I'm not dead, just buried!

I know I've been missing and don't worry, I'm not dead, just buried under "STUFF". Now some of the stuff is nice stuff, like this stack of quilts where you'll most likely find me, but the rest of the stuff is because, a) Christmas is over, b) New Years bring new fresh beginnings, c) we shampooed the carpet and moved everything off of it. d) I decided I wanted the furniture changed.
Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' too it. Moving the entertainment center (large) will give me a lot more room in the family room so that's why the move, but it also had a LOT of STUFF in it. Some things I haven't seen for years and probably don't need or want anymore. SO... I'm sorting out and cleaning out and in the middle of it all, I get a stomach bug and have to work as well, so there it sits until. HRH can get the cable lines moved (ripping up carpet and putting wires underneath), and help me sort HIS part of the stuff for the bone yard (what I call the trash). Well, you know HIS stuff is treasure and my stuff is junk. That's the way men think, right. So this is how the new year is going begin in our house. I hope to de-clutter this year. I'm tired of it and want to simplify a bit, no, a lot! NOT my stuff, you know, but his stuff and stuff not quilt related. SO I have a guard posted near this stack of antique and family quilts so they won't "go issapear" as my kids used to say. (that's disappear to you kidless ones)
Have a great New Year.
Carline

Merry Christmas

Well, we are still snowbound, I did work yesterday because my boss came to pick me up. I am scheduled to work the day after Christmas and the weekend, but boss man already told me that if the weather is still bad not to worry about it. He isn't working, so can't give me a ride.

I am battling depression and now I find out that my son and family (the only family close) won't be able to make it for our celebration tonight. So it's just HRH and me! The kids are completely snowed in and haven't had electricity for 5 days now, they also had two trees fall on their house. Luckily the trees hit the eaves and the deck and not the actual house so not as much damage. My son is busy cutting the mess up and getting it out of the way. Yes, OUR WHITE CHRISTMAS, is causing it's share of problems. So, long story short, I have to suck it up and realize that most people have more problems than I do.

We have to realize that the ultimate gift was the Gift of the Savior. I think of how much I love my children and grandchildren and then think that God loves us all more, much more than that and it rather puts things in perspective. The season is about Christ and not the trappings the world. I am thankful this season for all of my friends, the ones I see regularly and my cyber friends. I wish you all the best. Like I've said, we have already been given the best gift we could ever want or need. Jesus Christ.
Love to you all,
Carline

SNOWED IN!

Well, This is how my car looks so you can see, I have pretty much been snowbound the past 5 days, HRH put chains on his car and was able to get around some and he went to work today, but I've stayed home. I finished my Christmas gifts, made Pour and bake Ginger cake for the neighbors, homemade sweet/hot mustard and decorated it for other people I wanted a small gift for. I've found that so many people give cookies, cakes and candy so.. I make mustard. It's a recipe I've had for years and everyone loves it. It's different and now people expect it. One year at work I didn't make it and everyone said "Hey, we want our Christmas Mustard" so a tradition was born.
I thought I would cut our a flannel quilt today, but the counter where I cut my fabric was messed up with wrapping and baking stuff so I took a nap instead. FELT MIGHTY GOOD TOO!

My Son called from South of us in Oregon to say he had no power and hasn't had for a while. He has a wood stove in the basement and his teenage daughter was making fudge. He had to go outside with a chainsaw and cut down a tree that was getting heavy with ice and in danger of falling on the house. So, the weather is causing all sorts of problems around here and chances are the kids will not be able to make it here for Christmas dinner and the opening of gifts. We may have to postpone that till the first weekend in January. I am supposed to work the day after Christmas and the weekend. We shall see how the roads are. You people in the Mid-West and East can have this stuff or send us your road crews. We don't have the knowhow or resources to deal with this. The news said that the last time we had this much snow was 1968 40 years ago.
Merry Christmas to you all!

