Catch Up

I've been sick for so long now I don't even want to think of catching up with everything.

I think that concussion is still messing with my head. (It's a good excuse anyway!)

We had family for the T-Day holiday and did that ever make my heart sing!

First to arrive....and you might say it was a very unique and "grand" entrance... were Ina and Warren.

The phone rang about the time they were to be here and Warren says, "Get Jack. Have bring his truck and trailer or his tractor; we are in a ditch!"

I asked where and he said, "Right by your gate!"

Jack and I walked down to find this:

I would have loved to see Warren and Ina crawling out of their Mini on such an angle!

Jack did manage to pull them out with his tractor.

Believe it or not, there wasn't a scratch on the car!

No one else arrived with so much excitement. The house was full and it felt wonderful.

Here's Ina doing what she loves best: curled up in the sunshine reading a book.

I would add more photos here but my computer is not uploading right now. You know, the more you pay for your service, the less service you get!

Anyway, it was a wonderful time.

Since company left, I've been in charge of face painting for the annual Children's Christmas Party. This is where approximately 300 kids come and see Santa, make ornaments, decorate cookies, get gifts, books, fresh fruit, a miniature tree, make crafts and get their faces painted.

I had so many helpers painting faces this year, I didn't have to paint at all. I was the runner for fresh water, etc.

Then I was in an art show this past weekend. Nothing of mine sold but it was fun just the same.

I know a bit more of what to expect next time. For some reason, folks in this area do not like to pay for art. It has been a complaint of artists since I moved here and it has not changed.

Matting and framing art is very expensive in itself. Then add art supplies and maybe a smidgeon for the artist's time and talent and still no one buys.

So I'll go to cards next time. I'll keep my originals to hang in my own house and just sell items for under $5.00. Who knows? It might just work.

I am going to just kick back and relax a bit this week. Maybe purge some closets. That's always fun.

Anyway, Happy December!!!

My Bad

Geeze Louise... I can't just be dumb in my own home; I have to go to California and almost kill my ONLY granddaughter.

Zoe was very sick when we arrived. Her fever was hot and furious. Danette (her mom)  was at work finishing grading some papers. I needed more tylenol-type medicine so I called D and she said she was coming right home and had some in her desk.

So I go to give it to Zoe and ask where it is. D says, "It's the purple bottle on the counter."

Great......(now mind you, both bottles were turned around and I didn't READ any labels. I just grabbed the closest and biggest bottle.)

Uh huh....I mader her take a teaspoon of bubble bath!

Here she is gurgling and spitting bubbles.

Luckily for me, she is one smart cookie and only swallowed a tiny bit because it tasted like soap!

Seriously, bubbles came out from between her teeth for a long time.

I may not be trusted to administer any type of first aid or "doctoring" any time soon.

Poor babe....stuck with me for her Gramie.

Time to Return to France

I bought this in Paris, France 6½ years ago. I have used it sparingly and it is finally gone.

I can't find anything like it here in the U.S. so it's time to go back to France!



Wiggly Walker

I'm sure you have noticed women who wiggle their butts when they walk. It amazes me how some of them sway so far to one side but they don't fall over. Not to mention wiggling like that while wearing 6" heels!

Well, I don't wiggle much. I know, because I watched my shadow today coming up from the mailbox. Nope...not hardly a sway.

Then I noticed some bulges on my shadow near my waist line. (Notice, the bulges are ONLY on my shadow!) Uh huh.....I need to shed some pounds or some bulges!

So I started thinking....I bet wiggling my butt would help burn more calories and who knows, it might even build up my flat butt.

I began to wiggle. And I wiggled and I swayed as I walked up the hill. Oooooh, I could feel those calories burning those bulges right off!

Then I started limping. Next thing I knew, my right hip was killing me. I was limping like a 3-legged dog! I must have wiggled myself out of alignment!

So I stopped wiggling and slowed my pace and gimped the rest of the way home.

So much for burning extra calories.



Out of the Mouths of Babes

I got to sub at the elementary school on Friday. I was outside doing recess duty when one little munchkin said, "Sandee, why is your hair all white?"

I replied, "Because I'm old. But it isn't all white, I have some brown underneath."

She made me show her my brown hair. I did and she announced, "Your hair is young underneath just like you!"

(Yes, I did invite her to come and live with me for the rest of her life and she just giggled and ran off across the playground.)



Shoe-Lovin' Cat

I can't take my shoes off without Hook crawling into them! These old Berkinstocks have been around so long, I've even had them re-soled. I kick them off when I'm in the swing or in the hammock. So this evening, I was swinging in the hammock when Hook started tossing my shoe around.

Maybe it's time I buy some new shoes and put mine in his cat bed to curl up with!

What a Doofus!



To Die For Cake

http://www.americanprofile.com/recipes/fudge-cappuccino-orange-torte/

Oh My Goodness! What a rich, rich and delicious dessert. I have made it before and my notes made it sound like I should make it again...so I did. Just for Jack's birthday.

Three layers of deep rich chocolate and orage flavors.

