Last Friday was a holiday--- 29 years since the first date with my husband…..And it landed on a Friday night just like the first time. I have had a few “first dates”, but can’t remember the details…but I remember every single detail with him….I guess that’s how you know if he’s “the one”.

We went to pick up my sewing machine that went in the shop for 4 months….it’s like the return of a long lost son. And it purrs like a kitten. Don also bought me this Grace frame.
I’m totally enchanted with it. We talked about it, and it’s a first step into the world of long arm quilting without the huge expense. I can practice, have fun, get my kids through college etc. The biggest struggle I had with machine quilting is the tucks in the back from the quilt not being stretched well enough. Problem solved. I’m basically a weekend quilter, Maybe 2 or 3 big projects a year, so I’m excited about the new toy. And you should see the feathers I’m whipping out on my practice quilt. Eric called this weekend and gave me sass…”Gee mom, I don’t think Aunt Bee had one of those…. I think I maybe could even quilt with that thing….”

Don put the contraption together; I studied the book. I just kind of looked at it for about 24 hours. And Don asked “You don’t like it???” I loved it. I was just scared to death of it. And that’s the way it always is….. even good changes and new things are tough for me. But thanks to his nudging… I’ve been meandering and playing with pantograms all afternoon…after the Packer game, of course.

I still have to press my Primitive Garden block,
but here’s the latest completion. I have 3 blocks to go. The little purple flowers had tiny petals on them. It was just way too tedious for me. I want to relax and enjoy this so I made the executive decision to turn them into primitive "circle flowers" and I think they look just fine. I received the first border in the mail last week. It’s appliqué also. I’m thinking about making it just solid and omitting it. There’s patchwork throughout the center that will connect the blocks, so I don’t think it will even look like “it’s missing something”. But the jury is still out on that decision….

Chelsey is downstate teaching a Leadership workshop. So we’ve been without kids for 3 days with 3 to go…Even Don says…. This is kinda nice….

I’m behind in posting--- why? I’ve been busy living I guess…. It doesn’t mean I haven’t stitched, just means I haven’t slowed down long enough to collect my thoughts.

Photo opts first----Here’s a Cat, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Little Red Riding Hood…aka Hannah Chelsey, Courtney, and Jordan. I made Chelsey’s Peter Pan costume. I finished it Monday night, with a day to spare. They ‘trick or treated’ last night, but instead of collecting candy, they collected canned goods as a food drive for Feed the Children in Michigan. I was amazed at the number of kids that came out for the drive and even more amazed at the amount the community gave. Many times, it’s hard to scrape up money, but everyone has extra canned goods they are willing to part with. I’ll post the total figures when we get them.

Eric was home over the weekend---We cooked and spoiled him for two days and he’s back at school until Thanksgiving. I thought he looked tired and thin, I fattened him up while I could and he slept till almost ten everyday he was home.

Finished another Block on the Primitive Garden… It will be on my next post. I’ve made eight Postcards to go out this week.

Hallelujah moment—My sewing machine is fixed. Don and I are picking it up this weekend—hopefully.
I better head off to work---I can’t believe it’s now November…

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….

It’s the day before Friday---Hallelujah. I had a meeting at church Tuesday night; a school meeting tonight and Chelsey has an away ball game on Friday. So…I stayed home from church last night just to do some catching up. I made a Wal-mart run, cooked supper, started some laundry…. And I just needed to be in my sewing room.

Chelsey got this magazine in on Monday—I haven’t even let her look at it….
At work, I had this page opened all day to glance at while I was ”on hold” on the phone or waiting for the computer to process a transaction. Yeah, the guys at work were relentless and made fun of me throughout the day.
There was a card out of paper scraps, but they gave kudos to quilters.

Anyway, I went home and made a couple of fabric postcards. I always say, “ I need to send her a note..” but if I don’t have the cards ready the moment passes. I still have to appliqué the stem, but I think they’re fun. The fabric makes them look like real leaves with different shades of color. In less than two hours I made two… and the therapy was great. I just used pieces from my scrap basket and tea-dyed muslin on the back. I usually buttonhole stitch around the edges, but with my machine STILL in the shop, this old machine had a turkey tracks stitch and I tried it. These will be off to Wisconsin and Louisiana by the weekend.
Here’s one last photo of the leaves.
Ransom and I took this one evening.