Holiday Traditions

I am speaking in church on Sunday and started thinking of the true meaning of Christmas and how far we have gotten away from it over the years (society, not just me). Our past few Christmases we have spent by ourselves since our kids don't live close. The years before we indulged overly spoiled grandchildren who could care less about who gave the gift or even the thought that went into it. One year I spent about 6 months making a porcelain doll for our granddaughter, I made all the clothes as well and had a lovely quilt to go with her. Our GD pulled her out of the package by the arm (she was 7 years old, not 3 or 4) and tossed it aside and ripped into the next package. My heart sank and DH was so mad he wanted to take the doll back home with us, having watched me make it and the excitement I expressed as each step was finished. Then and there, I decided to make less of gifts and more of the meaning of Christmas. Christ is the meaning and he was our Gift from our Father in Heaven, our gift to him is our love to fellow man and obedience to the principals he taught.
A tradition I had as a child was Christmas Eve Candle light service at church, where there was no sermon, just singing carols and then during the last song which was always Silent Night, we lighted individual candles and the overhead lights were turned out. It was magical. I still miss that tradition as the church I belong to now doesn't do that.
What are your traditions?
I am still interested in traditions and how they came about in your families and what they mean to you. I am also asking co-workers for theirs and will post them later. The whole subject of traditions is interesting...more later, after I get feedback.
Carline

Maggie's first day alone

Well, today was the first day I had to work and HRH did too, so Maggie was in charge at home. We didn't even have time to take her for a walk so both of us were worried about her all day. I was afraid of coming home to a mess although she is so good and hasn't had an accident except when she was a wee pup and they were very few. Then I thought about doddling a bit and letting HRH get home first so he could clean it up...but I didn't and then envisioned how a dog would look trying to stand with her legs crossed. Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised. She ran straight for the door after greeting us with a "baby" (her stuffed toys). What a trooper, 9 hours alone and no accidents. She got an extra cookie for that one. I swear, I should have had dogs all along and not kids, No, just kidding. Maggie is such a love though. My Puppy Love. I tell her that all the time, ya think she understands. The other dog owners at the park always marvel at how well she minds and one lady said "It's because you two love her so much and show her", "you never use one of those shock collars on her or yell at her". So nice to have our parenting skills admired. Never happened with the 2 legged ones.
We are putting in a dog door for her as soon as the weather gets warm enough to have a big hole in the wall for an extended period of time.
After re-reading this, I thought...maybe we should have gotten those shock dog collars for the kids! The sweetness didn't work with them at least when they turned 14 or so. They were always sweet when they were little, and usually well behaved too.

and this shredder doesn't have to be turned off to keep the dogs ears safe, well maybe not!

Goin' Green

Now some of you may remember in the dark ages when we all decided to GO GREEN, I can't remember what we called it then. Remember when we were advised to only flush, well, you know, when there was something to really flush. The new ALMOST FLUSH toilets came out about then too, 1.6 gallons of water (the first time, you always have to flush twice now). I did my part and sorted glass by color, recycled paper at work, you know the drill. Well then all of our appliances started being what we may as well call disposable. They didn't last till you got the warrantee registration card sent in, Really! Which leads to this. I bought a paper shredder when we moved into town and couldn't burn out papers outdoors in a "burn barrel" any longer, so in order to avoid identity theft (who would want my identity anyway?) I would shred all of my papers, this lasted 1 month until the shredder died. We then put a paper sack beside the desk, when it is full of "papers" HRH takes it to his shop and builds a fire in the little pot bellied stove. But wait, we have the newest shredder now... Called Heidi, shreds a lot. This cat wont leave the papers alone, she chews them, bites them, fights with them, We have our own GREEN SHREDDER and it only costs pennies a day for cat treats and she even hunts mice (fast food) so we have an environmentally sound shredder/critter eliminator. Who knew we were so out to save the earth, one cat at a time. Bless her heart, maybe tomorrow she will get two treats and a bowl of milk too.

Are you ready for Christmas?

It seems that every year, I say that I will get organized for the next year and then I do it all over again... being behind that is. Well a few weeks ago I asked the king of the house HRH to make a list of people he would like to give a small baked or handmade gift to because he usually waits until the last minute and asks " did WE fix anything for " the Smith'"? I know when he says WE that he means me, I say, Well, this part of WE didn't how about your part. BLANK STARE. So I thought I would get a head start on it by asking for the list. Guess what, it is 10 days till Christmas and no list yet. AAARRRGG! He is being silent on the decorating front too as everything is in the attic and I can't get it down. We don't have any decorations except the silver vase of Holly. You can't kill them so now what. I'm sure if I buried him in the yard somewhere that someone would notice, although with the mole hills taking over our new lawn, hummm, I'll have to rethink that one.

