I was procrastinating. I knew it and did it anyway. I was scared to death of cutting into the wool for my Saltboxes in the corner quilt. I guess it was because it was a different kind of fabric. Maybe because I knew I couldn’t replace easily if I were to screw it up.

I had worked later than normal yesterday. I went home and got all the “have to do’s” out of the way. And then got on a fit. I had counted on quilting all day. It was getting me through a lot of junk at work and now that it was time to actually do the “fun stuff”, I was too tired. But I thought I’d at least go down and straighten up some fabric. Then I said I’d cut out one color and see how it went. I ended up cutting out all the wool pieces and it didn’t hurt a bit. A common sense tip --- I run short of common sense lots of time. I cut out the big pieces first, and then used the leftovers for the smaller ones. The yardage was pretty tight, so I was glad I did or I would not have had enough for the project. Most people know to do this…. like I said, I come up short on the common sense side of things. Give me an Algebraic equation and I do fine--- every day life—sometimes I suffer.

I even picked out fabric for the setting triangles around the houses.


I’ve got a couple of gifts to make this weekend. I have to finish breaking down the garden and harvesting the carrots too. Chelsey had planned on staying at school this weekend, but I talked with her last night:

“Mom, you know I’m all talk. I’ll be home after work this weekend.” I just laughed. That’s why she went off to school only two hours away. Weather will become a factor in later months. But for right now--- Ransom will have a weekend bed partner….He really misses those kids.

I had both my kids home for the weekend. Lots of cooking and eating, but lots of fun. They both made it safely back to school, so the house is a lot bigger and a lot quieter too. That’s not a bad thing either. Like a always tell Chelsey--- “since the day you were born, this has been part of the plan…”

Onto quilting. The postcard was a hit with Chelsey; she even had a friend that wanted one too.

“Mom, they don’t care what’s on it—just send him one…”

Now Eric wasn’t thrilled, “Mom, I share a mailbox with 6 other people--- don’t do that again, you’re a dork…” Oh well, win a few… lose a few….
Here are the cards hitting the College dorm this week.

I finished the last block of the house sampler. I found my self cutting a house and coming back later and sewing it up. Lots of pieces and detail in this set.
Next month we receive borders and put it all together. Back in January I had plans for a flying geese border or maybe an Ohio star pieced one, but I’m ready to get this baby in the quilting frame and call her done. I recommend it to everyone. I really enjoyed it. Buggy Barn Quilts did a nice job of putting it together….
I had to get a new cell phone – the second in a week… completely stressful. I guess I’m going to figure out how to use the puppy, clean up the quilt shop downstairs, and hit the hay---

Tomorrow’s another day…..

For quilting……..

The words make speak of summer, but we have frost warnings tonight. It’s not the first time this season, but I think they mean business tonight.


These blocks complete my summer section of the Block of the month quilt Four Seasons from Country Loft. Three seasons down and one to go. This is my first BOM project with Country Loft and I recommend them to everyone. Reasonably priced, thorough, and each month they’re packaged just fun to read. I’ve gotten burned out on BOM projects before, but I find myself looking forward to this one each month.

Ransom and I picked up the leaves on our walk. I ironed them between two sheets of wax paper. I think I’m pulling petunias up this evening and cleaning out three rows in my garden too. It’s that time of the year. Don’s got another business meeting tonight, so Ransom and I will definitely be quilting…

Gratitudes:
1. A full tank of Gas in my jeep (even if I had to pay of it)
2. Pumpkin Gourds fresh off the vines
3. That cricket taking up residence in my office behind shelves where I can’t reach. (Helps me hold onto summer a little longer I guess).

Ok--- so the conversation went something like this:

“Mom, how come you never write me letters at school?”

“Well, Baby, we talk on the cell phone everyday and you’ve come home a couple of weekends—I don’t know. I email you.”