It is a very time consuming cake to make but I slice it thin and then freeze the pieces individually.

Mmmmmmm, definitely not a food to have around if you are on a diet!

Just for Lucy

As you all know, I follow Lucy's blog at Attic 24. I saw this photo and have to post it in honor of her love for hooky things. This is a yarn covered bus in Mexico City!

I don't know who the photographer was so I'm sorry I cannot give credit where it is due.

Especially for Carmen

Carmen mentioned the pie crust cookies that Mom made as kids and how she enjoyed them. I told her they are a part of our family pie baking now.

No sooner did I get to Mom's than she had me make an apple pie.

Sure enough, there was crust left over for cinnamon and sugar pinwheels.

Honestly, this pie pan was full before I went in search for my camera!

They never last long enough to cool down!

Talk about nostalgia! Mom's biscuit cutter from when we were kids. She uses it as her flour scoop.

An old tin can.

"I don't bake pies anymore," exclaimed Mom.

So why does she have so many doggone pie pans?

I went searching for one for my pie and could only find the small aluminum ones so I baked a small pie. Then Mom showed me the rest of the stack. OMG!!



Kent Bound

From the golden sun-kissed hills of Wenatchee, we headed for south of Seattle to Kent.

Mom and I walked her neighborhood and complimented a man on his beautiful flower garden. He picked a bouquet for us. (Hmmmm, I think I just found the colors for my next quilt!)

Mind you, Mom fell and broke her arm 4 weeks ago, she had just gotten her cast removed. She had injured both shoulders and we think perhaps sprained her wrist. Not to mention her face was all messed up.

She is 89 years old and check this out.... she is pulling weeds one-handed!

Oh boy, do I want to be just like her when I grown up!!

Let's see....does it look like Ina is winning at Cribbage?

To be continued....the next entry will be just for Carmen!

On to Wenatchee

After the Sisters Quilt Show, we headed north to visit friends in Wenatchee. It was a beautiful drive with the sun shining warmly. I guess I'll forever love the golden colors of Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington. That baked in the sun glow is so homey to me.

(These photos were taken through the car windshield and on the move.)

Here we have wheat growing and what's that .. a crop of telephone poles and a crop of electricity generating wind machines? Too fun.

We crossed the Columbia River at Biggs-Mary Hill. Yes, that means STONEHENGE!!

The road was closed going to Stonehenge so we had to continue on our way. I just love standing in the circle of stones, even though they aren't the real deal. I have to go to England for those and I do hope to manage that next year.

We crossed the Columbia again in Wenatchee.

Carmen, (friend for 60 years!), and her husband, Jay, just bought a home in Wenatchee so we stayed with them for two nights.

Sisters.... not the quilt show, the real thing! So where's Ina's gray hair?

Ina and her hubby, Warren aka: bil. It was their 27th anniversary that week.

After Ina and Warren left, we were able to meet Janice, (friend for 57 years!), and her hubby, Blake. We went to dinner at McGlinn's Public House in Wenatchee. Pizzas are great, and I didn't hear any complaints about the other meals either.  (My camera was set wrong ... sorry).

And here we are ... a year older than the last time I posted a photo of us.

Still kickin' and still friends.



CA Visit

We had so much fun with our grandkids. Needless to say, I miss them terribly. Their laughter, their funny remarks and the energy that whirlwinds around them make me smile. Now, it's the memories of all that...(and FaceTime ;o))

Things are progressing as expected for Joseph. His immune system is in repair and slowly but surely building up to be able to protect him once again. He is an amazing man.

I find I want to scrub all the corners of my house now that I know how it feels when a house is clean from top to bottom. But wanting to do something and actually doing it are definitely two different things because I've been sewing instead of cleaning! (Imagine that!)

A trip to the Folsom Zoo made my heart sing. All our grandkids together, having fun.

The zoo is a refuge for animals saved from other wild life "preserves" and from other situations that put them in danger. Peacocks and chickens roam everywhere.

It was a super day under the California sunshine.

Now we are preparing for another trip to see Mom. She fell and broke her arm and hurt both shoulders and her face. She claims she joggled her brain but I told her that had been done prior to her falling! (just kidding, Mom).... Anyway, she is doing quite well and it's about time I get up there to see her.

"Gramie?" . . . "Yes, Kai?" . . .

"I think I might have fed the fish too much fish food." . . .

!

"We'll have fat fish tomorrow so Grampie can go fishing in the back yard!"

This One's For You, Bud

Joseph, this is my gift to you......a clean and sterile, (pretty much), environment to come home to. So COME HOME SOON!!!

Love,

Your MIL (Mother-in-law)

Get Set ... Get Ready ...

We are so busy around here.... getting ready for Joseph to come home from the hospital.The house has to be clean. Not just clean, but REALLY clean.
Danette wanted to hire a cleaning woman who does "deep cleaning". I told her there isn't a cleaning person around who would do the deep cleaning I have in mind.
Dust the ceilings, vacuum and wipe the walls, clean the windows, clean the slider tracks until you can eat dinner off of them, remove EVERY item from the shelves and wash it or dust it, vacuum rugs and underneath rugs, strip all bedding and curtains to be washed, window shades in the kitchen need cleaning, cupboards to be wiped, fridge to be cleaned, the patio and deck and grass need to be tended, then the bathrooms and Danette and Joseph's bedroom. Dust is our enemy and we are on a mission to rid this house of all dust.