I hope to get gifts wrapped tomorrow so I can send the out of town things on Monday and Cards, I have signed and addressed 350 cards at work and haven't even thought about ours. Maybe I can just start on next years projects and call it good.

I hope you all are doing better than I am!!!
Carline

Virginia Reel

This is one of my favorite scrap quilts made just for cuddling on the couch. It doesn't match a single thing in our house so I don't know why it even happened. I think I started with one block my secret pal gave me at quilt guild and went from there. This pattern is fun, but very easy to get mixed up or backward if you're not careful. There's one little scrap with a tiny peacock on it that I am forever looking at and thinking something got spilled on the quilt. I have tried to pick that off a hundred times. I guess when I get old and feeble I will have something to fiddle with. Who am I kidding, I'm already kind of old and I've been half crazy all my life. I'm In trouble.

This and that

Well, the next 4 days are work days so not much sewing will be going on around here. I am finishing off some Christmas gifts but can't show them yet as the recipients may be reading this blog.

Work at this new job is harder than I thought in that my energy level isn't used to it yet. I need to toughen up and get used to doing something 8 hours at a time with no breaks to bake, sew, go for walks with Maggie, read or take a little nap. I have been off work too long, I guess I am spoiled. I didn't plan on "coming out of retirement."

We are facing a real cold snap this coming weekend with projected snow a couple of days (for this part of the country, this is a big deal) Our homes aren't ready for cold weather so I called my single female friends and reminded them about things like winterizing the sprinkler systems and covering faucets, etc. I know this from years of living on my own. Now, I just have to remind HRH and he is so good about it. In the Portland/Vancouver area where I live, the world shuts down when we get a couple inches of snow or worse yet, ice. My brother-in-law who lives in Northern Canada just laughs at us here. Schools close down for "snow days, people stay home from work, the streets are empty of cars. Maybe I won't have to work Saturday after all.

Have a great day and I hope you get time to do what pleases you. What the heck, do it twice.
Carline

Give away at the Stitching cow

Ok everyone here's a great giveaway at the Stitching cow. Please go over and check it out.

Flannel Log Cabin

I made this quilt bed sized, but we usually use it on the couch on cold winter evenings or when the King of the House (HRH) snores so loud, I can't sleep and I have to resort to the living room to get a few winks. I wanted to make the back one big block and couldn't really figure out the dimensions so HRH did it for me. Do any of you have your hubbys do the geometry part of quilt making? (I had my boyfriend in HS do all my homework in that subject so I really didn't learn much in that subject). Mine also finds errors when I am laying my quilts out. Rather, I should say, he finds them most often after they are quilted and bound. There are always errors, it seems, and no, they weren't meant as "Humility Blocks" I have enough mistakes without planning any.
I need to start another flannel quilt soon for my grandson's graduation. He lives in Montana and plans on going to college there so he will need a warm quilt. I can't seem to settle on a pattern though. He loves to hunt so I have purchased all hunting /outdoor flannels for it. I usually let fabric marinade in the closet for a while, until it tells me what to do with it.

Cinnamon roll Recipe, Picture below

Ok, here's the cinnamon roll recipe, I couldn't remember how I take the calories out, you'll have to figure that one out yourself.
Enjoy! Any questions, just e-mail me. I use this same recipe with only 2 Tablespoons sugar for my bread. I sometimes use 5 cups white bread flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour or 4 and 3, whatever strikes your fancy.

Use bread flour only (hard wheat) and real butter makes the best tasting rolls. Really more taste and not many more calories.
7 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
good 1/2 cup dry milk
2 1/2 tablespoons yeast (I use SAF instant) Keeps forever in the freezer

mix all of the above in mixer with dough hook or by hand until blended

then add:
1/2 cup soft butter
put 2 large eggs in quart measuring cup and add water (warm baby bath temp) to the eggs up to the 3 cup mark.

Mix the above in mixer with bread hook till ready
Knead 7 minutes till dough leaves side of bowl

I do all this in my Kitchen Aid Mixer with the dough hook. You can knead by hand as well.