“Sara’s Mom writes her all the time… I never get mail. I bought some stationary yesterday and wrote you a letter. Call me when you get it. I just want to see if it works…”

You’d think she’d never mailed a letter or received one in her life!!!! So last night after the workout, chores, and dinner, Ransom and I whipped up two fabric postcards.


There’s a story. When the kids were little and had after school activities we’d pick them up from school instead of them riding the bus home. It was too far to go back home and then double back for the classes. So we’d stop at a restaurant for French fries and a coke. Just enough to tide them over till supper time later. We’d look at school papers and discuss the latest playground fallout. Then we’d bundle back up and head off to dance lessons, or karate lessons. There were piano lessons for Eric and Chelsey’s “Shania Twain” phase of guitar lessons.

Yeah, they’ll call me a dork, I’m sure. But now they’ll have the French fries even though I’m too far away to be there in person….

P.S. I did get her letter yesterday. I think I’ve read it ten times. Like my Mom always says, “ When you hang up the phone it’s over, but a letter you can read over and over again…”

It’s Monday --- Early…. I’m not even going to dread going to work... the weekend was awesome. Chelsey came home. Don needed something picked up in Green Bay--- so we sacrificed ourselves for some shopping endeavors. We had so much fun. There was lunch out and small purchases but tons of ‘window’ shopping.

The weather was crummy, but we took turns driving and it wasn’t raining inside. I had all of my new kids in Sunday school yesterday and each one is cuter than the next. I’m a football junkie so Sunday afternoon the family watched the NFL games and we got Chelsey back on the road to school. This was a hard week to send her back. I guess it’s because we had so much fun.

I spent Sunday evening decorating with pumpkin quilts. My mind says I don’t need anymore more… but there are so many beautiful ones out there it’s so hard to resist.

Purchases… Bath and Body Works is a “must” stop on the shopping trip.
The Fall Pumpkins scents are my favorites. The wooden leaves are Dollar Tree purchases. I removed all the raffia and changed it to Grosgrain ribbon.

There is a consignment shop that is always a favorite stop in Appleton.
The painted tea-dyed towel I couldn’t resist.

My last purchase was the pumpkin sign.
The photo doesn’t do it justice. There are black crows sitting on top of it.

The last couple of photos are just fall corners in my house.
The quilts have all been shared in prior years, but pulling out old quilts is like visiting an old friend. Don made the quilt ladder for me for my birthday.
This is the first Fall I’ve had it to decorate. I do have my eyes open for two new projects.
I want to paint an old chair black and one red. I love quilts thrown over old chairs. And half of the fun of getting the chair is searching for it.

I have plans for quilting tonight…. Maybe pictures tomorrow….

The borders are tea-dyed and the houses are built.

I’m washing the wool as I type. I’m so glad the weekend has arrived. Ransom and I have already gotten our run in. I made chocolate chip cookies for Chelsey. She’s coming home this weekend. What is it about homemade cookies that says ‘I love you’?

I’ve got a pot of Jambalaya cooking… Cornbread with it and we’ll call it supper. Several have asked about my folks in Louisiana. They’re OK. They were without power for 4 days--- most would think “No big deal”, put couple that with 90 degree temperatures and it’s pretty unpleasant. They have lots of tree limb damage and their church is 18 inches deep in water. That was pretty devastating to them…but buildings can be repaired and no lives were lost so they’ll be OK.

One last thing---I’m going to date myself—guess what I’m listening to? Remember Christopher Cross? I ordered Eric a book on CD for ‘back to school’ because he’s way too cool for pink boxes. He listens to it while he travels in his car. Anyway I ordered Christopher Cross’s Greatest hits--- such great memories in every song…..Google it and listen….

Onto the weekend…..

I’ve been sewing--- but every time I try to take a photo of the progress there seems to be an obstacle… It’s raining, the camera battery needs charging, and People drop by the house… so we’ll just have to hold onto the suspense.

