric. The last time I went to Chicago I worried about my 6 and 8 year old. I didn’t want to lose them; you wanted them to be entertained. Lord knows, you didn’t want them breaking anything. You always wonder what life is going to be like “after kids”… it’s going to be fine. We divided up in Chicago. Don & I and met back up at different times with Eric. Don and I had the best time. I felt so free. We even talked about what we’re going to do ‘next year’…. I can’t wait…..
I appliquéd on the trip while Don drove. Offered to drive--- Don laughed. It wasn’t the easiest to do, but the time was going to pass anyway, so it might as well pass with a needle in my hands. Here’s where I’m at…. I basted muslin strips around the edges to give my hoop a little more room to work with.

It’s really been warm. But a serious cold front is coming through tonight--- supposedly dropping the temperatures 30 degrees. I took Ransom out running after work and we got caught in a rain shower. You’re walking and you’re a mile away from home and the rain comes from nowhere… trust me I got the cardio in --- I walked pretty fast to get back home….
Gratitudes:
1. Safe travel and a great weekend for everyone
2. Off to quilt in two seconds
3. Starbucks Venti Vanilla Latte extra Hot.

I’ve got a six-foot propeller waiting to be shipped at the office, but I wanted to take a second and type a few lines. We had a quiet night last night. I packaged up some quilt fabric and a pattern for a friend, caught up on some emails. Chelsey had her class and Don played a video game with Eric on-line 300+ miles away. I could hear them laughing and it did my heart good. I quilted on my primitive garden some, maybe a picture by the end of the week.

Here’s a picture of my apple stacker.
It holds pumpkins gourds from my garden in the fall. It’s sitting on my breakfast table on top of a Thimbleberries club quilt. The leaves are from the front yard Ransom and I picked up last night. I ironed them between sheets of waxed paper and the colors stay like that forever. The stackers holds red apples at Christmas, Birds nests in the spring, Granny smith apples in the summer.

I could use another cup of coffee, but I better be on my way.
Until tomorrow---

Her Dad had had about 4 hours of sleep…. Friday night she had a game in a town an hour and a half away.


“ Don, just stay home, I can do this one solo. We’ll hit the craft store, grab a bite to eat and go to the game. The weather is good… piece of cake.”

“Ok – you’re forgetting the camera.”

“If I’m going alone, I’m not doing the camera thing, she can make it a week without pictures…”

“Hang on… I’m getting a jacket, I’ll sleep in the backseat on the way down…”

Yep, this was the exact conversation that took place Friday night. And that’s her dad. He photographs every game she cheers at. We sat in the front row of the bleachers. After the game, Chelsey even said, “Mom, my friends were asking why Dad was smiling and laughing…. I told them… He was watching me…”



Enough said, that pretty much sums up Friday night.

The weather was splendid all weekend---Middle to upper 60’s. I tackled the inside of the house on Saturday, Don worked outside and Chelsey worked at her job. I got my Sunday school lesson finished. How do you teach four year olds about Faith – believing in something you can’t see…? I’d like to take credit for the idea, but I got it from Tracey… We filled the pouches with flower bulbs and talked about how they don’t look like flowers and after we bury them we can’t see them, but if we have faith in the spring they come up as flowers.
You can’t see God, but you know he’s there. They had fun picking out the bulbs and making the tags. Kind of cool. Chelsey says – “Mom, they’ll never get it…” Maybe not, but maybe there will be a small message there for their parents, you never know.


Other than one chance of a freeze that didn’t happen, our fall has been just beautiful. I guess the only perk in planting your garden surrounded by trees, is that they kinda protect it. Many years, I never get full size ripened tomatoes because of the weather. There have many years, I just plant the cherry tomatoes, because at least they will turn red on the vine.
Look at the harvest this year…..

I’m going to be late for work….more later---


Gratitudes:
1. Eric’s safe travel with friends this weekend
2. A friend’s quote: “The reason we love dogs is because they don’t talk..” I must have thought about that several times this weekend when I wanted to complain---- and then I decided not to.
3. Quilting Friends, sharing the quilts they made with their own hands….