Spray bowl with Pam and let rise till double (I fill sink with hot water, put an over rack over the sink and put bowl with dough covered with sprayed saran wrap and cover with a towel)
Punch down and let rise as above 2nd time.
Then cut dough in two, roll out in rectangles (2) one at a time. Spread with a cube of soft butter, lots of brown sugar and cinnamon. Slice in 2" slices and put in pan, let rise till double and bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes or so.

Frost with:
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter
vanilla
4 cups or so powdered sugar.

Tacky scenes/ You might be a Redneck if???

I get so tired of tacky people everywhere being so loud and obnoxious, don't you? I was at the store the other day and a lady was standing in the isle, on the phone, obviously talking to a bill collector. She was almost yelling! "I can't pay just a little bit, because my husband spent his whole check on his truck" She continued to argue with the person on the other end. "no< I can't put it on my credit card because I am at my limit." Yada, Yada, Yada. Boy, don't people value privacy anymore. I didn't need to hear all of that. Everyone in the store could hear her and was looking. The other thing I hate is people yelling at their kids in stores. It doesn't make the kids look bad, just the parents. Many of them use language I would expect on a marine training ground. Boy, class just goes out the window, doesn't it.
Just one more reason to stay home and quilt, I guess.

Featherweight for Sale

I have two Featherweight machines I would like to sell, (DH) has been out of work for a while now and I need to get rid of excess. I will e-mail pics and details if anyone is interested. The one pictured here is a 1948, runs well, although I haven't used it much. It has a beautiful scrolled faceplate and only one spot where a little wear is apparent. It would make a wonderful Christmas gift for some lucky quilter. That spot that looks like it is cracked (1st picture) is a thread. I should have moved it but just noticed it after several people asked about it.

I've been Tagged

I've-been-tagged.by Christina at: http://patchesquiltworks.blogspot.com/
I'm supposed to put up the fourth picture of my 4th folder on my computer so here goes. It's our middle son, Jeff (We actually have two son's named Jeff.(Remember the Bob Newhart show, "this is my brother Darrell and this is my other brother, Darrell) well, it's kind of like that. I didn't give birth to this one but I love him the same as if I had. He is in his 20 somthing th year in the Air Force, stationed at Patric AFB in Florida. We are very proud of him. Being the proud mom, I had to choose 2 pictures.
I tag Paula at the quilter.blogspot.com

Baking Day

I wanted to bake, LOVE TO BAKE, so I decided to make bread, rolls and cinnamon rolls. I will give most of it away as we two don't need the calories. I have began making my own bread some months ago and figured that it is between $.60 and $.75 per loaf. Now I don't like the fluffy bread in the stores. I like the hearty stuff and it's around 3.50 per loaf now. SO this is quite a savings and this recipe from start to finish only takes 2 hours. Most of that time is waiting time. I'm home that long most days so it is cost effective and Tastes darn good to boot. Come on over, we'll have a warm slice with fresh butter and homemade jam. I'll even take the calories out. How about that?
Carline

Baby quilt Double Pinwheel

I finished this baby quilt BEFORE the baby is born! I can hardly believe it. I usually procrastinate and then have to stumble all over myself because the gift is late. I'm so proud of myself. This couple have 4 boys and have found out that the little one due in early January is going to have inside plumbing. That little girl will be so spoiled or else be the world's biggest tomboy. I had other ideas for this quilt when I was quilting but found out that the batik I used was in shorter supply in my stash than I had first thought. I like to make pieced bindings though so I worked out. Sometimes doing things out of necessity (bindings) is one of those things that work out so well that I use it all the time.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone is having a relaxing and fun day with those you love. Remember to reflect on the things, we, as Americans have to be thankful for. This past year has been a hard one for us. HRH's job was outsourced to India, I had to recently go back to work, things are tight, the stock market is down, we haven't seen our kids or grandkids for 6 months or more. But I still have so much to be thankful for. I have a warm house, enough food, friends, a job I like, freedom to worship as I please, a puppy I adore, plenty of fabric to make quilts when the notion strikes and you, my blog friends. GOD BLESS AMERICA.
We are having dinner with friends from church who are graciously hosting a dinner for us ORPHANS who don't have family close. I made a couple of desserts for the kids but all in all, no cooking. This is a first. I don't know how to act, not getting up in the wee hours to get that bird stuffed and in the oven, baking pies, washing and ironing linens. I kind of miss it!