I’ve been in Wichita Kansas this week for an Aviation seminar. While the seminar for fine, there’s no doubt my heart is at home. Don and Ransom were bachelors without me. And though every one of Ransom’s water bowls was empty he lived and I count the adventure a success. Ransom has almost caught up on his water intake too.

I did make some purchases.
I saving up fabric for a homespun project, so that’s where the yellows and purple pieces come in. I have a couple of friends into “pink” so those were definitely stash builders. I have just been in love with the Kansas Troubles piece so I purchased 3 yards just for the sake of that.

My final purchases were wool pieces for my Saltboxes in the Corner quilt. Wool is pricey… never purchased any before. I’ve had several pieces in kits but never purchase that kind of fabric as stand alone pieces. Should I pre-wash the pieces before appliquéing with them? I’d appreciate any advice.

It’s not a tornado or a hurricane… this is the current view from the back ‘covered porch.’

Don and I had decided on Direct TV as a treat now that the kids are fleeing the nest. But as it turns out, we have way too much forest for the high tech satellite device. So we were going to cut down 2 trees for the project. We had a forester come in and gave me serious talking to about tree safety, about how thinning out certain trees will allow others to flourish. He also talked to me about disease in certain trees and conservation. Well, he won me over, and 25 trees came down. I’m not sad… my garden will grow better. The house will be safer, trees will get bigger and truthfully after the mess is cleaned up, I don’t think I’ll even know their gone. It’s kind of like thinning the garden out… it only hurts for a little while….Oh --- and—we decided against Direct TV… We decided we didn’t want to become couch potatoes and that it probably wasn’t really good for us any way… regular cable would suffice….

Maybe tomorrow I can get the quilt blocks photographed and include another post….

Fall is settling in….
From the Covered Porch……..

I’m about to head out to work for the morning…but I had a wonderful weekend. We’ve been enjoying the last of the summer temperatures. I have been nursing the garden and hoping I can make it another month without frost. I have been quilting up a storm. Here is August’s block in the House Sampler block of the month. I love the chimney…

The other project I’m working on is the Saltboxes in the Corner quilt.
The pattern was a gift from Colleen. We had planned on working on it together, but I’m completely unreliable and she’s an incredibly busy woman.
We have been changing the look of our den in the basement. My cute green jelly cupboard has now been painted black. I’m trying to “embrace” the entire “black” theme and I’ve wished over this quilt a long time. The middle is complete. Here is one of the corner houses.
I have completed a green house also. I only have a blue and gold one left to whip up. I tea dyed muslin yesterday for the appliqué portion. I’ve decided to use wool. I have blue and green. With a business trip ahead, I’m hoping to find enough red and gold to complete the flowers and hearts. This quilt will be draped over the door of the cupboard I think.

Chelsey is surviving college. She came down with a fever of 102 and tonsillitis on Wednesday. Pretty much a major meltdown, I talked her through getting to a doctor on her own and getting to Wal-mart for antibiotics. Guilty--- I called Wal-mart and warned them she was coming, and asked them to package up Ny-quil, cough drops and juice. I asked for a special dose of ---“Acting like you care”.

“Mom—just come and get me--- I can’t do this…”
“Chels, you can. One day you’ll be working in New York City and I won’t be there. I know you can do this.”
“No, I can’t…”
“Yes, you can….”

And she did……

I was strong on the outside, but on the inside I was crumbling....And it turned into a bonding thing with her new roomate and the kids on her dorm floor really rallied behind her taking her temp and checking on her. She's going to make it.

Posting two days in a row…. Got to be a first for this summer. You can tell from the darkened snapshot, the days are indeed getting shorter in the U.P. I completed my Four Season block for August and just couldn’t wait to share.
We still haven’t found a routine…but the kids both seem pretty content—for a brief moment in time so I’m considering Life being good right now. I cleaned my sewing machine and took a few minutes to pick up. I feel like I’m finding friends again. It’s been good typing messages to you all the past few days.