Gratitudes:
Purple hull peas for supper (My Dad grew them in La.)
Warm Fall days
A friend’s new Grandbaby

Monday morning—Do good weekends make it easier or tougher to go to work on Monday morning????? The weekend was outstanding. Bad storms on Friday night gave way to a gorgeous weekend. Chelsey had another Homecoming Dance and Don & I worked around the house. The leaves are turning more and more every day. The photo was taken last Thursday.
I bet the color has doubled now.

I’ve got my next Primitive Garden block pattern traced. The pattern pieces are cut out and so is the fabric.
There’s a lot of work before you ever pick up a needle. This block has close to 100 pieces. I stressed a little—wanting to get “to the good part”, but I exhaled and told myself—it’s all fun.. relax and enjoy it…There’s definitely some kind of therapy in cutting fabric. I’ve got a church meeting this week but I’m hoping to start on it soon. I stitched a long over due gift and got it in the mail.

I don’t know who loves the weather more.. Ransom or me…and I’ve been pulling out the pumpkin quilts. I haven’t picked the gourds out of the garden yet. I hoping to let them grow as long as I can.

I had four kids in Sunday school this week, so they got lots of TLC…

Gratitudes---
Emails from friends
Don and I having fun watching football
Grocery shopping when the store is just about empty of customers(there has to be a perk somewhere)

My attitude wasn’t real great this morning---but I got a real attitude adjustment at about ten after six….I hit a deer in my jeep. I pulled over and after I recovered from the coffee bath that I had all over my clothes I Called Don and checked out the jeep. It was still too dark to tell much but the jeep seemed ok aside from the fur that stuck here and there on the bumper. I had the guys at work check it out and I have a cracked bumper, but it could have been so much worse. The deer just came out of nowhere.

Quilting----Don has a late meeting so here’s the block I’ll be working on before and after church tonight.
It’s my favorite block of the Primitive Garden quilt. I just love the blues and purples together.

I’m still catching up on everyone’s quilting in the past two weeks. Maybe it’s the changing seasons, maybe it’s the good weather, or maybe it’s just that there’s so much inspiration out there….. the quilted pieces I’ve seen lately are just beautiful. I always try to imagine what women from the past would say if they saw our quilts….

Gratitudes:
1. My deer accident wasn’t more serious
2. Good days at work this week
3. Beautiful Fall weather

My folks left for Louisiana yesterday. We had a good visit. It’s kind of hard when you only see your folks once or twice a year. You can see changes in them more. Lots of cooking together, card playing, and watching football. Mom and I went shopping one day. The day they left I got my plane ticket to visit them in December. It was OK for them to go home, I just wish they could come back for Sunday dinner next week. That’s the problem with living so far away.

The day I left for Wichita Don cut out this newspaper clipping.
We’re making serious effort to organize and “de-junk” our basement. He saw these wardrobes on sale. It was like he was reading my mind. He told me to go get one and we’d paint it somehow and use it for storage. I’d always wanted one. For that price I got two—and one will hold my sewing stuff. Isn’t it just the best?!?!? The wood is knotty pine; Don was a little disappointed but I think the knots add character…

When I got home I was going through the mail and got the Main Street Cotton Shop Catalog from Hutchinson, Minnesota.
If you are unfamiliar with the shop, let me introduce you----It’s the shop below Lynette Jensen’s Thimbleberries Studio. She really captures fall and the Northwoods well in her quilting.

It’s got to be a good week—The Packers won.

We went to a service last night for a friend’s 90-year-old Mother who passed away over the weekend. It was really nice. Sometimes those things are hard to go to, but when I realized how much it meant to the Mildred’s daughter that we came, I was so glad We did. When people live such long, full lives those services aren’t sad, people often smiled and laughed with all the good memories of this lady.

We’ve got our first freeze warning of the Fall season tonight. I’m going to cover my tomato plants. While I cannot avoid the inevitable, I’m hoping to put off the eminent cold weather for a while longer. Temps are supposed to rise a little after tonight.
The Garden Angel has been replaced with the ‘Knobby -kneed’ Scarecrow.
We’re enjoying my folks and plan on attending the High school Football game tonight. Eric’s called several times; wish he could be here.
The buggy is sliding into Fall in the front yard with the sign I made for it.
There are still lots of green, but the leaves are really beginning to turn.
Here is the quilt block I completed.
It’s the bird house square. I realized as I snapped the photo that I still have to add the legs of the crow. I always add them separately and it’s pretty tedious to keep them as a connected piece. The gourds are from my garden last year. Here are the long neck gourds growing this year.