Let em eat cake!

When I was a child I would hear people say this and I wondered what is "meat cake" I guess I wasn't too bright when I was little. I also wondered what end's meat was. I would hear people say they couldn't make end's meet. Maybe my family just mumbled. Oh and Seattle, I wondered who Attle was that everyone was going to see her. Mom had a friend named Attie and I guess that was close. Nobody went to see her though. What are some of the little things you remember like this??? I'd love to hear.

Looks crooked from the angle of the pic, but believe me, I used a level and it was dead on! I may be a bubble off center but my cakes aren't Well, I take that back, the next cake I post will be. My Wonky, Mad Hatter cake. This cake was for the bride, the wonky one was for the groom.

Wedding Cake I made last weekend

The wedding was great, the bride, lovely, everyone had a good time. I made another cake for her out of town reception, a Wonky, crooked, very colorful one that I will post later. We didn't go to that receptions so I am relying on others for those pics.

The hard part is over....I think.

Well, it was a busy weekend, a wedding, two wedding cakes, a giant salad, and lots of clean up.
I made the wedding cakes, (haven't got the camera emptied yet) and they turned out ok, I was real happy with the white one, but not so much with the colored wonky one. Just not my style for the most part. I also HATE working with rolled fondant. I may never do another one in fact. All in all, the day was great and the reception room beautiful. The bride and groom looked so happy. No problems except one and that wasn't a biggie.

I came home to a REALLY messy kitchen and I was too tired to do much cleaning so it waited until the next day. Then to make matters worse, I was cleaning cupboards out and spilled an entire bottle of cooking oil. Talk about the worse possible thing to spill. I could have cried. I cleaned that up and now I notice that it is tracked over more of the house. I don't like to work on Sundays and besides, it's my birthday so tomorrow I will tackle it.

Speaking of birthdays, this one has been hard. I didn't get a call from any of my kids. They aren't the gift giving doting kids anyway, but they usually call. Oh well, Sometimes my birthday falls on Thanksgiving and that's probably what they think this year too. It has made me a wee bit weepy today though. HRH never does make holidays a big deal so it was a pretty uneventful day.
See you all tomorrow, maybe with cake pictures.

Insomnia and weight loss (not related)

I have had insomnia forever, but at certain times, like stress, overwork, pain, etc. it gets worse. Well, several friends have mentioned taking Melatonin, so last night I stopped by the local Walgreens and bought some. I waited until 30 minutes before I went to bed and took 3mg. as suggested. I was so sleepy and fell asleep within a half hour. All good, you say.... until 3 hours later when I woke up all red and itchy on every square inch of my body. I was miserable. I finally poked around in the medicine cabinet and found a very old bottle of benadryl. One hour later, I stop itching and was able to get back to sleep. I actually got 5 hours of sleep before my alarm went off and I had to go to work. I'm wondering now if I should cut the dosage in half and try again on a night when I don't have to get up so early or just ditch the whole idea. The jury is still out! Tomorrow, I have to make frosting and finish baking and decorating my two wedding cakes for Friday AM. Then I can rest. Oh, I do have to work out though because I have to loose at least 50 pounds by Saturday when I renew my drivers license so I will be the weight it says on my license. You think I can do it?

What a week

And it's only Tuesday! I have worked two days this week and I just love the place I'm working. I worked in the Alzheimer's building today and what a beautiful place. The people are happy, the staff busy spending time with the residents, They families happy. I have worked in some form of long term care most of my working life (if I tell you how many years, You will never believe that I am only 29) Oh well, forget my 40 year old son! Anyway, if it wasn't for the 75 mile round trip drive, everything would be perfect. I love my job SO FAR anyway. I work one more day then get busy making 2 wedding cakes and attending a wedding! Then I will nap away the weekend probably. I'm not in shape yet.
this is just a peek at one of the cakes I did this past year. HRH, took a pic of it before I had turned it around, so you get a peek at the ribbon where it was joined. Didn't look that bad from the front!

Back to work!