We’ll leave this as a short post ending my blessings for the day:

Safe travel for all of us in the last week.
Leftovers with Don—everything is better if you have someone to share it with.
Cooler temps…no air conditioning with the fresh air venturing in from the Screen doors…

Well, we did it….We got Chelsey settled in for her new start… She off and running for college. Tons of firsts…. New friends, new responsibilities (Mom can’t rescue stained clothes), sharing a dorm room, and sharing a bathroom with three other girls. While she does have a flair for the dramatic---I believe she’s very capable of solving her own problems… it’s called growing up.

I think Don and I must be growing up too. It’s hard letting go and it’s hard not rescuing her at the ‘drop of a hat’. We are learning to settle her spirits down --- breathe--- and give her a chance to first brainstorm a solution to each problem. Not easy for two incredibly driven parents… and two pretty “structured” people…

I sent her off with this pink box. I didn’t give it to her until the moment we left. I had been collecting items for a while for this day. Thinking about necessities and things she would need without “Mom“ around.

We doodle together. We have every book Lindsay Ostrom has written.
I remember days of sitting at the kitchen table practicing together. I remember, “Mom, mine are never as good as yours…” Now, she doodles with the best—the book is really just a memory because she doesn’t even need it. I included Sharpie markers with a tag—‘No one is as sharp as you…’ There is the emergency can of Spaghetti-O’s to go with her pink can opener.
When she was little, I always wanted her to have Little Red Shoes, but they were hard to find, expensive and probably impractical.
I found a tiny pair and tagged them . If you are going to be a writer, you definitely need journals. I included twistable crayons. Coloring is cheap therapy on days with the blues.

I thought of things she always borrows from me. Panty hose, Eyeliner and mascara, my silver and gold hoop earrings.
Thinking I wouldn’t be there—she definitely need them in the Survival kit.
There’s an umbrella because both my college kids think they are too cool for an umbrella until it’s storming outside.
I found two Barbie ornaments that just seemed to fit.
The Little black Dress and the Wonder Woman outfit because I know in reality she is stronger than I ever was at that age.

Oh -- and Dark chocolate M & M's sorted by color......you definitely have to have chocolate.

Don and I …. And Ransom will begin to settle in to our new routine…

I’m still here--- Not a lot of quilting going on… maybe a little hand stitching at night before turning in. Doesn’t mean I’m sitting idol; it just means I’m taking summer for all it’s worth.

Quilt stuff first….A girlfriend at work went to a quilt shop in Ironwood…. She’s not even a Quilter. She did it for me. She was vacationing and stopped and filled her cell phone with snapshots. What a girl!!! She even brought me back a pattern and fat quarters.
I almost feel like I was there. But even more than that… it’s great to be thought of by someone else. She told me the fabrics are from a Japanese line.

My friend is the Queen of Rubber Stamping. I am definitely a rookie, but I keep practicing. She shows me every thing quilt related. This was her latest find. Quilt stamps. Right now, I’m short on time, but here’s a rookie attempt at using them for her thank you note.

I have dreams of using them on quilt labels and postcards… and those days will come… just not right now. I really appreciate her. It’s nice having something to talk about besides work….

Life at home. A week ago, we took the kids and their dates kayaking for a day. Most fun I’ve had in a while. I had my family with no cell phones and no television. We were all first-timers and made great memories. Boulders would appear in the middle of the river and the kids would swear they were icebergs and start quoting “The Titanic” and singing the theme song. I laughed so much. Chelsey and I went to see ‘Sisters on the Traveling Pants II’ this weekend and did the last of her college dorm room shopping. We take her to college on Thursday. Don laughs when he looks in the bags---‘They don’t have Wal-mart where she’s going????’ We have to go into great detail about it being a ‘Shopping Experience’ and that he should have been there. But she’s stocked now with Tide, Ramen Noodles, Shampoo, and the all important Memory CD filled with Power Songs to get her through any loneliness she might have. Somehow--- I just can’t picture the kid lonely….. I think I may be the one needing the Power Songs… this is a lot harder for me than I thought it was going to be. We’ve been grilling and playing cards with Chelsey and friends at night. Life is about to change.