Off to make a pot of coffee for my folks, and shuffle the cards for the card game.
Gratitudes:
1. Phone calls keeping Eric in touch.
2. Chelsey surviving a hand-spring gymnastic fall.
3. Ransom’s thumping tail on the hardwood floor when we walk the room.

I’m home… I’ve got a week’s worth of posts in my head. I want to spill them out in one long post, but I decided to write you a little each day for the next few days.
What did I do on my trip? I completed a 400 page novel; I completed another block on my Primitive Garden quilt. I went to 2—yes -2 quilt shops… oh yeah… and I worked too.
The day I left it was an incredibly dreary, rainy day. I was about 50 miles out of town and saw a billboard for a quilt shop I’d always wanted to see. I glanced at my watch and decided there’s no time like the present and whipped the jeep around. A charming couple of ladies greeted me at the door and from the dreary outside all they needed was a fireplace and I would have called it home.
They made me feel like I’d been shopping there all my life. It was great therapy. After my visit and small purchases I felt like I could make the trip.
OK- dorky moment. I sat by two different women on each of my flights and made them ‘ooh and ahh’ over the feel, the color and the whole idea that one day (even if it was 10 years from now) these would be a quilt.
I made friends with several people once I got to Wichita. We were sitting and chatting about what workshops we were going to and I knew Stephanie had a rental car. I got my nerve up and said, “ Hey—if you aren’t going to the workshop…Wanna make a road trip???” She looked at me out of the corner of one eye, “Soooo, where are we going??” I laughed, “Exhale; there’s a quilt shop ten minutes away---- let’s go.” The shop was like going to my Grandmother’s literally. It specialized in old kitchen utensils and 1930’s fabrics. I chose the bobbin for a memory and a couple of yards of fabric. They bragged on my choices and I felt like my Grandmother who passed away 19 years ago was right there in the room. She would have loved that place.
We’ll chat more later--- I have quilt photos to share. My Mom and Dad are expected here any minute. For the next 4 days I will have family close.
Gratitudes:
1. Safe Travel
2. Home – there’s nothing like it
3. Friends that appreciate quilts even if they don’t sew

I’d like to tell you this was the making of a great project I’m working on. I could talk about how this was the remnants of a first place quilt project a county fair, because they are popping up all over the place this time of year. But I can’t—the truth is – it’s 3 fat quarters that I’ve packed in my lunch box as therapy today. I spend a lot of time alone in a parts room, so they will be something to dream about as I work. I can’t help but smile every time I look at them.

There hasn’t been any quilting going on—sometimes life is like that. My Sunday school room, however, looks dazzling. Eric is content back at college. He’s a sophomore now, so all the first year “jitters” are behind us.

Here are two photos of Chelsey—both firsts—her first day of her senior year in High School and her first day at the community college. She’s doing a dual-enrollment thing for college credit and taking a business law course.
Were there tears as my “baby” had her last first day at home? No---I think there was an “exhale” and a feeling of success.

As quilters I think you will appreciate this:
I found out last Thursday I will be flying to Wichita Kansas for a week leaving this Friday. I was to the point of tears. It was a conference that I thought might ”just go away” if I didn’t talk about it. But it didn’t. What were my first thoughts? Was it the opportunity to meet people in my same profession? Was it learning how to handle warranty issues for Stall Warning units on 441 planes? Was I contemplating getting the new literature on a service bulletin for a fuel control unit that we have two of the shelf of???? Not a chance—The VERY FIRST thing I thought of, well- three things—were:
1. I wonder if there’s a quilt shop there?
2. How am I going to get to that quilt shop without a rental car?
3. I’ve got to get another piece of my Primitive garden quilt cut out and pressed to pack along before Thursday….

I sat back for a split second and thought I was horrible, but then I laughed and said – No, I’m not. I think I have a real good handle on separating work from home. I realize work is important but there is life after work. And I know that I’ll always have quilting—it’s not going anywhere, and I won’t always have teenagers at home so I need to value that and I won’t always have to work, but the job does support, my kids, my quilting, and my Sunday school class.

I have a shelf of aircraft parts calling my name… I better get to work…

Take Care….