Well, after being "retired" for two years, I went back to work. (HRH was laid off from Nike and his job sent to India 5 months ago)
I got a job a retirement/long term care community as their move-in coordinator (MIC) to work 3 days a week while the MICs in the 4 buildings have their days off. I have done nearly every job in this business except direct caregiving and housekeeping, including administrator, which I hated, by the way, so the type of work isn't new, only the place. This job will entail giving tours, making call backs and other marketing duties. Today the first building I will be training in had a community function, a Bazzar with 80 vendors, yes, it is a very large place. The place was quite busy as you can guess, tables everywhere and I greeted people at the door with shopping bags and hello's. It was really quite fun, but OH standing in one spot for nearly 4 hours almost killed me. My legs, feet, back...all hurting. I came home and announced to The King of the Castle that if we were eating dinner, he must be cooking. Well, true to form, he came through,
WITH PIZZA. I had a thin crust veggie with artichoke hearts, yummy! He had a double stuffed 4 meat something. It will be dinner tomorrow as well and maybe Sunday. I may recuperate by Monday!!! I feel ten or twenty years older than my age tonight and am off to bed. I have two wedding cakes to make next week plus working. Pray that I make it!

Gratitude

Friends
work
quilts

The politicians did it!

I just walked past a mirror on my way from the shower and was almost frightened to death. Not only is global warming becoming a major problem, but gravity is somehow causing problems it didn't used to! I noticed that my body parts aren't where they used to be. HORROR OF HORRORS. My body is falling. Some of the parts that used to be symmetrical and all in the correct places are now inches lower than before. I wonder if it has to do with this past election. You know how politicians are. They cause all kinds of havoc in this world. It was probably someone who didn't like Sara Palin and wanted to put a curse on all women, yes, I'll bet that is what it is. Now I need a suck and tuck, You know liposuction and tuck it all! I'd hate to see the scars of that one. I'd look like Frankenstein, with stitches EVERYWHERE!
I'm doing you all a favor and not sending pictures.

She's at it again

This cat is always into something. I was cleaning out files, getting a jump on my usual first of the year job and came back in the room after a break to this scene. She was just helping, I'm sure. The next thing she did was run over to the desk and grab my pigma pen and run off with it in her mouth. I sure have gotten a lot tidier with her around because anything left out is fair game. I still haven't found one earring and an antique ring I left on my nightstand.

More Fall Colors

It looks like God sent Charles Russell out with a paintbrush!

West Coast Color

I used to think that you people on the East Coast had it over us "West Coast" folks when it came to color, but this year is just spectacular! I talked HRH into a drive yesterday to take pictures of some of my favorite trees in and around my neighborhood. Aren't they wonderful! I had an occasion to drive along the Columbia River last week and the trees reflecting in the river were very beautiful also but I didn't have my camera with me. Enjoy! It has been raining off and on all day today and our tree in the front yard is "empty" of all of it's puny leaves. The maple in the back has made a carpet on the brick patio though. More still in the tree.

Soap Project

I have been making soap for the past few weeks off and on. I have a big order for a friend and had to get it cured and shipped by the first of Dec. I sure smells good around here, even if it looks a bit messy with the extra tables up and the soap lined up like dominoes with the fan on them. I made vanilla, tea tree, green tea, spicy plum (HRH's favorite), oatmeal spice (smells like my grandma's cookies), mint, sandalwood, pear berry, christmas spice and maybe a few more. This soap is so great for your skin. I started making it years ago when my son was allergic to every kind of soap there was. I tried to get HRH to use it for the longest while until he ran out of his zest or whatever he used and reached for mine. WOW, he says," this stuff is great, why didn't you tell me" I did, says I, hundreds of times. Well, needless to say, he's been my biggest fan ever since. MEN!

This is how the soap looks before it gets cut into bars.

Harvest Moon!

HAPPY HALOWEEN!

Isn't this too cute, I got it in an e-mail. I'm not that clever to have made it so I had to steal it from who knows who.  HRH (His Royal Highness) is going on a youth trip tomorrow for church. The kids are taking treats to a Somalian Refugee camp in Portland. I am baking cupcakes tonight. Anyway, Maggie (puppy love), Heidi (naughty cat) and I will be manning the fort and greeting all the little monsters. My dad has been gone for 12 years now but I will never forget how much he loved all the little kids dressed up on Halloween, even after he got Alzheimer's I would let him answer the door and hand out the candy and it sure brought a smile to his face.  Times like this I really miss him.