I’ve got a care package built for her and we’ll show the photos in Thursday’s post…. I hope this is a good week. Lots of things on my mind.

Lots of family time this weekend---Kind of helps heal the spirit. We went to Don’s office picnic Saturday afternoon. It would have been much easier to just hide in the garden or sewing room, but I really need to think about starting to “get a life” when Chelsey leaves for school in a couple of weeks. Once we got to the picnic, we had a great time.

Sunday after church I finished my postcards and got them ready to mail. My favorite is the strawberry. Here’s the link for the postcard stamp that I used on the back. If life is busy, these are quick projects that you can share with others I really enjoy them.

I even got Don to start marking our snowshoe trail for this winter. When I trekked back in January, I really wondered—what does this look like in the summer… in the fall, so we started marking a route and now we’ll be able to appreciate the changes.

Thanks for the comments for my daughter and community. While I don’t think there is ANYTHING good to come out of this…I hope that Chelsey doesn’t become scared, or cynical, but does become not quite so trusting as she heads off to school. Small town comfort is just a myth….

What’s on the docket this week? Definitely cleaning my sewing room and sewing machine… it’s their turn…. And I want to take time out to appreciate little things like:

Eating cherry tomatoes right off the vine right in the middle of my garden.
Eating a home grown cucumber like a banana—just add salt…
Filling jelly jars with zinnias as more bloom every day….

A gift in the mail--- on a day that I really needed it. I’ve mailed over 3 dozen postcards—this is the first I’ve ever received. I often wondered the feeling my friends, my Mom or even Sunday school kids had when they received theirs… I was right on target. It was just the feeling I was aiming for. Thanks again Susan.

Aside from the everyday tides of life—the ups and downs were totally different that day than I had ever experienced before. Our community made national news for totally horrible reasons. Four teenagers were shot, three fatally by a total stranger. Teenagers from 17 to 20 years old swimming at a local railroad bridge happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just when we get lulled into thinking “Not in my town” we get the shock of our lives. Hey it could have been my kids—they both swam there before… talk about reality check. Chelsey’s taking it pretty hard. While only one boy was a friend, in a small town you know everyone.

There are no “right words”. I’ve always considered our woods as a comforting place. But I was scared to death to leave my house that Friday morning after it happened on Thursday with the guy still loose with an assault rifle. I had never been so glad to see state troopers as I was when they were at my office when I got there. They had refueled their helicopters there throughout the night looking for the guy. They did get the guy 16 hours later—why did he do it? I don’t know, but there’s no answer to justify this.

Chelsey has a friend that ran—literally—for his life that lived. Funny, I pick at her lately about using the house as a closet because she’s never around, working two jobs and an active social life. She’s never home. That Thursday night when everything went crazy, she had stayed home with us. Something she hadn’t done in ages. Cellphones put our world in a different place now. She had friends calling and checking to find out where she was before it was announced on the TV, radio, or internet. It continued throughout the night. I sent her to Green Bay the next day with a friend. I didn’t want her in town with this guy on the loose. There were so many speculations—I wanted her away from the rumors. But even in Green Bay, news travelled.

She worked today. Calling to check in every hour or so. She’s still having a tough time. ‘Mom, I have helped people pick out clothes for funerals before, but I could always separate myself from the situation. I know why they need these clothes today. This is so hard. Mom—I don’t want to talk about it.’
I just told her that people need strength, and maybe they draw strength from her. But she doesn’t realize the comfort she can give others. A tough lesson for an 18 year old kid.

I didn’t mean to dump on anyone, I guess I’m rambling because as a parent I am living the “what if” scenarios in my mind. I can’t imagine the heartache the parents are going through.

Eric surprised us and came home for a couple of days--- Just what the family needed. Everyone was “jockey-ing” for time with him. If that kid doesn’t feel loved--- he won’t ever…. Even Ransom was in on the act.