It's a bit tough when the kids want to read every book you pull off the shelf or play with every car you wipe clean. Seriously, they really are a lot of help considering how young they are. They want to be a part of this process to bring their dad home and keep him healthy as his stem cells continue to multiply.

Hauling things out into the hallway to clean was hard on the kids. Danette thought it was a good time to pull items to donate and clear some space in their rooms. Uh huh.....every little thing was a TREASURE ... even the tiny scraps of paper in Kai's room was being saved for a REASON!

So Joseph and Danette are singing to his stem cells and we are cleaning. We are all in this together and we are all working together the best we can. It feels good.

Quilts and Family Traditions

I have a "Ta Dah" moment to share with all of you:

The top is done, now I need to gather fabrics for the backing and cut out the batting then think about how to quilt it.

This quilt pattern came from a magazine titled, "Australian Quilters Companion" and the pattern is called "Woven Squares in Squares".

Remember this and this ? All to make the above quilt.

So what does this have to do with family traditions, you ask? EVERYTHING!! This is for my grandson, Jacob who just completed 8th grade. My grandmother made baby quilts for us. I have the rag tag quilt I called "mine" as a child. Who knows if it was really made for me, but I'm the one who ended up with it.

Worn to a frazzle from time and lovin'.

Then there was the Family Tradition for both grandmothers to give quilts to the graduating seniors. Of course, I received one from each grandmother and have since passed those along to each of our girls.

What a satisfying feeling to be able to pass along the tradition of quilt giving. I have added my own twists to the mix: I give baby quilts, 5 year old quilts and 8th grade quilts. I figure by the time they go into high school, those 5-year old themed quilts have to go to the bottom of the stack and it's time for a more adult quilt.

Then when they graduate high school I'm sure it will be time for another quilt and then college and weddings. Whew! I won't run out of quilts to be making for a very long time!

I also started the tradition of giving Grandma-Aunties Quilts to newborns. Since I got my sis and sister-in-laws into quilting, we all put rows on the new one's quilt. Cool tradition.

Jack thinks I should save this for Jacob's birthday. But what is a tradition if you don't follow through with it? Besides, quilts need to be given at very special times. Birthdays are different "specials" and will need a separate gift this year. I just don't want to mix the two right now.

Company!

Yay! Company has arrived. Okay, it was only for a few hours one evening, crash for the night then a few hours in the morning....but better than nothing. My younger brother called out of the blue and dropped by! What a fun surprise. He used to always do that when we all lived in CA. I'd wake up in the morning, look outside and there he would be asleep in his Jeep....drove through the night and didn't want to disturb us. Yes, he is a kind hearted kinda guy, you just can't help but love him to pieces!

I have a OLDER brother, (only 11 months older) and a BABY brother, (11 years younger) and my "twin" sister (4 years younger). You can tell by looking at us that no one was switched at birth!

I hope to see the rest of the "clan" this summer. Hmmmm, maybe I can catch a hydro plane race.

13 Little Bags

It all started when one sweet little 7 year old at school was saving her good behavior tickets to purchase a tiny pink camoflage bag. I told her to spend her tickets on something else because I could make her an even nicer bag. Then I got sick and didn't return to that school.

I did make the bag once I was off the couch. I had someone take it up to her.

About a month or so later, I went to visit the kids and teachers. (Big mistake!) This little sweetie had told all her classmates I made her a bag. So all the girls wanted one.

I decided to make them all the same bag with different handles. There were 12 girls in the class so they all got one.

Now all the little boys are mad at me because I "like the girls best"!!

Oh boy.

Hairy Nest

A little Chickadee is busy gathering materials to make a nest. S/he has decided to line it with cat hair. To be more specific, my cat's hair. I keep a mat by the kitchen door and Hook grooms himself upon it, leaving clumps of cat hair for me to clean up. Well, lucky me... the Chickadee is doing it for me!

Distractions

I have so many projects started, I reall need to finish something. So what do I do? I decide to purge my fabrics! Anything less than 1/2 a yard went into plastic totes. I'm sure I'll come up with something else to do instead of actually finish something today!

It looks like I need to go shopping for more fabric.

I hate it when that happens.

Finished Hearts

So the hearts baby quilt is finished. The Juki is totally cleaned, oiled and packed up to go back to the co-owner of it. I won't be ready to quilt another quilt until June so all is working out well with sharing the machine.

We are loading the car to jam down to CA to help celebrate our "baby's" 40th birthday. How the heck did I get old enough to have a 40 year old "child"???? Somedays it feels like I live inside of a movie, not in my real life. I'm still 33 with the energy of the Energizer Bunny, I can run circles around the world! Then I open my wallet and my Medicare card and my desire to take cat naps tell me different. (sigh)