I won!

Christina at Patches quiltworks had a drawing and I won! The funny thing is that after talking back and forth with her we found out that we have a lot in common and her sister lives close to me. Small world. I have been reading the posts at Quiltville.com and everyone is collecting plaids and shirts for quilts. Well, I wanted to get on the bandwagon but can't right now and guess what I won>>>>>plaid fabric and lots of it. Yipee. I feel like it's a REAL treat since I've been sick for a week today. But I haven't Sniveled one time, grumbled to myself a little, but no sniveling.

The giant apple press

Last of the Harvest

We finished the last of the cider canning and I am glad. We had friends over crushing their apples and both HRH and I were helping them bottle and process the juice. My stove will never be the same, but it was fun. On the last batch, something in the press broke. We will have all winter and summer to get it fixed and my DH(HRH) can fix anything!

Play it forward

Karol Ann in the lovely Dales of Yorkshire lured me into this, so here's the scoop!

I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on this post requesting to join the PIF exchange. I haven't decided on a gift yet. The gift will have a 3 month alley in which I have to send. Christmas is coming you know. So be patient and it will happen. I've never broken a promise yet. What you have to do in return, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Gratitude

Soft beds and cozy quilts

kitties sandpaper tongues

quiet evenings at home

Well, I deserve this!

I suppose I deserve this for making fun of HRH (DH) for being such a baby when he gets sick. He is so sweet to share everything with me, including the flu bug he had. I have been very careful not to snivel though. I slept for 2 days straight and feel somewhat better today. I thought I would post something quilty. 

I made this quilt, called a quilt with no borders. It was made for my friend, Peggy for Christmas last year. I had forgotten her birthday so wanted to give her something nice. This was my first attempt at raw edge applique, the jury is still out as to whether I like it or not. I forgot to get a picture of it after it was quilted, I'll have to remember to do that when I am at her house.

Miss Heidi,

I've mentioned our cat, Miss Heidi before, well, never have I had a cat that is so naughty. She is into everything, kind of like having a 2 year old around all the time. (actually she is 2). Now she has a new game to play, besides stealing things from my sewing table and hiding them. (I still haven't found my little embroidery scissors). Now she sits on the side of the toilet and uses her paw to splash water (and mud from her paws) all over the place. What a mess. Dirty little foot prints everyone. I am trying to "train" DH to put the lid down, but so far, no good. I don't know what else she will get into. I'm sure she will surprise us with something!

Sick Hubby Saga, volume 2

He's still on the couch, still sick. I really do feel sorry for him, but there is a limit to how long my sympathy can go. The latest: he came out of the bathroom and after weighing, tells me he's lost 30 lbs in the last 6 days. 30 POUNDS. I couldn't lose that much if I was in a concentration camp and working on a rock pile all day. REALLY! It just isn't fair. Now I ask him, how he las lost all that weight, has he been doing the green apple 2-step? NO, has he been throwing up? NO. You can not sit on the couch for 6 days and lose 30 pounds, if it was possible, I would have lost twice that by now, while sitting and quilting. If he really has lost 30 pounds, I will have to kill him, that's all. I made him re-weigh. "Oh, I must have looked at it wrong, it's only 5 pounds." OK, you can live! But no more of that stuff. I have been trying to lose 5 pounds for about 3 years! Whew, I almost had a heart attack. 

Puppy Love

Remember that song from the 60's, oh dear, now I'm dating myself! Oh well, I think Paul Anka sang it and it's been running through my head all day. Our dear standard poodle, Maggie is such a love. She minds well, gives lots of lovin' to us, and the cat and is my constant shadow. When we give milk to the cat, Maggie lays down with her nose almost on the bowl and waits till "Heidi" finishes, then she attacks that bowl with wild abandon, but such restraint she has while letting Heidi eat, well twice today, I had snacks and let the cat have a bit, pudding and meat from my soup that had fat on it. Wouldn't you know it, the cat ate it all and Maggie just looked at me with those big brown eyes and whined. So sad. She had treats off and on all day though, since I baked a double batch of dog treats. DH and I are on diets, well, I am so he's there by default since he doesn't cook. I wanted to bake something and that was the only thing I knew I wouldn't eat. BUT, you know something, they sure looked good!