So I just got a couple of stitches in last night.
The Ladybug Postcard will be for Don’s cousin that just recently had a baby. I was hoping for a baby quilt to be made for her, but it’s just not happening right now. But she will get a postcard welcoming her into the world. Amanda did the baby’s room in Ladybugs. The other postcard will be for a couple of friends that recently lost their husbands. I made two just a like of that one.
Never easy.

We have Chelsey’s softball game tonight, so it’s pretty safe to say that I won’t have much time for sewing. But It’ll be there when I do get the chance.

Gratitudes:
Scholarship Money for Chelsey—easing burdens ahead.
Safe travel for Eric coming home
Pretzels
First Cherry tomatoes of the season

Summer is fleeing and I’m trying to cram as much into it as I can. In the Upper Peninsula I find myself trying to enjoy the outside weather as much as I can because the winters keep us really sheltered inside. I was talking to my Mom about the great summer but how at the same time I haven’t sewn as much as I would like to. Just not enough hours in the day…. She keeps me grounded and reminds me I have all winter to sew. But when you are a Quilter---It’s just not a seasonal activity for you…we all just have to find balance I guess. I’ve been working on My Journey of a Quilter block, but I hit a roadblock when I ran out of thread.
My Mom is rescuing me and mailing me DMC 838, as our Wal-Mart doesn’t carry it and it was our only source for thread. Another example of little things you should never take for granted….

I picked my first mess of green beans on Sunday.
I’m cooking them tonight. I have one tomato ready to pick but the rest are still pretty green.
Here’s a snapshot from my front flowerbed. It’s on the North side of the house and is shaded all but a couple hours of the day.
I just love impatiens. Marigolds line the garden fence.
This geranium has been my rescue project for the summer. It almost died on me, and I’ve nursed it back to health most of the summer. I think it’s just a beautiful color.


Last night Don & I road our bicycles to supper. We grabbed a sandwich at a local restaurant and rode home. We’ve only had one day over ninety degrees, the remainder hovering at around 80. The windows and doors were open all weekend, gathering fresh air through the house.

I’ve almost completed 6 fabric postcards, maybe snapshots tomorrow. I’ve also been working on a few things for Chelsey to take to school, 24 days away… Ransom entertained us all weekend. We’ve been doing some target shooting on the back of the property. He’s a born hunter and dances when the rifles come out. It’s been years since I shot a rifle. Don and I had fun and my aim is getting better all the time….

Looking back over this post… Summer is being filled with all of the good stuff… Have a good week.

Life – you get out of it what you put into it. I’ve reminded myself this several times this week, so I’m having a pretty good week. On the way home from work Tuesday I pulled over to the side of the road and picked a batch of Black-eyed Susans
for the kitchen table--- first of the season. Don’s been working late so Ransom and I have been trekking out daily on our own. It’s been threatening a thunderstorm or two each evening, but always misses us. The wind knocked down these acorns before they were ready…


Quilting---this wasn’t on my list, but I couldn’t resist. It’s a Needle case. It’s from a free pattern of Cinderberry Stitches. Linda had made one.
I had not even heard of a needle case until about a year ago. My needles are stored on spools of thread, bulletin boards, pattern sheets… hit or miss.
It’s discovery mission every time I need one. I had printed and studied the pattern for while. Then Linda encouraged me to do it. The embroidery was a piece of cake. I think my stitches are getting better. Practice is definitely the answer. The assembly instructions weren’t easy for me, I’m a visual person, but when I took it a step at a time at “acted in faith”, took everything literally and was careful not to read too much into each step. It worked--- and I now have my very own needle case. After work tonight, I’m going collecting my needles . I never really considered myself a ‘Blue’ person, but the thread and fabric called me. The project was fun and easy--- I recommend it to everyone.

I’m about to make my lunch—a ham sandwich, mayonnaise only--- grab my coffee, and head out to the hangar….