Sick Hubby

DH has been sick all week and therefore hasn't left the couch or TV for more than 15 minutes. Now, I'm as sympathetic as the next gal, but men are such babies when they are sick, aren't they? After 6 days of being cooped up in the house with him and no end in sight, I decided to get "out of the house" and do some alone time. I got dressed, make-up, hair, grabbed the purse and water bottle and what do I see, DH grabbing his keys, "what are you doing?" I asked, I need to get out of the house so I thought I would go with you and just drive you around. NO! I shouted, didn't mean to Shout, but really, hear me now. I need some time to go to a fabric store and not with you waiting in the car tapping your fingers on the wheel. I want to stay as long as I want to! If you need to go out, just go to the bank, gas my car up and take the dog to McDonalds for a burger! I took his car and went to Hancock's Fabrics (the only shop close) they were having one of their little free classes, so I stayed for that. Still didn't want to go home so stopped by a thrift shop, grocery store, got a coke at Wendy's, one more browse in Fred Meyer's produce department....can you tell, I really didn't want to go home. Well, Home I did go and where was DH. On the couch, asleep with the TV on... At least he did take my car to gas it up and go to the bank. I do love him but I sure like time alone sometimes. Gotta love a sick Hubby.

Cat Feeder? Here Birdy birdy

Gratitude

Other quilter's blogs
Home baked bread
pets to love

Cologne

For some reason, DH thinks that when it comes to cologne, that more is better!!! I think he marinades in the stuff! For Pete's sake you can't breathe within 1/2 mile of him. I can't seem to convince him that he uses too much and I can't discontinue breathing in his presence. Sometimes if he puts it on in the morning, I can actually stand it by evening. The kind of cologne is another thing. The one I was complaining about has to be 15 years old and would make a skunk gag. Twice, I have put it in the garbage and twice he has retrieved it. Today, I poured it down the drain like some recovering drunk would pour booze. (I'm just guessing here, I have never been a drinker, recovering or not). He didn't say a thing, just went to the store and got some decent cologne. YEY! Now to put a limit on HOW MUCH is TOO MUCH! Maybe a warning label on the side of the bottle would do...you think??

floral fantasy

This quilt is one of my favorites, it took me nearly a year to collect all the floral fabrics and another year to complete it. I consider myself experienced at making drunkard path blocks now! Actually, it was fun and not difficult at all. I got the pattern from an Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

Today, I finished some of my canning. I keep saying that and then more "stuff" appears from the garden. I know we must still have apples on the trees and tomatoes, but I really don't want to see them!!

I went shopping to get a few soap making supplies, ie, olive oil, and sure did enjoy all the fall color. I took Maggie and she was so patient in the car as I shopped. She knows that when we are finished, she gets a McDonald's hamburger. All the crew know her by now. She starts whining when she sees the arches. One of the drive up girls says that she's their best customer.

I have to get going as I have a large soap order to work on. I will put some pictures up when I get it out of the molds. I'm making about 10 kinds.
Carline

floral fantasy close up

The best part is that this one is mine!

Gratitude Friday Oct 10

Sunshine
quiet time
eyes to see the beautiful fall colors

Gratitude

long naps
a good hairdresser
good books

last of the tomato bounty

Gratitude:

today I am thankful for:

friends

a warm home

a loving heavenly father

Our favorite family Member, Maggie (don't tell our grown children)

October, 7, 08

I'm just getting my blog set up and having a fun time of it. My best friend, Peggy's daughter, Becky did most of the set up and for that I thank her. She's a gem.

Today was a lovely fall day and I spent most of it inside cleaning, not good. The leaves here in Washington are starting to turn and I will get pictures as they get going. DH is planting a new lawn in front of our home and at this time is digging a large hole, hmm. looks like it could be my grave. (I've been pretty grumpy lately, I'd better watch out) He wouldn't do it in the front yard now, would he???

Tomorrow will be a quilting day, I hope, although I still have some canning to do. 

Favorite Authors

Karen Kingsbury 

Rosamund Pilcher 

Lincoln Logs gone crazy